Ally Challenge the Final Pro Tour Stop This Season
By Tom Lang
Defending champ Vijay Singh, 2020 champion Jim Furyk and almost-rookie on the PGA Tour Champions circuit Boo Weekly – headline the early commitments to play in the upcoming Ally Challenge, August 19-25 at Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc.
In speaking one-on-one with Furyk, he said the memories the Buick Open buzz generated are still found at the Ally.
“As a player, we enjoy coming to Warwick Hills and the Flint area because it’s a big deal to this community,” Furyk recently told me as we stood on the famous 17th tee at Warwick. “We can see it. It’s one of the biggest crowds we get all year, and that’s why we want to play in it. It’s a lot of fun for us. It feels like the old Buick Open and a PGA Tour event. And Ally does so much with its charitable dollars. I think it’s just a great partnership with the community.
“What Ally has done is really embrace this community,” Furyk continued. “I look at the charitable dollars they’ve been able to generate, over $7 million, then the concerts. This community has always really supported the event.”
Speaking of concerts, country music award-winning star Thomas Rhett headlines the 7th annual Saturday evening community concert on the Warwick Hills driving range with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. Also the Concert @17 presented by Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort will feature multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated pop-rock icons Smash Mouth, on Friday evening, August 23, following the first round of tournament competition.
Two fun and meaningful golf events will kick off the week on Monday the 19th. The pro tournament welcomes the PGA Jr. League Championship. This group of youth players from seven junior golf teams across Genesee County who have played competitively all summer. The event will serve as the league’s season-ending Championship round, offering a special opportunity to play a tournament-ready PGA TOUR Champions course. And for the third year, professional adaptive golf instructors from across the country will be at the practice area to give lessons and tips to players who have challenges composing a growing category of ‘adaptive golfers.’
The Ally Challenge will be one of the premier Regular Season events on the PGA TOUR Champions in 2024, featuring a $2,200,000 purse and leading to the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, a season-ending, three-tournament series used to determine the TOUR’s season-long champion.
All three rounds of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren will be broadcast on Golf Channel.
Since its inception in 2018, the tournament has donated more than $7.3 million to support local charities.
Tickets for The Ally Challenge can be purchased at theallychallenge.com/tickets. Several ticket options are available. The tournament is open to spectators from Thursday (August 22, pro-am) to Sunday (August 25). Ticket prices start at $15—children 17 and under receive free grounds access with a ticketed adult. For a complete listing of ticket options and tournament incentives and programs, visit the tournament website at theallychallenge.com.
