RANCHO MIRAGE (Calif.) — Twelve months ago there was no PGA Tour Champions event at the Coachella Valley. This had been the case since the 1990s. There were no pro-ams, title sponsors, or star-studded field.
The PGA Tour Champions returns to Mission Hills Country Club this week with the Galleri classic, the newest event in the 50-and older professional golf circuit. Michelle DeLancy, the tournament director, has seen a lot in her first year.
DeLancy stated, “I would say that with every first-year event, and I have been a part in a few different events, you never know until the actual event how successful it will be.” We can already see the incredible field of 78 players, which is the most important part of this tournament, before we even get to it. People will come and see the great players on our list.
Since the announcement last April that Mission Hills was the venue for the professional golf tournament, nearly everything needed to make it a success was built from scratch. DeLancy did not want to see the Galleri Classic and the Chevron Challenge on the same course at the Dinah Shore Tournament Course, which had been home to the LPGA for 51 year.
Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage, California is the tee marker for the 2023 Galleri Classic, which will be held on the PGA Tour Champions. (Photo by Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun).
DeLancy said that he is not trying to make the event look different or compare it to other events. He has also run a PGA Tour Champions in Seattle. It is a totally different event, a different experience. However, professional golfers will still be there, and they will have the opportunity to play in different areas of the course.
DeLancy and her Coachella Valley-based crew have been working to spread word about the new event. They presented the case for it through community events with organizations such as Visit Greater Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Rancho Mirage.
She said, “And we have partnered avec Coachella Valley cancer beneficiaries in order to get involved with the community.” “That was one my major goals when I moved here was to get involved in the community and get involved in partnerships which aren’t just for the first year.”
The unknown is being sold
Selling a new event without any history is difficult enough. But selling it in the desert during March, which is one of the busiest months in social and sporting activities, is even more difficult. DeLancy acknowledges that some potential sponsors, partners, and pro-am athletes have been reluctant to commit.
DeLancy stated that although they are interested in the program, many of them would like to see how it goes and then see what they can do for Year 2. I understand that. They don’t know what it is. They’re used to the tournament for 51 years. But there are new players here. What does this mean for the golf fan that doesn’t know the name of a Champions tour player or the way they look or the interactions with other amateurs or fans?
DeLancy’s first year in the desert was also different in selling pro-am berths. This is an important part the PGA Tour Champions business model. Due to the lack of corporate support in the area, the cost of many $18,000-per-4some pro-am groups on Wednesday and Thursday is not covered by big companies. The week’s main event at most PGA Tour Champions events is the pro-am. It showcases the golfer’s personality as well as his interaction with fellow players or fans.
John Cook, a 10-time PGA Tour Champions winner, said that the Champions tour is not fan-driven, even though it is a bit. He played for Mission Hills for 30 years starting in 1970. It can look like a PGA Tour event on certain weeks. And there are other weeks where to be quite honest it’s a corporate-hospitality-entertainment week and it’s not reliant on the gate. It is dependent on the pro-ams, the parties, entertainment, and the hospitably. That’s okay, too.
DeLancy stated that people have offered to purchase pro-am foursomes but that the hectic schedule in the desert has made it difficult. Indian Wells hosted the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, which attracted 441,983 spectators.
She said, “Someone claimed that seven of the top eleven courses, the larger courses in the region, have their member-guest tourneys the same week that the Galleri Classic.” The pro-am does not offer the chance for those guys. Those who do play will have great opportunities. This is a bit more than we expected from the pro-am sales.
The tournament has been successful in other aspects. DeLancy stated that more than 520 people have already signed up to volunteer for the tournament, which is in addition to those who live near other PGA Tour Champions events. Six desert cancer organizations have been partnered with the tournament, in a nod towards sponsor Grail and its Galleri test that can detect dozens of types of cancers early.
“We have a new title sponsorship that is learning a lot. DeLancy stated that they are doing a fantastic job getting this information in front of new people. We have a great chance to see their Galleri test and also be able to host clients.
DeLancy and her team have everything in place. Now, DeLancy will wait to see how many people visit Mission Hills this week to enjoy the pro-ams and the 54-hole $2.2million tournament. DeLancy believes that the PGA Tour Champions, just like the LPGA’s five-decade-old experience on Dinah Shore, will grab the attention of fans once it is actually seen.
She said, “Once they reach the event they are excited to return.” “But, if they haven’t been there, they don’t get the magnitude of the event to see what they might be missing or the experience that they could have.
She added that “But once they get in the door, it’s something they want to return to,”
