New Mexico’s oldest & most prestigious professional golf tournament to feature elite players from across the United States
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Sandia Resort & Casino New Mexico Open, New Mexico’s major golf championship and one of the leading tournaments in the Southwest, will take place at Sandia Golf Club, located on the northern side of Albuquerque at the base of Sandia Peak. The New Mexico Open will host the nation’s top professional and amateur golfers beginning on Tuesday, September 12.
The NM Open has grown into one of the top state opens in the country and is partnering with Sandia Resort & Casino to host the event at Sandia Golf Club through 2018.
“We are once again excited to be a part of this event,” said Matt Molloy, Sandia Golf Club Director of Golf. “Sandia Golf Club is very proud to be hosting and hopes to continue the rich tradition of New Mexico golf at its finest.”
The 2017 Championship will be conducted over 54 holes, September 12-14, offering the largest tournament purse in the state. It will feature elite professional golfers from across the country hoping to someday make their way to the PGA Tour.
“I can’t tell you how lucky we feel to have a partner like Sandia Resort & Casino,” said Dana Lehner, Sun Country PGA Executive Director and New Mexico Open Tournament Director. “This championship has long been the crown jewel in the New Mexico golf world and our friends at Sandia will help us keep it as such while helping provide our participants with a second-to-none state open experience.”
Past winners of the NM Open include Lee Trevino, Paul Stankowski, Brian Kortan, D.J. Brigman, and Notah Begay III. The 2017 event features multiple past champions and also welcomes back three-time defending champion, Nick Mason of Denver, Colo., who will put his title on the line against a full field of 156 golfers from all over the country. The field will be competing for a purse of more than $85,000 and a first-place check of $14,000.
The first round will commence on Tuesday, September 12 with tee times starting at 7:30 a.m. off of both the first and tenth tees. After the second round on Wednesday the field will be cut to a score of the low 50 and ties, with the final round taking place on Thursday and all players teeing off of the first hole beginning at 7:00am.
Updated scoring and pairings can be found at nmopen.com, and the media will be provided access to Sun Country’s flickr.com account in order to obtain any and all photos available.
In its short history, Sandia Golf Club has hosted many major championships in New Mexico including multiple Sun Country PGA Section Championships, other Section events, multiple USGA Qualifiers, Sun Country Junior Major Championships and Sun Country Amateur Golf Association Championships. And now, New Mexico’s top golf championship will be added to the Sandia resume.
About Sandia Golf Club
Sandia Golf Club was developed by the Pueblo of Sandia as an amenity of the Sandia Resort & Casino. The club features an 18-hole, par-72 golf course designed by Scott Miller that plays 5,113 yards from the forward tees and 7,772 yards from the back tees. Sandia Golf Club opened for public play in 2005 under the management to OB Sports Golf Management. The memorable layout weaves its way through rugged high-desert terrain with panoramic views of the Sandia Mountains and greater Albuquerque area. Another amenity of the club, The Event Center at Sandia Golf Club, opened in 2015. This new state-of-the-art facility serves as a great space to host large golf tournaments, banquets, weddings, corporate meetings, conferences, charity events and more. For more information about Sandia Golf Club, visit www.sandiagolfclub.com, call 505-796-7500, like on Facebook, follow on Twitter, or view on its YouTube channel
About Sandia Resort & Casino
Featuring deluxe accommodations and luxury amenities, Albuquerque’s Sandia Resort & Casino provides incomparable comfort and uncompromising service. Touted as New Mexico’s premier casino resort, Sandia offers the latest in table games, poker, slot machines, bingo, full service spa and an award-winning championship golf course – and the biggest and best live entertainment in New Mexico – all within the beautiful vista of the stunning Sandia Mountains. For more information please visit www.sandiacasino.com, or call 1 (800) 526-9366.
About Sun Country Section of the PGA
The Sun Country Section PGA was established in 1974 as one of the 41 Sections that make up the Professional Golfers Association of America. The Section (the state of New Mexico and El Paso County, Texas) is made up of more than 220 PGA Members and Apprentices. The mission of the Section is to promote participation and enjoyment in the game of golf for all levels of golfers. Many current notable PGA Professionals have been associated with the Sun Country Section including PGA Hall of Fame enshrines Bill Eschenbrenner and Guy Wimberly and PGA Tour Players Notah Begay III, Kent Jones and Rich Beem to name a few.
About OB Sports
Sandia Golf Club is professionally managed by OB Sports Golf Management, a diversified, golf-oriented company with a long history of success in the golf industry. OB Sports currently manages close to 60 premier golf courses and country clubs throughout the United States and the Bahamas. Known for its comprehensive and personalized services since 1972, OB Sports has become widely acclaimed as the leader in boutique-style golf course management. For more information about OB Sports Golf Management, visit www.obsports.com, call (480) 948-1300, become a Fan of OB Sports on Facebook, follow OB Sports on Twitter, or visit the OB Sports YouTube channel.
Contact:
Dana Lehner, (505) 897-0864
dana@suncountrygolfhouse.com
David Bataller, (480) 948-1300
dbataller@obsports.com
