Steven Alker, Miguel Angel Jiménez and Jerry Kelly announced as first Chairman’s Selections for inaugural World Champions Cup

BRADENTON, Florida – As the World Champions Cup draws closer to teeing off at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida this December for the first time, fans are starting to get a clear picture of the legends of the game they will see battling for global bragging rights in the first-of-its-kind international team golf competition.

The tournament and Chairman Peter Jacobsen announced today that Steven Alker, Miguel Angel Jiménez and Jerry Kelly will be the first of two Chairman’s Selections for Team International, Team Europe and Team USA, respectively. Four of the six players for each team have now been announced. The rosters include:

Team International

· Ernie Els (Playing Captain)

· Vijay Singh (Automatic qualifier)

· Retief Goosen (Automatic qualifier)

· Steven Alker (Chairman’s Selection)

· TBD (Chairman’s Selection)

· TBD (Charles Schwab Cup qualifier or Chairman’s Selection)

Team Europe

· Darren Clarke (Playing Captain)

· Bernhard Langer (Automatic qualifier)

· Colin Montgomerie (Automatic qualifier)

· Miguel Angel Jiménez (Chairman’s Selection)

· TBD (Chairman’s Selection)

· TBD (Charles Schwab Cup qualifier or Chairman’s Selection)

Team USA

· Jim Furyk (Playing Captain)

· Steve Stricker (Automatic qualifier)

· David Toms (Automatic qualifier)

· Jerry Kelly (Chairman’s Selection)

· TBD (Chairman’s Selection)

· TBD (Charles Schwab Cup qualifier)

"It’s exciting to be at this stage of the selection process,” said Peter Jacobsen, Chairman of the World Champions Cup. “Steven, Miguel and Jerry are all stellar golfers who have proven themselves in international team competitions. We are thrilled that they’ve agreed to be a part of the inaugural World Champions Cup. These additions will only amplify the talent and rivalries on the course. We’re putting the pieces of the puzzle together, setting us up for a tremendous event.”

Each of the three teams competing in the World Champions Cup will consist of six players, including a playing captain, and all will be active PGA TOUR Champions members. Automatic qualifiers are determined by the top point-earners in the World Champions Cup historical rankings, and Chairman’s Selections are determined by Chairman Peter Jacobsen. One additional Chairman’s Selection for each team will be named soon, and the final spot on each team will be a play-in position based on the year-end Charles Schwab Cup standings or a Chairman's Selection.

The World Champions Cup is set to make its debut December 7-10, 2023, at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida. Tickets are now on sale at www.WorldChampionsCup.com. Champions Passes, which allow access to the grounds and various grandstands across the course, start at $40 per day, with prices increasing the week before the tournament.

World Golf Hall of Famer Ernie Els, 2011 Open champion Darren Clarke and 2003 U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk will each serve as playing captains in the first playing of the World Champions Cup. Seven-time PGA TOUR winner and popular golf commentator Peter Jacobsen will serve as Chairman of the inaugural event.

Inspired by the passion and tradition of the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, the World Champions Cup is officially sanctioned by PGA TOUR Champions and is set to air on ABC and ESPN. The World Champions Cup will feature Team International, Team Europe and Team USA squaring off over three days of competition that will renew some of the game’s most storied rivalries as the teams battle for international pride and global bragging rights.

Alker is a New Zealand native whose professional career has taken off since joining the PGA TOUR Champions circuit. The 52-year-old has won six Champions Tour events, including the 2022 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, his first senior major. Alker finished the 2022 season stop the Charles Schwab Cup standings, and he entered the 2023 postseason events second in the standings to Steve Stricker.

“Steven has proved over the last two seasons that he’s one of the hardest players to beat in a PGA TOUR Champions event,” Els said. “To have a guy like him on our roster that’s playing incredible golf really gives us an advantage when looking at how we’ll match up with the guys from Europe and the USA.”

Jiménez is the owner of 21 victories on the DP World Tour and has hoisted 13 PGA TOUR Champions trophies. The native of Malaga, Spain also represented Europe on four Ryder Cup teams, winning in 2004 and 2010. He and Els tied for second at the 2000 U.S. Open, and in 2001, he tied Els and Darren Clarke for third at The Open Championship. He also has top-10 finishes at the Masters (fourth in 2014) and PGA Championship (T-10 in 1999).

“I’m absolutely delighted to have Miguel join our team for the World Champions Cup,” Clarke said. “His wealth of experience combined with his passion for the game adds a unique dynamic to our squad. I have immense confidence in our team’s abilities, and with Miguel on our side, I believe we’re not just competitors, but contenders for the title.”

Kelly has three PGA TOUR victories on his resume and has won 11 times since joining the PGA TOUR Champions circuit. He has nine top-10 finishes this season and entered the PGA TOUR Champions playoffs eighth in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. The Wisconsin native represented the United States in the Presidents Cup in 2003, his best year on the PGA TOUR.

“Having Jerry on Team USA really adds to our depth as a group and sets up some nice matchups for us,” Furyk said. “I’m confident in his ability to go head-to-head with any player on the Team International or Team Europe and can’t wait to get on the course with Steve, David and Jerry.”

The World Champions Cup is an annual three-team, three-day competition that will be contested across nine-hole matches featuring team formats and singles play, with points being earned for each hole won in each of the event’s 24 matches. The team with the highest point total across all matches will be crowned the champion.

The Concession Golf Club was named the Best New Private Course in America by Golf Digest in 2006. The seed of what would become The Concession Golf Club was planted in 1969, with Jack Nicklaus’ famous gesture of conceding the final putt in the Ryder Cup to Tony Jacklin, clinching the first tie in the competition’s history. Decades later, the two golf legends paired up to design and create The Concession Golf Club — a championship, privately-owned golf facility with no houses lining the course. The course has hosted the PGA TOUR’s 2021 World Golf Championships-Workday Championship at The Concession, the 2015 Men’s and Women’s NCAA Division I championships and the biennial Concession Cup.

ABC and ESPN will serve as the exclusive television homes of the World Champions Cup. Coverage will air Thursday, December 7 and Friday, December 8, as well as Sunday, December 10. The event will also feature a unique pro-am on Saturday, December 9.

Additional information about the World Champions Cup is available at www.WorldChampionsCup.com, on Twitter (@WorldChampsCup) and on Instagram (@WorldChampionsCup).