The traditional PGA Shootout will get a shot in the arm this year with major insurance and reinsurance firm
QBE Insurance participating as title sponsor for the event.
The Shootout has been a mainstay on the pro-golf tour for nearly three decades and will be held on December 6-10 at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Florida. The Naples leg in Florida will be hosted by Australian world champion Greg Norman.
According to a QBE statement published on the company website, the tour is co-sanctioned by the PGA. Part of the proceeds from the event will be donated to various charities, which enjoy continued support from the association.
“In addition to The Shootout bringing together some of the world’s best and most prominent names in golf, the tournament provides financial support for very worthwhile charities. Giving back to our communities is in our DNA, which is why the opportunity to sponsor the Shootout was very attractive to us,” QBE North America chief executive Russ Johnston said in the statement.
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The 2017 field will be comprised of 24 professionals paired into 12 two person teams. The QBE Shootout will feature the regular scramble format during the first round, a modified alternate shot format in the middle round, and will be capped off by a better ball round in the finals.
“For nearly 30 years, the QBE shootout has been a favourite event on many players’ late-year schedule,” Andy Pazder, PGA chief of competitions and tournaments explained.
“The opportunity to play in a team with three unique formats makes it an exciting tournament for our players, spectators and television viewers. With QBE Insurance’s support, we’re very excited about the event’s future.”
The PGA Tour’s diverse memberships, currently coming from 24 countries, participate in more than 130 co-sanctioned tournaments. The majority of these events are organized as non-profit concerns aimed at maximizing the Tour’s equity to support charitable giving. In 2016, the tournaments raised more than $150 million in funds for local and national charities. Its all-time charitable fundraising total has now reached $2.46 billion.
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