Tourney Time for McConnell Golf

As McConnell Golf has expanded its portfolio of offerings, the number of championship tournaments contested on courses owned by the Raleigh-based company has grown as well.

This year, nearly three-dozen events will be played at McConnell Golf clubs. The competitions highlight McConnell Golf partnerships with prestigious organizations including the PGA Tour, Web.com Tour, Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), American Junior Golf Association (AJGA), and the state golf associations from North and South Carolina, and Tennessee.

"We value our relationships with these organizations and it is rewarding to see the best professionals and amateurs play our courses on a yearly basis," said McConnell Golf VP of Golf Operations Brian Kittler. "Not only do we as a company enjoy hosting these events but we also receive great support from our memberships."

McConnell Golf's member-first, high-quality approach includes access to a wide variety of properties throughout the Carolinas from the mountains to the coast and into Tennessee, as well as an honor roll of golf course architects - legendary names including Ross, Arnold Palmer, Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, Greg Norman and Hale Irwin.

Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., annually plays host to the PGA Tour's Wyndham Championship. The sixth-oldest event on the PGA Tour excluding the major championships, the Wyndham Championship will be contested August 1-4.

The Wyndham Championship has been moved two weeks earlier on the PGA Tour's newly compacted schedule but remains the final event of the regular season, before the FedEx Cup playoffs commence.

Now, the Wyndham has taken on additional significance.

With the new, $10-million Wyndham Rewards Top 10, the top-10 regular season finishers in FedExCup points after the Wyndham Championship will reap some major financial benefits. The leader at the conclusion of the Wyndham Championship will earn $2 million, followed by $1.5 million for the runner-up, with decreasing amounts based on position from there. The 10th-place finisher will earn $500,000.

The Wyndham Rewards Top 10 likely means many more of the world's best players will come to Sedgefield. "There are so many things that we will benefit from, especially a better field," Wyndham Championship Tournament Director Mark Brazil said. "Players are going to want to jump into the Top 10 and improve their ranking inside the Top 10."

Sedgefield will also play host to the Women's ACC Golf Championship, while another highly regarded McConnell Golf property, Old North State Club in New London, N.C., will again play host in 2019 to the Men's ACC Golf Championship. Both the men's and women's ACC Championships will be contested April 17-20.

At Sedgefield, Wake Forest senior sensation Jennifer Kupcho, the world's top-ranked amateur player, makes her first appearance since earning her place in golf history by winning the inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur. At Old North State Club, the Wake Forest men are seeking their fourth consecutive victory this spring, while battling a quintet of other Top 25 teams in Clemson, Duke, defending champion Georgia Tech, Louisville and North Carolina.

Sedgefield also annually hosts the AJGA Wyndham Invitational presented by BB&T, which will be played June 10-14.

Another significant pro event, the Web.Com Tour's REX Hospital Open is contested annually at McConnell Golf's Country Club at Wakefield Plantation in Raleigh on May 30-June 2.