American Family Insurance Championship
 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Madison, Wisconsin |
| Established | 2016 |
| Course(s) | University Ridge Golf Course |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,259 yards (6,638 m)[1] |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | US$2,400,000 |
| Month played | June |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 198 Steve Stricker (2023) |
| To par | −18 as above |
| Current champion | |
 Ernie Els | |
| Location map | |
  University Ridge GC Location in the United States  University Ridge GC Location in Wisconsin | |
The American Family Insurance Championship is a professional golf tournament in Wisconsin on the PGA Tour Champions, played at University Ridge Golf Course in Madison. The inaugural edition in June 2016 featured an 81-player field and a $2 million purse in a no-cut 54-hole event.[2]
History
[edit]American Family Insurance signed a three-year agreement to be the tournament's initial title sponsor. Steve Stricker served as tournament host in 2016 and then as player-host starting in 2017, when he turns fifty and is eligible to play.[3] Proceeds raised will support the Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Foundation, the American Family Children's Hospital, and The First Tee of South Central Wisconsin.[4]
Kirk Triplett won the debut event in 2016 with a final round 65 (−7) for 199 (−17), two strokes ahead of runners-up Bart Bryant and Mike Goodes.[5][6] After making his only bogey of the final round at the tenth hole, Triplett birdied five of the next six, then concluded with two pars.[5][6]
In May 2023, it was announced that the championship will be held at TPC Wisconsin starting in 2025.[7]
Host
[edit]Born in Edgerton, Wisconsin, and a Madison resident, Stricker is an American Family Insurance brand ambassador. He co-chairs the Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Foundation, founded in 2013. In addition to his twelve wins on the PGA Tour, Stricker represented the United States on five Presidents Cup teams and three Ryder Cup teams, and ranked second in the world rankings in 2010. He won the Wisconsin State Open five times between 1987 and 2000.[2]
Course
[edit]Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., University Ridge opened 33 years ago in 1991 and is home to the University of Wisconsin men's and women's golf teams. The 7,259-yard (6,638 m), par-72 course features an open front nine and a more forested back nine. It hosted the NCAA women's championships in 1998 as well as multiple Big Ten Conference championships.[8] The front nine has three par fives and three par threes.
Championship tees
| Hole | Name | Yards | Par | Hole | Name | Yards | Par | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Verona | 396 | 4 | 10 | Elm Valley | 483 | 4 | |
| 2 | ZigZag | 555 | 5 | 11 | Ridgeline | 569 | 5 | |
| 3 | Floodplain | 242 | 3 | 12 | Dropshot | 200 | 3 | |
| 4 | Morse Pond | 467 | 4 | 13 | Halfpipe | 336 | 4 | |
| 5 | Noer's View | 198 | 3 | 14 | Hickory Hill | 398 | 4 | |
| 6 | Kettle Pond | 623 | 5 | 15 | Lone Elm | 352 | 4 | |
| 7 | Drumlin | 429 | 4 | 16 | Bunkered | 554 | 5 | |
| 8 | On the Rocks | 207 | 3 | 17 | Reflections | 250 | 3 | |
| 9 | Hedgerow | 587 | 5 | 18 | Capitol Climb | 413 | 4 | |
| Out | 3,704 | 36 | In | 3,555 | 36 | |||
| Source:[1] Rating=74.9, Slope=144 | Total | 7,259 | 72 | |||||
Winners
[edit]| Year | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up | Purse ($) |
Winner's share ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Ernie Els |
204 | −12 | Playoff |  Steve Stricker |
2,400,000 | 360,000 |
| 2023 | Steve Stricker |
198 | −18 | 5 strokes |  Steven Alker Paul Broadhurst |
2,400,000 | 360,000 |
| 2022 |  Thongchai Jaidee |
202 | −14 | 1 stroke | Tom Pernice Jr. |
2,400,000 | 360,000 |
| 2021 | Jerry Kelly (2) |
202 | −14 | 1 stroke | Fred Couples Miguel Ángel Jiménez |
2,400,000 | 360,000 |
| 2020 | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||||||
| 2019 | Jerry Kelly |
201 | −15 | Playoff | Retief Goosen Steve Stricker |
2,000,000 | 300,000 |
| 2018 | Scott McCarron |
201 | −15 | 1 stroke | Jerry Kelly |
2,000,000 | 300,000 |
| 2017 | Fred Couples |
201 | −15 | 2 strokes | Scott Verplank |
2,000,000 | 300,000 |
| 2016 | Kirk Triplett |
199 | −17 | 2 strokes | Bart Bryant Mike Goodes |
2,000,000 | 300,000 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Scorecard" (PDF). University Ridge Golf Course. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
- ^ a b "PGA Tour's Champions Tour comes to Wisconsin with American Family Insurance Championship". PGA Tour. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
- ^ Baggot, Andy. "Pro golf: Steve Stricker, American Family Insurance team up to bring Champions Tour event to University Ridge in 2016". madison.com. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
- ^ "Charities". amfamchampionship.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
- ^ a b "Kirk Triplett rallies with four late birdies to win at Wisconsin". ESPN. Associated Press. June 26, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
- ^ a b "American Family Insurance Championship". ESPN. (leaderboard). June 26, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
- ^ "American Family Insurance Championship moves to new course in 2025". WKOW.com.
- ^ "University Ridge-About Us". UniversityRidge.com. University Ridge. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Coverage on the PGA Tour Champions' official site
- University Ridge Golf Course
- Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Foundation
- American Family Children's Hospital
