The Dominion-anchored Richmond event is a three-day, 54-hole tournament with a $2 million purse. (Michael Schwartz)
The annual John Daly sightings can continue in Richmond for at least another decade.
The PGA Tour Champions announced on Thursday a deal to extend the run of the Dominion Energy Charity Classic at Country Club of Virginia’s James River Course through 2029.
Teeing off this morning and now in its third year, the tournament was created initially with a four-year deal through 2019.
The extension includes keeping Dominion on as naming sponsor for an undisclosed sum, as well as CCV as the host course.
A long eagle putt on the 18th hole won the tournament for Bernhard Langer last year. (Michael Schwartz)
At a press conference held onsite at CCV, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, joined on the podium by Dominion CEO Tom Farrell and CCV President Pierce Walmsley, said the tournament is the tour’s first to earn such a long-term extension with its naming sponsor and host venue.
While full financial results of the tournament were not released, the PGA said the event has contributed more than $600,000 to Virginia Values Veterans, Richmond Fisher House and 60 other non profit organizations in Central Virginia. That number is expected to surpass $1 million at the end of this year’s event.
At least part of the event’s success is the hospitality Richmond apparently rolls out for the players. The tournament in each of its first two years received the tour’s Players Award, which recognizes a tournament for going above and beyond in player experience.
The festivities at CCV kicked off Thursday with a pro-am, in which representatives from the tournament’s top sponsors were paired with players from the tour. In addition to Dominion as naming sponsor, the tournament’s founding sponsors are TowneBank, Riverstone Group and VCU Health.
Full play begins this morning with a field of 72 vying for a share of the $2 million purse. The tournament is the first of three season-ending playoff events in the annual Charles Schwab Cup.
Along with John Daly, who tees off today at 8:39 a.m., the Tour Champions field includes legends such as Bernhard Langer, Fred Couples. Mark O’Meara, Colin Montgomerie and Vijay Singh.
Langer won the tournament last year, while Scott McCarron took home the trophy in its inaugural year.
