The Korn Ferry Tour, Outlyr and Magnit have announced a four-year partnership to host a new professional golf tournament – the Magnit Championship – beginning in 2023. The inaugural Magnit Championship will be played August 17-20, 2023, at Metedeconk National Golf Club in Jackson Township, New Jersey.
Magnit, which was previously known as PRO Unlimited until last month, is a global leader and pioneer in contingent workforce management. Magnit will become the title sponsor of the new Korn Ferry Tour event through at least 2026. The Magnit Championship marks the Korn Ferry Tour’s first event in New Jersey since the 1997 Laurel Creek Classic, which was played at Laurel Creek Country Club and won by six-time Korn Ferry Tour winner Matt Gogel.
“We are thrilled to partner with Magnit to bring Korn Ferry Tour golf to the Tri-State area,” said Korn Ferry Tour President Alex Baldwin. “This market is home to incredibly passionate golf fans, and we’ve been working hard to bring a tournament back here for some time. Metedeconk National Golf Club is an outstanding facility and is reflective of the quality of golf course we strive to provide our members. We are grateful to the Magnit team for their commitment to the Korn Ferry Tour, and we look forward to making a positive impact in the community for years to come.”
The Magnit Championship is a 72-hole tournament featuring 156 players from around the world and will be the 22nd of 26 events on the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour schedule.
“Next summer, the Magnit Championship will provide excitement and drama, as it will serve as the final opportunity for Korn Ferry Tour members to qualify for the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Finals,” added Baldwin.
The 2023 Korn Ferry Tour season will begin with The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay in January and conclude in October with the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance, where 30 PGA TOUR cards will be awarded based on the points list. The final four events of the season will now be known as the Korn Ferry Tour Finals and will feature fields of 156, 144, 120 and 75 (no-cut event).
“Magnit and the Korn Ferry Tour share a guiding principle: to build community by developing talent,” said Magnit President Gregg Spratto. “Becoming a part of the PGA TOUR family is exciting enough but providing up-and-coming golfers with an opportunity to showcase their skills makes the partnership all the more meaningful. Creating opportunities for talent sits at the heart of what Magnit does, and the Magnit Championship will be an extension of that work.”
Magnit ambassador Denny McCarthy is a two-time Korn Ferry Tour graduate. McCarthy earned his first PGA TOUR card with three top-25s in the 2017 Korn Ferry Tour Finals and retained his TOUR card a year later with a four-stroke victory at the 2018 Korn Ferry Tour Championship – then held at Atlantic Beach Country Club in Atlantic Beach, Florida – to finish atop the 2018 Korn Ferry Tour Finals Points List.
“I’m thrilled to see Magnit as a title sponsor on the Korn Ferry Tour for a few reasons,” said McCarthy. “The Korn Ferry Tour is where I earned my PGA TOUR card back in 2017 and it’s been an amazing journey since then. Also, I teamed up with Magnit last season, so it’s great to see them support all the players. Partnering with companies like Magnit is important to me because I look for those organizations that demonstrate an unwavering commitment to excellence within their space. As players, we pride ourselves on that same commitment to winning and dedication to the sport. I hope we have a fantastic tournament and wish everyone the best.”
Since retaining his card via the 2018 Korn Ferry Tour Finals, McCarthy has made four consecutive FedExCup Playoffs appearances, in addition to a career-high finish in the FedExCup Standings (No. 37) this past season.
Metedeconk National Golf Club, which originally opened in 1987, is located in the upper region of the New Jersey Pinelands and is routed through the local marsh and lowland pine forest.
Metedeconk National Golf Club is a private, 27-hole facility, which was designed by world-renowned golf course architects Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and Roger Rulewich.
Outlyr, a global sports and entertainment agency that manages multiple professional golf tournaments on the LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR Champions, will manage and operate the Magnit Championship. Outlyr Executive Vice President Ryan Cannon, who served as Championship Director for multiple PGA Championships – including 2016 at Baltusrol Golf Club, 2013 at Oak Hill Country Club, 2011 at Atlanta Athletic Club and 2008 at Oakland Hills Country Club – will serve as the tournament director for the Magnit Championship. Cannon officially joined Outlyr on September 6, 2022, and brings a wealth of event production, operations, philanthropy and leadership experience from his 21-year tenure at the PGA of America.
“I’m excited to bring my passion for golf and creating impact to the Magnit Championship,” said Cannon. “I look forward to collaborating with Metedeconk National Golf Club, Magnit, the Korn Ferry Tour and Jackson Township to deliver a world-class experience in 2023 and beyond.” Magnit’s industry-leading Integrated Workforce Management (IWM) platform is supported by 30-plus years of innovation, modern software, proven expertise and world-class data and intelligence, and enables companies to optimize talent and diversity goals while achieving operational and financial success.
“Magnit has been an absolutely phenomenal sponsor and a great partner of mine,” said six-time LPGA winner Jessica Korda, who serves as a brand ambassador for Magnit. “I’m so excited to see that they’re giving another opportunity for the Korn Ferry Tour players to be able to play and earn their PGA TOUR cards. I know that this is a really big deal to a lot of the players, and all they need are opportunities. It’s phenomenal to see a company like Magnit stepping up and
giving that to them. I’m really excited about the event and wishing everyone good luck.”
“Tri-State area fans are super rowdy and fun,” added Korda. “They’re some of my favorite crowds to play in front of. I think the Korn Ferry Tour players are going to have an absolutely fun time.”
For more information about the Magnit Championship, visit www.MagnitChampionship.com. Follow the Magnit Championship on Twitter and Instagram @MagnitChamp, and on Facebook @Magnit Championship.
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