LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A new PGA TOUR Champions tournament has been announced and will debut in Little Rock in October 2024.
The Simmons Bank Championship will be held annually thanks to a five-year agreement establishing the event was announced Thursday at the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.
The tournament will serve as the second round of PGA TOUR Champions’ annual Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, with the top 54 players competing to earn their spot among the top 36 and gain entry into the final event of the season.
“We are ecstatic to announce the addition of the Simmons Bank Championship to the PGA TOUR Champions schedule,” said Miller Brady, PGA TOUR Champions President. “Simmons Bank has been a tremendous title sponsor on the Korn Ferry Tour and we are thrilled to have them join PGA TOUR Champions to sponsor one of our playoff events. Bringing a tournament to their home in Little Rock shows Simmons Bank’s commitment to supporting their local community using the platform of professional golf to highlight the state of Arkansas and all that it has to offer.”
The Simmons Bank Championship will be the first PGA TOUR Champions event held in Arkansas, as well as the first PGA TOUR-sanctioned tournament held in the state since 2010.
Net proceeds from the event will benefit several qualified local non-profit organizations in the state of Arkansas.
“In addition to bringing hall-of-fame caliber golf to Little Rock featuring some of the greatest ambassadors of the game, the Simmons Bank Championship will serve as a catalyst for supporting local nonprofits while also providing an economic benefit to businesses throughout the area," said George Makris, Jr., Simmons Bank Executive Chairman.
The first annual Simmons Bank Championship will be held at the Pleasant Valley Country Club from October 21-27, 2024.
“We are truly excited to enter a multi-year partnership with the Simmons Bank Championship and the PGA TOUR Champions,” said Jason Garner, Pleasant Valley Country Club Board of Governors President. “The opportunity to bring the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs and top PGA TOUR Champions golfers to Little Rock puts our historic course on a national stage. More importantly, Pleasant Valley Country Club is able to support the tournament’s charitable goals and create lasting community impact. On behalf of Pleasant Valley Country Club, we would like to welcome the Simmons Bank Championship to Arkansas.”
Executive Director Ken Kennerly and Tournament Director Mike Harrison will oversee the event, along with Simmons Bank, Pleasant Valley Country Club, and the PGA TOUR Champions.