LOS ANGELES – The APGA Tour, professional golf’s newly-prominent developmental tour promoting diversity in the sport, will conduct tournaments next year on five prestigious TPC Courses. This is part of an expansive 2021 event and programming lineup, presented in partnership with the PGA TOUR. Farmers is deepening its commitment to the APGA in 2021, by increasing its financial support for player access and working to provide professional and career development opportunities for athletes.
As part of its multi-faceted support arrangement with the PGA TOUR, the APGA Tour has access to TPC properties for tournament play and to PGA TOUR facilities for player development purposes. In planning the 2021 tournament lineup, renowned TPC Courses in Las Vegas, Georgia (Sugarloaf), Scottsdale, New Orleans (Louisiana) and Quad Cities (Deere Run) will enhance a schedule offering more than $300,000 in prize money.
“Our partnership with the APGA has evolved over the past eight years. It may have started with writing a check, but since 2018, we have been able to enhance the Tour’s growth with instruction, course access and additional funding,” stated PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “We are so excited for what is to come in 2021 – between growing TPC Network course access to the player development funds for existing and future APGA members. We look forward to helping Ken Bentley and his team achieve their goals of advancing minority golfers in the professional ranks.”
APGA Tour CEO Ken Bentley has worked closely with industry leaders to forge these breakthroughs. “Commissioner Monahan and the PGA TOUR recognized the critical importance of our mission years ago,” Bentley offered. “So, our growth is a true collaboration with the industry’s most influential leader. Additionally, Farmers Insurance and CEO Jeff Dailey have been indispensable since we first started working together years ago, helping our players and embracing the APGA Tour at the Torrey Pines PGA TOUR stop. The golf media is recognizing our efforts. Still, there remains much work to do on the fundraising and sponsorship fronts as we all work together to develop talent and help more minority players have the resources and opportunities on their path to the PGA TOUR.”
One of the highlights of the 2020 season came in January, when the APGA Tour accepted the invitation of Farmers Insurance and The Century Club of San Diego to organize a one-day tournament during the Farmers Insurance Open PGA TOUR stop at Torrey Pines. APGA Tour players competed on Torrey Pines North, while the best golfers in the world played the third round of the PGA TOUR event on Torrey Pines South. It was the PGA TOUR’s first-ever dual event and tournament officials included the APGA Tour players and staff in operations, hospitality and media opportunities throughout the week. The exposure resulted in significant media coverage and promotion focused on the 11-year-old tour and its mission of bringing diversity to the highest levels of professional golf.
The APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Open Invitational is scheduled to return to Torrey Pines on January 30, 2021, with prize money increased to $55,000, additional media coverage opportunities and involvement of APGA Tour players and officials. Two of the top APGA Tour players, Kamaiu Johnson and Willie Mack, are sponsored by Farmers Insurance.
Johnson capped a stellar 2020 season by winning the APGA Tour Championship tournament in City of Industry, California, while finishing second in the season-long Lexus Cup Point Standings. Mack, the 2019 Lexus Cup champion, finished fifth in 2020. The 2020 Lexus Cup Point Standings winner was longtime APGA Tour standout Tim O’Neal.
The current APGA Tour 2021 schedule follows:
APGA Tour Presented by Lexus
Source: PGA tour
