PGA TOUR Champions and Sanford Health announce new event to debut in 2018 - Nicklaus Companies

PGA TOUR Champions and Sanford Health announce new event to debut in 2018

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – PGA TOUR Champions and Sanford Health announced today a new event to be contested in Sioux Falls beginning in 2018. The Sanford International Presented by Cambria, the first ever PGA TOUR Champions event to be contested in South Dakota, will be played at Minnehaha Country Club the week of September 17-23, and will feature a $1.8 million purse. A five-year agreement is in place through 2022.
Sanford Health President & CEO Kelby Krabbenhoft, PGA TOUR Champions President Greg McLaughlin, World Golf Hall of Fame member Jack Nicklaus and two-time U.S. Open champion Andy North were the featured speakers at today’s announcement in Sioux Falls.
“We are excited to welcome Sanford Health to the PGA TOUR family. Kelby’s devotion to the game and engagement with the Sioux Falls community allowed for today’s announcement to become a reality,” said PGA TOUR Champions President Greg McLaughlin. “The Sanford International will benefit from the passionate golf fans in South Dakota, and I am confident that this will quickly become a premier event on our annual schedule.”
The Sanford International marks the fifth new event announced by PGA TOUR Champions over the past two years, and becomes the newest staple on a schedule that currently features tournaments in four countries and 18 states.
“Sanford Health is rooted in the Dakotas, but the work we are doing to improve health care extends across the world. The Sanford International represents our commitment to caring for people on a global scale and gives us the opportunity to tell our story to a national and international audience,” said Sanford Health President & CEO Kelby Krabbenhoft. “We are thrilled to have our partners at Cambria join us in this event. We share a common set of values and a passion for investing in the communities we serve. ”
Sanford Health is one of the largest health systems in the nation as well as the largest employer in the Dakotas. Philanthropist Denny Sanford’s nearly $1 billion in gifts to Sanford Health have allowed for several initiatives, including global children’s clinics, genomic medicine and specialized centers researching cures for type 1 diabetes, breast cancer and other diseases.
Cambria is the first and only family-owned, American-made quartz producer. Headquartered in Le Sueur, Minnesota, Cambria is a leader in the industry with more than 140 innovative and durable countertop designs.
Andy North, who captured his U.S. Open titles in 1978 and 1985, will serve as host of The Sanford International.
“I have seen first-hand what an incredible emphasis Sanford Health puts on doing things the right way,” said North, chair of the Sanford International Board and Sanford Health board of trustee member. “That includes everything from taking care of patients to leading the way on bringing major events to the community. I have no doubt The Sanford International will be a highlight on PGA TOUR Champions.”
“It is special to have great people—philanthropic people—who care about the game of golf and the people involved in the game,” said Jack Nicklaus, who is serving as Ambassador for the new PGA TOUR Champions event. “First, you are bringing the tournament to Sioux Falls, a new venue for the Champions Tour and a city that loves its sports. Now, you combine the efforts of Denny Sanford and Sanford Health—a team that cares so much about people and their collective health—into a golf tournament that raises money for the community and good causes, isn’t that just impactful and at the same time fun? Isn’t that exactly what the PGA TOUR is all about?
“I think Denny and Sanford Health have done a great job trying to influence lives through their continued work worldwide, and we are so delighted that we have partnered with Sanford in South Florida at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. I am delighted to be involved in the Sanford International in a very small way, because I am sure this will be a great tournament, great fun, and everybody who comes to South Dakota will be treated to some really fine hospitality by the whole Sanford team.”
Minnehaha Country Club, which was designed in 1905 by Robert Lohmann, will serve as host venue for The Sanford International. The club, which is one of the oldest in South Dakota, sits on the banks of the Big Sioux River, and has consistently been ranked near the top of Golf Digest’s annual “Best In-State Rankings.”
“On behalf of all of us at Minnehaha Country Club, we look forward to this incredible opportunity to host The Sanford International beginning in 2018,” said Minnehaha Country Club CEO Ted Thie. “We feel that Minnehaha is an iconic figure in Sioux Falls, and now the course will be blessed with the greatest iconic figures in golf over the last 50 years. We promise to put forth a first-class tournament, course and facilities.”
The Sioux Falls Sports Authority, which was formed by local community leaders in 2006 in an effort to recruit major sporting events to the Sioux Falls area, will serve as the tournament’s host organization.
The event will be managed by Pro Links Sports with Scott Reid serving as the Tournament Director.
The Sanford International will be one of the final Regular Season events on PGA TOUR Champions in 2018, which will give way to the third-annual Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs – a season-ending, three tournament series used to determine the Tour’s season-long champion.
All three rounds of The Sanford International will be broadcast on Golf Channel.
For more information on PGA TOUR Champions or The Sanford International, please visit PGATOUR.com.

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