The 2023 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G was recently named a GEO Certified® Sustainable Golf Tournament, designating the event as only the second on the LPGA Tour to have received certification. Overseen by GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation, the internationally recognized standard is designed to strengthen and promote golf’s social and environmental commitment. The #NWAChampionship will return September 23-29, with officials also announcing a significant purse increase to $3 million for the 2024 event.
“There is no time like the present to drive engagement and elevate women’s sports through important initiatives, such as pay equity and sustainability,” said Jennifer R. Jackson, Walmart Senior Vice President, Merchandising. “As a leader on the LPGA Tour, we’re proud to showcase our commitment to building a more sustainable future and advancing equity and inclusion through the platform of the #NWAChampionship.”
To become GEO Certified®, the #NWAChampionship executed numerous initiatives designed to minimize resource consumption, eliminate waste, and limit other potentially negative impacts on the environment while continuing to leave a positive legacy in the community. In addition to the thorough review conducted by GEO Certification Ltd., a third-party verification was carried out by the Council for Responsible Sport, the official verification body for the GEO Certified Tournaments in North America. The recognition is a significant step on the tournament’s sustainability journey, which was kick-started with support from Dow, the Official Sustainability Partner of the LPGA Tour.
“We are proud to work alongside Walmart, the GEO Foundation and many local vendor partners to support sustainability in the Northwest Arkansas community, and continue our efforts to help make the region a great place to live and work for generations to come,” said Jeff Metzner, Vice President, Walmart Team Marketing & Communications at Procter & Gamble.
As part of the certification process, the #NWAChampionship achieved a total of 50 out of 58 points across the priority areas of event planning, staging operations, communications and legacies.
Aligned with the tournament’s sustainability efforts, the host course, Pinnacle Country Club, also became a GEO Certified® facility in the lead up to the 2023 tournament.
Additional highlights from the 2023 event include:
• Working in partnership with local organization Food Loops, 84 percent of the tournament’s waste was diverted from the landfill during this year’s event – equivalent to over 31,000 pounds.
• As part of the event’s waste diversion efforts, excess packaged food items and beverages from the tournament’s concessions areas and food festival were donated to the NWA Food Bank, supporting their mission of nourishing the community by feeding hungry people.
• Helping to promote low carbon travel to the event, the tournament’s partnered with Mercy, Pedal it Forward, and Trailblazers to encourage fans to ride their bikes to the golf course through onsite valet bike parking and a guided bike ride from Bentonville to Pinnacle Country Club.
• New in 2023, the tournament’s food festival, BITE NW Arkansas, partnered with local organizations Black Owned NWA and NWA Equality to help highlight diverse owned local restaurants and businesses to over 4,000 event attendees, contributing to the community legacy category of the certification – supporting local businesses and outreach to underrepresented groups in golf.
In addition to announcing the event’s sustainability certification, tournament officials have also announced an elevated purse of $3 million for the 2024 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G, a $700,000 increase from 2023.
“I am so appreciative to Walmart and P&G for their continued investment in the LPGA Tour and their commitment to empowering women both on and off the golf course,” said LPGA Tour Professional, Maria Fassi. “This tournament is so special to me, and I can’t wait to compete in front of the incredible fans in Northwest Arkansas later this fall.”
Further tournament updates and volunteer registration will be made available in the months ahead. For more information on the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G, visit www.NWAChampionship.com and follow the tournament’s social handles @NWAChampionship on X, Facebook and Instagram.