Beginning on October 19th, the top 60 money winners from this season's Nationwide Tour will make their way to Charleston and Daniel Island to compete in this season-ending event to determine the 25 players who will earn their PGA TOUR cards for the 2010 season. The Daniel Island Club's Rees Jones-designed Ralston Creek course will be the site of the tournament, which will be broadcast live by the Golf Channel October 22-25.
The Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island is one of only three Nationwide Tour events offering a $1 million purse and $180,000 first prize, both of which are the largest on Tour. The event is being hosted by the Student Transportation of America Education Foundation and will also provide funding for the First Tee Program of Charleston. Additionally, more than 50 area non-profit organizations are benefiting from the tournament's unique “Tickets FORE Charity” program, which is being used to drive ticket sales. Purchasers of tickets are directed to select which charity receives 100% of the proceeds.
“The partnership we have put in place for the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island is a terrific one,” said Nationwide Tour president Bill Calfee. “With the 25 PGA TOUR cards on the line, this tournament historically has been the most suspenseful week of the year on the Nationwide Tour. A number of players' futures are literally riding on every shot.”
At 7,446 yards, the Ralston Creek course is in prime condition as the tournament approaches.
“I've played virtually every event on the Nationwide Tour over a stretch of three or four years, and without question I would say this is going to be the top facility the Tour has ever seen,” said Matt Bettencourt, the 2008 Nationwide Tour champion. “You're really going to see world class golf out there – these guys can really compete,” he added.
In addition to an exciting competition, visitors attending the tournament will enjoy a “19th Hole” offering food, beverages and entertainment. This sports bar atmosphere will also feature televisions so patrons can catch up on football scores and other sporting events. Local band, The Blue Dogs, will perform on Sunday.
Tickets to the tournament are available for $10 per day or $30 for the week (Thurs., Oct. 22 – Sun., Oct. 25). A weekly group pass is also available for $200 for ten people. Tickets may be purchased on line at nationwidetourchampionship.com or by calling (800) 677-2293 between 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
Live coverage of the tournament will be broadcast on the Golf Channel from 2-4:30 pm each day from Thurs., Oct. 22 through Sun., Oct. 25.
The Daniel Island Club's Ralston Creek course will be the home of the Nationwide Tour Championship through 2011. This private club is also home to the Beresford Creek course, a nationally-ranked layout designed by Tom Fazio. The club's recreational and social offerings lie in the heart of Daniel Island Park, a golf neighborhood within the master planned Daniel Island community. With a variety of traditional neighborhoods, parks and trails, schools and churches, shops, restaurants and world-class sports facilities, Daniel Island is a preferred address for Charleston real estate and has been nationally recognized with numerous awards.
Founded (1990) and owned and operated by the PGA TOUR, the Nationwide Tour identifies those players who are ready to compete and win on golf's greatest stage. As the official proving ground of the PGA TOUR, two-thirds of the current PGA TOUR membership played on the Nationwide Tour. Tour alumni have won 236 PGA TOUR titles, including a grand slam and three PLAYERS Championships.
Daniel Island
The ideal setting for living, working and playing in Charleston, South Carolina, Daniel Island is a 4,000-acre award-winning island town featuring traditional neighborhoods, a vibrant downtown, parks, marsh-lined rivers and creeks, and a private country club with golf courses by Tom Fazio and Rees Jones.
With a spectacular coastal setting, surrounded by rivers, creeks and the Charleston harbor, the island offers an endless array of water sports and recreation. Daniel Island has been honored with numerous accolades and is the 2007 recipient of the prestigious 'Award for Excellence' by the Urban Land Institute.
Select from golf, marsh, deepwater or interior homesites priced from $175,000 to over $2 million. A wide variety of homes, townhomes and condominiums are available from $100,000 to over $5 million.
