LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Professional golf will soon be making its way to Little Rock with the help of Simmons Bank, Pleasant Valley Country Club, and of course PGA Tour Champions.
The Simmons Bank Championship will be held annually, thanks to a five-year agreement establishing the event that was announced Thursday at the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.
"We're talking about bringing around 50 of the best senior players in the world, and they'll be coming here, it'll be exciting," Michael Auerbach, General Manager of Pleasant Valley Country Club said.
He explained that this is a huge honor for his establishment to host part of the PGA Tour Champions tournament here in the valley.
"The fact that it's going to be televised nationally is big. It gives our members a huge sense of pride to be able to host such an event here. And it just it showcases what Pleasant Valley is all about," Auerbach added.
The event will bring golfers from around the world to the 27-hole course here in Little Rock, which is something professional golfer Glen Day calls a huge deal.
"We're not just bringing, you know, some nobody in Little Rock I mean, these are going to be you know, Colin Montgomery, Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington you know, and so on and it's going to be a wonderful event," Day said.
Bringing pro golfers to the greens will mean another type of green for Arkansas businesses and charities as net proceeds from the event will benefit several qualified local non-profit organizations in the state of Arkansas.
"We're going to bring charitable dollars into Central Arkansas, we're going to bring a sporting event, a professional men's sporting event, which Arkansas does not have into the state, into Central Arkansas and we're gonna get to showcase the sport that I love," Day explained.
It's an economic driver that has state officials like Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders excited for the future here in the natural state.
"Events like this that have a $15 million impact are exactly the type of thing that we're looking to bring and highlight here because not only does it help people here in Arkansas see what we have to offer, but so many people from around the world will be tuned in to that event and they will get to see the amazing things going on right here in Little Rock, Arkansas," Sanders said.
Auerbach said the outside public will be allowed to come once they notify the public of the different passes that will be offered for those who wish to attend the tournament in October.