Want to catch the golfers of your youth? PGA Tour Champions will stop in Allentown — and bring Philly sports legends, too
The event, which will feature a slew of former PGA Tour winners and major champions, will be held at Lehigh Country Club for at least the next five years.
This summer, the Philadelphia area had big for golf events, between the PGA Championship in May at Aronimink Golf Club and the U.S. Amateur Championship in August at Merion Golf Club.
And it’s carrying into the fall with the inaugural Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic, a PGA Tour Champions event. Unlike the other two, however, this won’t be a one-time thing.
“It’s really cool that now over the next five years, PGA Tour Champions, which is part of the PGA Tour, is going to be at Lehigh Country Club,” said Nick Ragone, Jefferson’s chief marketing and communications officer. “I think fans are going to be really excited.”
It also marks the first time since the mid-1970s that the PGA Tour will have a regular presence in the area, Ragone said. The LPGA also holds an annual tournament in the region, the ShopRite LPGA at Seaview Hotel & Golf Club in Galloway, N.J.
Here’s everything you need to know about the new tournament in town …
What is the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic?
The Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic is a three-day, 54-hole stroke play competition.
The tournament, which features a 78-player field, is an official event of the PGA Tour Champions, an offshoot of the PGA Tour specifically for golfers 50 or older.
Along with the competition on the course, the event’s main goal is to benefit charities in the region, extending from the Greater Philadelphia area, to the Lehigh Valley, and through Northeast Pennsylvania. Some of the beneficiaries include the Eagles Autism Foundation and Valley Youth House.
When and where is the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic?
The event will be held at the Lehigh Country Club in Allentown from Monday, Sept. 28 through Sunday, Oct. 4, featuring three days of competition and three days of pro-am events.
The week will begin with the Eagles & Friends Celebrity Pro-Am on Monday. A two-day official pro-am will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, and will feature the tournament’s official golfers.
Competition officially starts on Friday, Oct. 2, and runs through that Sunday, with tee times from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on both Friday and Saturday. Sunday’s tee times will go from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
The trophy ceremony will immediately follow after the 18th green on Sunday.
What is the Eagles & Friends Celebrity Pro-Am?
The Eagles & Friends Celebrity Pro-Am kicks off the week’s festivities by allowing fans to play side-by-side with athletes across different sports.
Former Eagles Brandon Graham, John Spagnola, Mike Quick, Scott Fitzkee, Brian Westbrook, and Rodney McLeod are scheduled to compete. Golfer Braden Shattuck, a Delco native who competed in the PGA Championship, former Phillies second baseman and coach Mickey Morandini, and former Sixer and Temple coach Aaron McKie are also set to be in attendance, with more names still to be announced.
“Eagles Autism Foundation is one of our charitable partners. So one of the reasons why we created this event was, in part, to — as we merged with Lehigh Valley — to put a stake in the ground in the Lehigh Valley like, ‘Hey, this is a long-term commitment on our part,’” Ragone said. “We started thinking about it, and really the Eagles team suggested … ‘Why don’t we think about doing something cool like a special pro-am with the Eagles legends, and it’s a way for us to raise additional money for our charities?’”
Who is competing in the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic?
Among the PGA Tour Champions golfers headlining the event will be Stewart Cink, the 2009 Open Championship winner and defending Tour Champions player of the year. He will be joined by Justin Leonard, who has 12 career PGA Tour wins, including one major, the 1997 Open Championship.
Two-time Ryder Cup winner Miguel Angel Jiménez, who has 21 European Tour wins, and two-time U.S. Open champ (2001, ’04) Retief Goosen will also compete. Former PGA Tour players Glen Day and Dicky Pride are in the field, along with Steven Alker, Darren Clarke, and fan favorite Michael Block. Players like Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, Bernhard Langer are also expected to join.
How can I watch the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic?
All three rounds of the tournament (Friday-Sunday) will be televised by the Golf Channel. But if you’re looking to attend rather than watch on TV, it’s quite affordable, especially compared to the PGA Championship …
How do I get tickets?
Tickets to the tournament are available now, with prices ranging by day.
Weekly general admission tickets provide access to the tournament from Thursday through Sunday for $75. One-day general admission tickets for Friday to Sunday are $35, while tickets to Thursday’s pro-am are $15.
Children under 17 years old receive free admission when attending with a ticketed adult. Veterans also receive complimentary admission.
