PGA TOUR Champions presents five awards at annual Tournament Meetings

Phoenix, Ariz. – The Dominion Energy Charity Classic was named the 2022 President’s Award winner at the PGA TOUR’s annual Tournament Meetings on Wednesday, December 7 at the Arizona Biltmore. In all, five awards were presented to three tournaments and one individual on PGA TOUR Champions.

President’s Award: Dominion Energy Charity Classic
Players Award: Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS
Sales Award: American Family Insurance Championship
Social Media Award: Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS
Volunteer of the Year: Kevin Harris, Kaulig Companies Championship

Photos of the award winners can be foundhere. (insert photo link here)

President’s Award

For the first time, the Dominion Energy Charity Classic in Richmond, Virginia, was named the recipient of the prestigious President’s Award, which captures the criteria of all PGA TOUR Champions awards, as well as the intangibles that make the tournament stand out.

“The Dominion Energy Charity Classic has been a standout event on our tour for a number of years,” said PGA TOUR Champions President Miller Brady. “This year’s tournament was even more unique, bringing in the inaugural River City Classic and expanding the reach of the tournament’s initiatives to draw in fans with a variety of interests – highlighted by events like the ‘Game Changers’ Executive Women’s Day. The work that the tournament team at Dominion have done to support the Richmond community is second to none and I’m thrilled to be able to present the 2022 President’s Award to their event.”

The 2022 Dominion Energy Charity Classic delivered on a number of key fronts, including:

• Tallied a record total in local sales.

• Donated over $2 million to charity in 2022, and have had well over $1 million every year since 2018.

• More than 1,100 volunteers – almost 40 percent were title sponsor employees.

• Oversaw the execution of the inaugural River City Classic, with seven Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) competing in a 36-hole tournament at Belmont Golf Course and the Country Club of Virginia’s James River Course.

• Held events to draw in a variety of interests, including a “Game Changers” Executive Women’s Day and a Friday Night Military Appreciation Concert, with special guest Lauren Alaina.

• The James River course at the Country Club of Virginia provided a fantastic layout and a tough test for the golfers on PGA TOUR Champions.

Players Award

The 2022 recipient of the Players Award is Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS in Jacksonville, Florida. It marks the first time this tournament has won the Players Award. This award is voted by PGA TOUR Champions players as their favorite event. The Players Award represents recognition for a tournament that goes above and beyond in the experience they provide to PGA TOUR Champions players. While many factors go into making a difference for the players, the most consistent and positive feedback came from the efforts the tournament team to provide an exceptional tournament experience. Player noted how friendly the staff were, how clean and well-managed the clubhouse and locker room were and the quality of both the food an atmosphere. In addition, Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS provided top-notch hospitality for caddies, an excellent transportation team and extra benefits for the players. In only two years as part of PGA TOUR Champions, Timuquana Country Club has fast become a favorite on Tour among players.

Sales Award

The American Family Insurance Championship in Madison, Wisconsin, was recognized with the Sales Award, presented annually to the PGA TOUR Champions event that shows tremendous sales growth year-over-year, while establishing high sales marks in all areas. The event brought in more than $3 million in tournament revenue and saw a 27 percent increase in their year-to-year sales. The American Family Insurance Championship also saw more the $600,000 in new business and more than $750,000 in multi-year business, with 45 new business deals and over 140 renewal deals.

Social Media Award

A new award this year, the Social Media award is designed to acknowledge the best social media presence over a calendar year, coming up with unique and interesting content as part of a larger, comprehensive annual plan. This year’s winners – the Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS – had a robust social media strategy, regularly creating content that were among the highest social media post impressions, engagements and video views across all tournaments. A few of the content highlights from the channel were a Trophy Tour through the local market, specialized holiday posts throughout the year and highlighting both charitable giving as well as ticket launch and tournament sales announcements.

Volunteer of the Year

Kevin Harris, the 2022 Volunteer of the Year, has been a tournament volunteer at Firestone Country Club for 35 years and this year served as the Volunteer Tournament Chairman. He has served in a variety of capacities, including operations, hospitality, player services, guest services and scoring. In 2011, he received the Dave Franklin Award from Northern Ohio Golf Charities as someone who has “shown personal dedication and commitment to making the tournament successful.” Harris served on the board of the First Tee of Greater Akron for more than 13 years, including a stint as the President. For his efforts he received the 2004 George W. Bush/Shell Oil Company Volunteer of the Year award for the entire First Tee network. Kevin has been a certified public accountant since 1987 and has been a principal with Harris, Miller & Finkelstein, CPAs, LLP since 1992. He and his wife Cheryl reside in Wadsworth and have two children, Kristin and Courtney and two grandchildren, Hunter and Harper.