Queen City Championship Updates

Cincinnati, OH - Emily Norell is the tournament director for the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G. Based in Cincinnati, Emily already is hard at work planning this September’s event. Get to know Emily in this edition of Queen City Championship Updates:

• Q: First, where did you grow up, and did you always have a love of sports/golf? | A: I come from Maple Lake, MN – a small town about an hour west of the Twin Cities with a population of 1,400. I always enjoyed playing and watching sports and golf came naturally, so I did compete all through high school but never thought it would turn into a career.
• Q: You graduated from the University of St. Thomas—from there, how did you get involved in sports management, specifically golf? | A: My story is a unique one. After spending two years at Gonzaga University, I transferred to the University of St. Thomas to focus my education on literature studies and the Spanish language in the hopes of diving into the international education career path. After graduation I took a job for a catering / concession company that provided services across the PGA & LPGA Tours. From there, I landed a job with a golf management company, which is where I spent six years growing my passion and skills in golf operations. In 2018 I accepted a job with the LPGA Tour on the business affairs team. On October 1, 2021 I joined Excel Sports Management as the Tournament Director for their first-ever owned and operated event.
• Q: What are some of the other golf events you’ve worked on in your career? | A: I have been fortunate to work many golf events through my career including U.S. Opens, Major Championships, and building customized hospitality packages for clients to attend the Masters. But it was my time spent from 2013 – 2018 in the Bahamas as Tournament Director for the Pure Silk – Bahamas LPGA Classic where I knew I not only had the talent for running successful events but wanted to stay in female sports, which has led me to Cincinnati.
• Q: What attracted you to the tournament director’s position for the Queen City Championship? | A: When I first heard Excel Sports Management was looking to hire a Tournament Director, I knew instantly that I wanted to throw my name in the hat. I saw this not only as a great opportunity to expand and grow my skills, but a lifestyle change as I have spent much of my career traveling from event to event and I am excited to be back in the Midwest! And, with Kroger and Procter & Gamble as title sponsors it does not get much better!
• Q: How do you see the Queen City Championship building on the rich LPGA history in the Greater Cincinnati area? | A: The LPGA is excited to return to Cincinnati and more specifically Kenwood Country Club, home of the 1963 U.S. Women’s Open. With the support of our title sponsors and local community, we are bringing back the world’s best female golfers and this event will serve as an example of how the power of sports can empower a community and inspire the next generation of leaders. Additionally, building on long-standing commitments to women and diversity, Kroger, P&G, and the LPGA will come together to connect inspiring female leaders across Cincinnati’s business and community spectrum. This program kicks off tournament week and is the first ever to focus on a multi-faceted audience, bringing together female business leaders, entrepreneurs, and key community figures to learn with and from each other.

Kevin Hopkins and Emily Norell speak to Kenwood Country Club members at the members briefing on the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G.

• Q: What has your initial feedback been from the community after the tournament announcement in September and then the member event at Kenwood Country Club in December? | A: Following both, the response has been tremendously positive! Community and Kenwood CC members have been asking how they can be involved from sponsorship to volunteers and just letting us know how excited they are that the LPGA is back. I think it is important to remember that everyone is a stakeholder in this event, from sponsors, to the KCC Members & staff, to fans, volunteers, and players. All of these people share in the success of the event and contribute to its legacy.
• Q: Do you have your own goals for the tournament in terms of sponsorship and attendance? | A: Absolutely! Our goal is to create a truly special experience for not only golf fans, but an event that will bring families and the community together and make this a must-attend event. We are engaging local businesses as well as Fortune 500 companies to partner with the Queen City Championship and we look forward to building sponsor relationships throughout the tournament’s tenure.
• Q: You are here in Cincinnati full-time now; what have you seen and done around town? Do you have favorite stops, events and restaurants? | A: I have been to a Bengals football game, Xavier men’s basketball game, ate tacos at Bakersfield, celebrated a birthday at Sotto, and of course, visited a Cincy institution – Skyline Chili! And my two favorite spots to enjoy an after-work beverage have been Sundry and Vice and Hap’s Irish Pub. I really feel like I have already accomplished a lot in the short time I have been in Cincinnati!

The Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G will be held September 5-11, 2022 at Kenwood Country Club featuring a purse of $1.75 million dollars and over 12 hours of live Golf Channel coverage distributed around the globe.