Danielle Downey and the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic
A Premier Player and a Premier Tournament

Danielle Downey was a great high school golfer on the Boys Golf Team at Spencerport High School, and went on to be an ALL-SEC performer at Auburn University. After turning professional she spent time on both the Futures tour (now the LPGA owned Symetra Tour) and the LPGA achieving a great deal of success and living her dream. 

Danielle was a member at Brook-Lea Country Club and from an early age, members would just stop and watch her hit balls on the range. We all saw the potential and then the greatness. She was always willing to play with the other members regardless of ability and you could not help but smile and laugh when you were with her, on or off the course. 

Despite tragically losing our friend in 2014, her memory lives on and can be seen every day of tournament week. The Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic is the premier Women’s Sporting Event in Western New York. The talent level on the LPGA owned Symetra Tour is at an all-time high. The players that graduate from this tour immediately compete at the highest levels on the LPGA Tour. 

The DDCC is also great because of its community impact and the ways that it benefits Women directly. At a time when Gender Equity is a major focus in our society, we have an event which addresses so many of the concerns that face women in all aspects of life, careers, business, and in sports. Our tournament and The Symetra Tour gives 144 women from around the world a chance to chase their dream of playing this game at the very highest level each year. Golf is one sport where women can make a living and have a career. BUT, there are huge disparities and barriers to women based on gender in golf. The fact is that businesses and individuals do not support women’s golf in the same way that they support men’s golf and that has created less of an opportunity at a higher cost to the players. Every year we aim to bridge that gap. 

  • After this year’s event, we will have donated over $200,000 to charities. Our 2021 Charitable Beneficiary is the Pluta Cancer Center Foundation which supports all cancer patients, but predominantly women with breast cancer. 
  • We give local high school girls a chance to meet the professionals, and to play 18 holes with a professional and also with three people from the community. 
  • This year we will continue to grant a local high school senior girl a $2500 scholarship and also make a donation of $2500 to the charity of her choice. 
  • Our Tuesday Women’s Forum brings together young professionals and executives, all women in an amazing learning environment that enriches the lives of all attendees in a magical listening and sharing environment.

A Tribute to Danielle

Despite the fact that Danielle Downey was a premier local athlete who lived the dream of playing golf on the LPGA tour, she never lost sight of her roots. Her work in the community has made it possible for many local high school players to have lived a dream of meeting and playing with an LPGA professional during the first seven years of this tournament, and for eight years before that! Many of the relationships between the LPGA Symetra Tour players and our local high school athletes have inspired them to work harder at both their golf and academic careers. Several of these young ladies have continued on to play college golf. Many have served as interns in our tournament. It is a tribute to her that our tournament has kept Women’s Professional Golf in Rochester, and all of the money raised for charity and inspiring moments for those young ladies in the local community have taken place.

Danielle Downey Scholarship Fund

Through the generosity of family and friends a scholarship fund was established in the memory of Danielle, who we tragically lost in January of 2014. We are happy to announce that we granted our first scholarship to a local high school senior on June 9, 2014 and have continued to do so each year since. The Danielle Downey Scholarship Fund is now funded by the DDCUC and we now grant a $2500 scholarship to a high school senior and a matching grant to a local charity of the winner’s choice annually.

Danielle Downey Golf Career Highlights
Some of Danielle’s greatest moments.

Albatross in the US Amateur 
Danielle recorded a Double Eagle (2) (known as an albatross) on a 450 yard par 5 hole at the Sleepy Hollow Golf Course in Tarrytown NY in the US Women’s Amateur; Danielle was told at that time it was the only double eagle ever recorded at a US Women’s Amateur event in history. 

A hole in one that led to her first professional win
One shot out of first place with nine holes to play, Danielle recorded a hole in one on the 10th hole in the final round of the Lima Memorial, which moved her into the lead, and led to her eventual victory in that Futures Tour (now the Symetra Tour) event. 

Qualifying for the LPGA 
At the LPGA Qualifying Tournament from November 28-December 2, 2007. Danielle shot scores of 72-71-71-72-70 and a five day total score of 356, 4 under par, one of only 5 players in a field of 140 to shoot par or better every day, which allowed her to tie for 14th place finish. As a result she attained a lifelong goal and received one of the 17 Exemptions for the 2008 LPGA Tour. 

We know that Danielle would be so proud of our tournament and the benefits that come to our community and to the players on tour. We miss her every day, and we are so proud and honored to be able to hold this tournament in her memory each year.