Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009

Nationwide Tour adds new event in Jacksonville

The Nationwide Tour has announced a new event for next season, adding the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open to the schedule for 2010.

The event will be played in October on the Dye's Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass.

"We are excited to welcome Winn-Dixie to the PGA TOUR family and to work with Peter Lynch and his team to build a community event that showcases the next generation of PGA TOUR stars and the TPC Sawgrass Dye's Valley course," said PGA commissioner Tim Finchem. "We view the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open as a strong complement to THE PLAYERS Championship."

Jim Furyk, a former Nationwide Tour member and a 13-time PGA winner, is a Ponte Vedra Beach resident. "This is great news that the Nationwide Tour will be playing at the home of the PGA TOUR next year and Jacksonville-based Winn- Dixie will be the title sponsor," said Furyk. "I've seen the phenomenal growth of this Tour first-hand, originally as a Nationwide Tour member in 1993, and over the last 16 years, competing on the PGA TOUR."

The sister venue to the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, the Dye's Valley Course was designed by Pete Dye and Bobby Weed, with Jerry Pate as the player consultant, opening in 1987. The course features water hazards on every hole and the par-72 layout can be stretched to 6,864 yards. The course previously hosted the Senior PLAYERS Championship for three years (1988-90).

The tournament, which will be broadcast on the Golf Channel, will feature a purse of $600,000, with $108,000 being awarded to the winner.