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USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
This PGA Tour Champions event is moving down the Florida coast in 2026
Tournament will be played at Timuquana Country Club for the final time Oct. 3-5. The PGA Tour Champions Constellation Furyk & Friends is taking an unexpected turn to the south. The fall tournament hosted by the Jim and Tabitha Furyk Foundation since 2021 at the Timuquana Country Club, will move to the Ocean Hammock Golf Resort and Spa in Palm Coast in 2026, marking a return of Champions Tour golf to the Jack Nicklaus-designed course in Flagler County. The tournament dates will be Oct. 9-11, 2026. This year's tournament, the final one at Timuquana, is Oct. 3-5. Rocco Mediate is the defending champion. "I don't know if surprised is the right word," Furyk said about the move to Palm Coast. "We kept an open mind, made a lot of visits and looked at our options. We saw so much opportunity at Ocean Hammock, the golf course, the resort. There was such an upside to moving there." The overall Timuquana membership voted slightly in favor of renewing the contract in late 2023 but less than 50 percent of the founders and life members voted not to renew. The club leadership decided the vote was close enough to sever the relationship when the five-year contract expired after this year's event. The tournament, Constellation and the PGA Tour Champions extended the title sponsorship in October of 2024 through 2030. Ocean Hammock hosted previous PGA Tour Champions event Furyk said the initial plan was to relocate to a Duval County course and Glen Kernan, which recently re-opened after Furyk oversaw a renovation, was the initial favorite. But there was a mutual decision between the Furyk Foundation and Glen Kernan not to move the tournament there, with Furyk saying in March that "the timing wasn't right," since the club was closed for 18 months and only reopened June 1. Furyk said a handful of other courses were considered, but Ocean Hammock emerged as a possibility last fall, after its management approached Furyk. He said the facility has numerous adantages: its location along the coastline (Nos. 9 and 18 run parallel to the Atlantic Ocean, with views of the water from three other holes), accommodations for players and their families on site, generous space for spectator areas, hospitality venues and the annual Furyk & Friends concert and a track record of hosting Champions Tour events. Bernard Langer (2008) and Keith Fergus (2007) won the previous tournaments held at Ocean Hammock. The course was also the site of the 2003 U.S. Women's Public Links, won by 13-year-old Michelle Wie. Ocean Hammock GM: 'Fantastic for the community' Ocean Hammock general manager Brad Hauer said the PGA Tour Champions was a hit for the resort and the community 17 years ago and he has no reason to believe it won't have just as much of an impact now. 'We hosted two Champions Tour events back in the day and it was absolutely fantastic for the community and everybody associated with us,' Hauer said. 'We're super-excited to bring another Champions event back to Hammock Beach.' Hauer said the fan-friendly nature, positive image and the demographics of the PGA Tour Champions players is a good fit for the resort. 'The age of the Champions Tour players falls right into line with our product and our community and everything we stand for here with our club membership,' he said. 'The players are enjoying life, they enjoy being with pro-am partners and spending time with the fans, having and good time and competing as well.' Tournament won't lose Jacksonville base Furyk said the tournament will not lose its connection with the First Coast or Jacksonville, where the tournament has met with remarkable success in terms of attendance, local hospitality and full fields for pro-ams, which helped raise more than $5 million in charity to date. "Jacksonville is our home, the home of our foundation and it's always going to be that way," he said. "We had such a great start at Timuquana and it will always be important to us." He didn't deny that moving the tournament to Flagler County will bring additional markets and fan bases into play, such as the growing areas of Southern St. Johns County and Flagler County, Daytona Beach and Orlando. "We're always looking to grow our footprint and our impact," he said. "This brings a lot of other areas into play but we're always going to rely on Jacksonville." Jack Nicklaus said course remains a stern test Nicklaus said he was eager for a new generation of PGA Tour Champions to experience Ocean Hammock — although some players such as Langer, Fred Funk, Jay Haas and Mark O'Meara may play in 2026. 'The golf course will test the golfers, but at the same time, I think it will be a fun and enjoyable test for them," Nicklaus said in comments provided to the Times-Union by Furyk & Friends. "The course has some really interesting features. Obviously, there are the views of the ocean, but there are other elements I found to be quite unique. I think the players will truly enjoy the challenge and the beauty of the Ocean Course at Hammock Beach. 'For Florida, I think the Ocean Course at Hammock Beach is a very dramatic golf course," Niclaus continued. "The views of the dunes on the Atlantic seaboard are spectacular.' Tickets for the 2025 tournament are on sale now through Ticketmaster. Information on tickets, pro-ams, hospitality and other tournament activities can be found by visiting Those interested in 2026 sponsorship or hospitality opportunities at Hammock Beach can contact Adam Renfroe at adam@
USA Today
08-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Furyk & Friends event on PGA Tour Champions still searching for a home in 2026 and beyond
Furyk & Friends event on PGA Tour Champions still searching for a home in 2026 and beyond Show Caption Hide Caption Furyk & Friends PGA Tour Champions resumes after brief weather suspension The Constellation Furyk & Friends was briefly suspended on Sunday because of standing water on some of the greens at the Timuquana Country Club. Tournament host Jim Furyk said that the event will not be played at Glen Kernan Country Club due to timing issues. Furyk is looking for a venue that offers a challenging course, scenic location and supports charitable efforts. The PGA Tour Champions Constellation Furyk & Friends still needs a new home for 2026 and beyond. Tournament host Jim Furyk told the Times-Union on Friday that the event will not be played at the Glen Kernan Country Club, which had been speculated widely because Furyk is supervising the renovation of the private course near the Intracoastal Waterway that was purchased in January of 2024 by an ownership group that includes 2022 Players champion Cameron Smith. The five-year contract with the Timuquana Country Club, the tournament venue since 2021, runs out after the 2025 tournament, Oct. 3-5. Timuquana's membership voted in 2023 to not renew the contract. However, Furyk has been adamant that the tournament will stay on the First Coast, especially title sponsor Constellation renewed for another five years. "We are focusing on new options that will provide a challenging course for our players, a scenic location to share the beauty of NE Florida on our television coverage, somewhere fun for our sponsors and fans, and a great partner to help us continue our charitable efforts here on the First Coast," Furyk told the Times-Union in a text. When asked why Glen Kernan is no longer being considered a landing spot for Furyk & Friends, Furyk said it was an issue of timing. "The club has been closed for 18 months and right now [the club] is focused on getting settled in and working with the members and homeowners on providing the best experience they can day-in and day-out," he said. "The timing is not ideal at this time." Furyk did not speculate on a new site. Possible courses are the San Jose Country Club, the TPC Sawgrass Dye's Valley, one of the World Golf Village courses (either the Slammer & Squire or King & Bear), the Sawgrass Country Club (where Furyk & Friends was played for 10 years before becoming a PGA Tour Champions event), the Omni Amelia Resort or perhaps the Golf Club of Amelia Island (part of the Ritz-Carlton). Glen Kernan purchased in 2024 by Corner Lot Glen Kernan was purchased a year ago by Corner Lot, a development firm owned by Jacksonville University graduate Andy Allen. Smith, a Ponte Vedra Beach resident, won the British Open after winning The Players, but then left the PGA Tour to play for the LIV Golf League. Hampton Golf will manage Glen Kernan and the club recently hired former TPC Sawgrass general Bill Hughes to fill a similar position. Plans are for the course to open for member play in June. Golfweek contributed to this report.
