World Champions Cup will bring major champions, Hall of Famers and legends of the game together for a first-of-its-kind annual international team golf competition, officially sanctioned by PGA TOUR Champions and airing on ABC and ESPN
BRADENTON, FLORIDA – Former Florida State Senate President Bill Galvano has been named the Volunteer General Chair for the inaugural World Champions Cup, the tournament announced today.
The inaugural World Champions Cup will be contested December 7-10, 2023, at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida. The first-of-its-kind international team golf competition will create a new legacy event featuring many of the game’s most accomplished players.
Inspired by the passion and tradition of the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, the World Champions Cup is officially sanctioned by PGA TOUR Champions and is set to air on ABC and ESPN. The World Champions Cup will feature Team International, Team Europe and Team USA squaring off over three days of competition that will renew some of the game’s most storied rivalries as the teams battle for international pride and global bragging rights.
World Golf Hall of Famer Ernie Els, 2011 Open champion Darren Clarke and 2003 U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk will each serve as playing captains for their respective teams of six competitors, all aged 50 and older and members of the PGA TOUR Champions, in the first playing of the World Champions Cup. Seven-time PGA TOUR winner and popular golf commentator Peter Jacobsen will serve as Chairman of the inaugural event.
Former Florida State Senate President Bill Galvano
Galvano represented the Bradenton and Tampa Bay areas in the Florida Senate from 2012 to 2020 and in the Florida House of Representatives from 2002 to 2010. He served as the 88th President of the Senate in his last two years in office. In his role with the World Champions Cup, Galvano will be in charge of all volunteer committees, with 45 individuals serving as Directors and Committee Chairs to oversee the various operational functions of the event.
The 2023 World Champions Cup will require the support of approximately 400 volunteers across various areas including: Access & Information, Caddie Services, Corporate Hospitality, Gallery Management, Guest Services Shuttles, Merchandise, Practice Facility, Product Distribution, Spotters, Standard Bearers, Tournament Office, Transportation, TV Support, Volunteer Services, and Walking Scorers. Information on volunteer positions will be available soon, and those interested in serving as volunteers can email the World Champions Cup volunteer team at wccvolunteer@worldchampionscup.com.
“I’m honored to lead the volunteer effort for the World Champions Cup,” Galvano said. “This is an exciting new PGA TOUR Champions event that will not only bring many of golf’s legends to our area, but will also create a positive economic impact locally and draw attention to our area through worldwide television coverage during one of the best times of year on the Gulf Coast. I encourage my fellow Florida residents from Bradenton, Sarasota and the Tampa Bay region to consider joining the volunteer team, and I’m already looking forward to the first week in December.”
Each year, more than 100,000 volunteers contribute countless hours helping orchestrate more than 120 PGA TOUR-sanctioned events nationwide.
“Volunteering is a wonderful way to enjoy the World Champions Cup from a unique perspective that not everyone will get to experience,” said Brittany Jeanis, the World Champions Cup Tournament Director. “Volunteers play a critical role in the smooth operation of an event this size. Our volunteers have a direct impact on the overall tournament experience and also get to enjoy a front-row seat to see some of the world’s best golfers up close and in-person.”
The World Champions Cup is an annual three-team, three-day match play competition that will be contested across nine-hole matches featuring team formats and singles play, with points being earned for each hole won in each of the event’s 24 matches. The team with the highest point total across all matches will be crowned the champion.
Each of the three teams competing in the World Champions Cup will consist of six players, including a playing captain, and all will be active PGA TOUR Champions members. Automatic invitations for each team will be extended to the top two point-earners in the WCC’s career-based rankings, with two additional positions going to Chairman’s picks. The final spots for Team International, Team Europe and Team USA will be play-in positions based on the year-end Charles Schwab Cup standings.
The Concession Golf Club was named the Best New Private Course in America by Golf Digest in 2006. The seed of what would become The Concession Golf Club was planted in 1969, with Jack Nicklaus’ famous gesture of conceding the final putt in the Ryder Cup to Tony Jacklin, clinching the first tie in the competition’s history. Decades later, the two golf legends paired up to design and create The Concession Golf Club — a championship, privately-owned golf facility with no houses lining the course. The course has hosted the PGA TOUR’s 2021 World Golf Championships-Workday Championship at The Concession, the 2015 Men’s and Women’s NCAA Division I championships and the biennial Concession Cup.
This event will add to the rich tradition of professional golf in the Sarasota/Bradenton area, which includes the PGA TOUR Champions’ American Express Invitational (1996-2000) and the Korn Ferry Tour’s LECOM Suncoast Classic, held in Lakewood Ranch each April for the last five years.
ABC and ESPN will serve as the exclusive television homes of the World Champions Cup. Coverage will air Thursday, December 7 and Friday, December 8, as well as Sunday, December 10 with more details to be confirmed at a later date. The event will also feature a unique pro-am on Saturday, December 9.
Tickets for the inaugural World Champions Cup will be available soon. Additional information about the World Champions Cup is available at www.WorldChampionsCup.com, on Twitter (@WorldChampsCup) and on Instagram (@WorldChampionsCup).
About Intersport
Since 1985, Intersport has been an award-winning innovator and leader in the creation of sports, lifestyle, culinary and entertainment-based marketing platforms. . In addition to launching and operating the PGA TOUR’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, Intersport also is the proud operator of other world-class, ground-breaking golf properties such as The Jackson T. Stephens Cup and THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Golf Invitational. Intersport is an Emmy Award winner and owns and operates nearly a dozen other nationally televised sports properties. With expertise in Sponsorship Consulting, Experiential Marketing, Hospitality, Customer Engagement, Content Marketing, Productions and Sports Properties, this Chicago-based Marketing & Media Solutions Company helps their clients to create ideas, content and experiences that attract and engage passionate audiences. To learn more about Intersport, visit www.intersport.global, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
About PGA TOUR Champions
PGA TOUR Champions is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older, including 35 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Tour’s mission is to provide financial opportunities for its players, entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back and generate significant charitable and economic impact in tournament communities. Follow PGA TOUR Champions online at PGATOUR.com, on Facebook, on Twitter (@ChampionsTour), on Instagram(@pgatourchampions) and on TikTok (pgatourchampions).
All events are televised in the United States, with most receiving complete coverage on Golf Channel, the exclusive cable-television partner of PGA TOUR Champions. Tournament programming is available via 25+ TV linear partners in 145+ countries and territories, with 25 channels carrying long-form and/or highlights coverage, and 200+ hours of live coverage distributed in 135+ countries and territories. Programming is also available via the OTT platform GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR in every market outside of the United States, excluding China and Korea, with live coverage distributed in 130+ countries and territories.
Media contact: Greg Ball, BZA Public Relations, 760-271-9183 / gregb@bzapr.com
