(Daytona Beach, Fla. and London, UK Jan. 9, 2019) - The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions, today announced the hole designations and scoring system on the LPGA Tour for the Aon Risk Reward Challenge, an exciting new performance-based program that serves as Aon’s opening chapter of a multi-year partnership with both the LPGA and PGA TOUR.

The season-long Aon Risk Reward Challenge will highlight the world’s best professional golfers as they tackle the most strategically challenging holes across both the LPGA and PGA TOUR. The player from each Tour on top of the Aon leaderboard at the end of the regular season will each receive a $1 million prize.

Each week, Aon will bring golf fans an in-depth look at the carefully selected tournament challenge hole by providing an overview of the opportunity it presents, unique insights derived from data and analysis of past performances and recommended strategic approaches to provide an advantage. Fans will now be able to understand how players weigh the risk/reward decisions they face as they take on each hole and try to execute their desired game plan.

Aon Risk Reward Challenge on the LPGA Tour

As an example, the first of the LPGA Tour’s five major championships - the ANA Inspiration - is played each year at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., and the designated Aon Risk Reward Challenge hole for 2019 is the 11^th. This hole is a reachable par 5 as long as players can find the narrow fairway off the tee. Multiple pin placements vary the risk analysis on a green that is slightly elevated and surrounded by bunkers. Accuracy allied to a bold game plan and strategic insight is rewarded highly on this hole.

“Whether on the tee or reading the green, golfers are constantly looking for insights that give them an edge over the competition. We see clear parallels in how Aon advises clients, as our solutions are rooted in data and analytics that help them minimize volatility and maximize performance,” said Andy Weitz, Chief Marketing Officer, Aon. “The same concept applies in golf, and we are excited to see how players develop strategies that help them understand the risk and realize the reward on each of the Aon Risk Reward Challenge holes.”

"We worked diligently to create a strong stable of holes which would test the player’s ability to think strategically each week," said Heather Daly-Donofrio, the LPGA's Chief Tour Operations Officer. "The line-up includes a wonderful mix of par-three, par-four and par-five holes, all with their own unique elements and challenges. We are excited to bring these holes to life for our fans and to see how the players navigate through them, particularly down the home stretch where four of the last five risk reward holes are par fives. The player who wins the first-place prize of $1 million will be the one who best factors all the elements and successfully executes her plan after weighing carefully whether the risk is worth the reward."

“I know that I speak for all the players at the LPGA when I say how excited we are for the opportunity to compete in the Aon Risk Reward Challenge this year and how proud we are that the prize for both the LPGA and PGA TOUR winner is an equal $1 million,” said LPGA Tour Player, Lizette Salas. “Now that the scoring system and holes have been revealed, I am looking forward to analyzing them with my team to determine our optimal game plan!”

Aon Risk Reward Challenge Scoring System

The scoring system, identical on both the LPGA and PGA TOUR, is intuitive and produces a compelling risk/reward narrative throughout the season. The Aon Risk Reward Challenge takes the best two scores from every participating event a player competes in, ensuring that all play is counted and providing a small advantage to those that make the cut with the winner having the best average score to par across the season. Players must play a minimum of 40 rounds throughout the season. At the LPGA Tour’s season-ending CME Group Championship, the winner will be awarded the prestigious Aon Trophy and a $1 million prize.

The Challenge will be run across regular season tournaments (36 PGA TOUR; 29 LPGA), with CBS Sports and The Golf Channel as official broadcast partners. The Aon Risk Reward Challenge will be brought to life through feature segments including weekly Challenge hole profiles and insights, player interviews and on-air commentary.

About Aon                                                                                                                                                   Aon plc (NYSE:AON) is a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions. Our 50,000 colleagues in 120 countries empower results for clients by using proprietary data and analytics to deliver insights that reduce volatility and improve performance. Sign up for News Alerts to get information instantly. Follow Aon on Twitter and join the conversation on LinkedIn.

About the LPGA
The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women. Founded in 1950 and headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla., the association celebrates a diverse and storied membership with more than 2,300 members representing more than 30 countries. With a vision to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the very best of women’s golf, LPGA Tour Professionals compete across the globe, while the Symetra Tour, the official development and qualifying tour of the LPGA, consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. Additionally, LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals directly impact the game through teaching, coaching and management.

The LPGA demonstrates its dedication to the development of the game through The LPGA Foundation. Since 1991, this charitable organization has been committed to empowering and supporting girls and women through developmental, humanitarian and golf community initiatives, including LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, the LPGA Women’s Network and the LPGA Amateur Golf Association.

Follow the LPGA on its television home, Golf Channel, and on the web via http://www.lpga.com/. Join the social conversation at http://www.facebook.com/lpga, http://www.twitter.com/lpga and http://www.youtube.com/lpgavideo, and on Instagram at @lpga_tour.

Click here to download a video explaining the scoring of the Aon Risk Reward Challenge.

Media Contacts:

Aon:                                         Will Dunn
                                                will.dunn@aon.com
                                                +1-917-434-2607

LPGA Tour:                               Mark Lamport-Stokes
                                                mark.lamport-stokes@lpga.com
                                                +1-310-527-1345

Aon Risk Reward Challenge:      George McNeilly
                                                george@mcneillycommunications.com
                                                +1-407-781-6851

2019 Aon Risk Reward Challenge – LPGA Challenge Holes