Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship extends agreement with Web.com Tour for additional three years – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Sept. 24, 2015
ADDITIONAL LINKS
Tournament Information
Columbus, Ohio – Tournament Officials announced today a three-year extension of the agreement between the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship and the PGA TOUR that insures the tournament will continue as a Web.com Tour Finals event through 2018. Additionally, a three-year agreement with The Ohio State University Golf Club was announced, confirming the Scarlet Course will continue to host the tournament. An option for an additional three years is included within both agreements.
“Since the first tournament in 2007, the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship has developed into one of the Web.com Tour’s finest events, setting high standards in tournament hosting, corporate community involvement, and most importantly, the impact of charitable dollars to Nationwide Children’s Hospital and other organizations in Columbus,” said Bill Calfee, President of the Web.com Tour. “Today’s announcement about the three-year extensions with Champions of the Community and The Ohio State University ensure the community impact will remain in place and the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship will play a pivotal role in determining who earns PGA TOUR cards in 2016, 2017 and 2018.”
“We are thrilled to announce this extension and to have an opportunity to continue working towards our mission of operating a best-in-class event for central Ohio golf fans while delivering significant funds and valuable national exposure for Nationwide Children’s Hospital,” said Rich Foster, President of the tournament’s host organization, Champions of the Community. “We thank the PGA TOUR and The Ohio State University for their continued partnership and look forward to building on our success in the years to come.”
Since its inception in 2007, the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship has been a leader in generating charity dollars on the Web.com Tour. Through 2014, the event has raised more than $4.4 million in support of the pediatric cancer program for its primary beneficiary, Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
The tournament proudly announced record-high donations to Nationwide Children’s Hospital the past two years of $874,169 and $1,003,769, respectively, and is poised yet again to raise the charity bar and significantly increase the donations reached in 2013 and 2014.
“Nationwide Children’s Hospital is extremely grateful that the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, PGA TOUR and The Ohio State University will continue to bring a highly competitive golf tournament to central Ohio,” said Steve Allen, MD, chief executive officer of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “The tournament and community’s support of our pediatric cancer program during the past eight years has been evident with the record-high donations in 2013 and 2014. The tournament’s ongoing commitment plays a significant role in helping to raise vital awareness of our mission to help children everywhere.”
Together with the tournament’s charity focus, the other constant for the event will be the host venue, The Ohio State University Golf Club – Scarlet Course. The Scarlet Course has played host to the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship from its inception and remains one of the truest tests of golf on the Web.com Tour.
“We congratulate the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship on the tournament’s new agreement,” said Gene Smith, vice president and director of athletics at The Ohio State University. “We are proud that The Ohio State University Golf Club and the Scarlet Course will continue to serve as host site, not only for the exposure the tournament provides what we believe are the best golf facilities in the collegiate community, but most importantly because we enjoy being partners with an event that does so much for charity, principally Nationwide Children’s Hospital, an organization that has enjoyed a longtime academic relationship with The Ohio State University Medical Center. It is a privilege to be a part of such a great cause.”
The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship was played as an invitational from 2007 to 2012. The tournament debuted as a Finals event in 2013 when the Web.com Tour became The Path to the PGA TOUR and began awarding all 50 cards for the following PGA TOUR season. Previously, 25 cards were awarded to the leading money winners on the Web.com Tour at season’s end and 25 more cards via the PGA TOUR Qualifying School in December. The PGA TOUR Qualifying School is no longer in existence, having been replaced by the Web.com Tour Qualifying School, which provides a first step on the path to the PGA TOUR.
The ninth playing of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship begins tomorrow as the third of four Finals events and will feature a blended field of the top 75 players from the Web.com Tour this year and players from the PGA TOUR finishing Nos. 126 – 200 on the regular season FedExCup points list, less those with exemptions.
The exempt player from the Web.com Tour Regular Season top 25 will be identified at the conclusion of the four Finals events, using combined Regular Season and Finals money. Therefore, any top-25 player can earn the coveted No. 1 position if he performs well enough in the four Finals events. A second full exemption will be awarded to the highest cumulative earner based on the four-event Finals’ money list.
The ordering of all 50 players after the Web.com Tour Finals will be done on an alternating basis, using the two lists of card earners.
The field for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship will compete over 72 holes of stroke play, with a cut to the top-65 players and ties after 36 holes. Golf Channel will broadcast tournament coverage from Thursday’s opening round to the trophy presentation on Sunday in high definition. Tickets for the 2015 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship are available to the general public. The cost for one Any Day ticket, valid for any single day grounds admission Thursday – Sunday, is $10. A Weekly Ticket, providing admission to the tournament grounds Thursday – Sunday, is available at a cost of $30 per ticket. Practice rounds, Monday – Wednesday, including Wednesday’s Official Pro-am, are open to the public free of charge. Kids 16 years of age and under receive free admission all week with a ticketed adult. The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship’s Charity Ticket Program, now entering its eighth year, allows for 100 percent of the revenue from ticket sales to the benefit participating charity organizations. For a list of participating charities or to purchase tickets please visit www.ncc-golf.com.
For questions concerning ticket availability, how to become a volunteer and general Tournament information, please visit www.ncc-golf.com or call (614) 764-GOLF. Stay connected with the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship on Twitter @NCHC_Golf and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NationwideChildrensChampionship.
