Crosswater Golf Club and Meadows Golf Course at Sunriver Resort will host the upcoming 50th PGA Professional National Championship from June 15-21.This will mark the fourth time that the PGA of America’s showcase event for PGA Professionals will be contested at Sunriver Resort. The Championship was previously hosted in 2001, 2007 and 2013.
“The extensive live coverage of the Championship on Golf Channel showcases everything Sunriver Resort, Central Oregon, and the Pacific Northwest PGA Section has to offer. The entire region will benefit from the Championship and the Sunriver Resort Owners, associates, volunteers, and PGA Professionals on staff are excited to host this Championship for the fourth time,” said Josh Willis, Director of Golf Operations for Sunriver Resort.
The event is presented by Club Car, Mercedes-Benz and OMEGA. All four rounds will be nationally televised on Golf Channel. The broadcast will generate immediate and future tourism for the region with an inestimable economic impact for restaurants, hotels and resorts along with other local businesses.
The National Championship was first televised live by Golf Channel in 1997 and has a potential audience of more than 110 million people.
PGA of American organizers are currently seeking volunteers to assist in all areas of the event including caddying, scoring, working with the Golf Channel and numerous other opportunities.
Those interested in volunteering are encouraged to submit this form by June 1.
“We are looking for volunteers to help in all aspects of the event. The support of the community through volunteering allows Sunriver Resort to continue being an attractive host sight for the Championship. With this event the focus is on golf at Sunriver but there is a glowing effect of this event where people around the country will be exposed to golf throughout Central Oregon,” Willis said.
Sunriver Resort features four golf courses and each was designed by an acclaimed architect. The premierCrosswater Club has received numerous national golf awards and has hosted several nationally acclaimed golf tournaments in recent years.
“We are fortunate to have hosted numerous PGA of America, PGA Tour, USGA and NCAA Championships at Sunriver Resort. We truly enjoy working with the PGA Tournament Staff and view ourselves as one giant team working towards the end goal of executing the best PGA Professional Championship imaginable,” Willis said.
Since the 2013 PGA Professional Championship Sunriver’s golf courses have undergone significant renovations but the courses will play similar to previous tournaments.
“The Meadows greens were reconstructed with T-1 bentgrass in 2015 and in 2016 the Meadows bunkers were reconstructed,” Willis said.
Crosswater has been honored by Golf Digest as one of America’s 100 Greatest Courses and is situated on carefully preserved wetlands with scenic views of Mt. Bachelor.
The course features bent grass fairways and greens and is threaded by the gently flowing Deschutes and Little Deschutes Rivers. Inspired by the Scottish highlands, Crosswater Club opened for play in 1995 as a heathland-style course that offers a perfect blend of strategy and aesthetics.
The Championship will feature a field of 310 golfers and will utilize both the Crosswater Club and Meadows Golf Course.
The wide variety of recreational activities Sunriver Resort has to offer is one of the many reasons for the Championship’s return this year.
“There are over 40 miles of paved bike paths, indoor and outdoor tennis, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, kayaking and rafting. Sunriver Resort has 63 holes of golf, Sage Springs Spa and Fitness Club, multiple food and beverage outlets, nature walks and trails,” Willis said.
At the end of two rounds, the top 90 players compete in round three. After round three, the field is reduced to 70 plus ties. At the end of 72 holes, if there is a tie for 20th place, a playoff occurs until exactly twenty advance to the 2017 PGA Championship hosted by Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, NC.
The tournament champion earns $75,000 and six exemptions into the PGA Tour for the next season. The top five finishers are given entry into the second round of the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament.
The 310 players participating come from all around the country. The full list of participants in the field can be found at this link.
The PGA Professional Championship is a premier opportunity presenting Central Oregon golf and tourism to a national audience with immeasurable immediate and long-term economic impacts. Those interesting in getting involved should contact PGA Professional Championship Volunteer Coordinator Josie Whisnant at golfvolunteers541@gmail.com to get involved.
