PHS Wichita Open Changing Along With Nationwide Tour
Wichita, KS – The 23rd Annual Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open begins a week of community activities on Thursday, June 14th, leading up to the opening round of tournament play on Thursday, June 21st. The beautiful and challenging North Course at Crestview Country Club will host 156 Nationwide Tour professionals for the 12th consecutive year. The tournament will wrap up four days of competition with the championship round on Sunday, June 24th.
The tournament’s signature hole, number 17, has once again grown exponentially and will feature double-decker skybox hospitality venues all the way around the green at the par-3. Kansas Star will once again sponsor this unique venue dubbed as the “Kansas Star Green Room”. The enhancement will increase the capacity to almost 10,000 people for the four days of the event.
Nationwide Tour and Wichita Open alumni continue to succeed on the PGA TOUR. Some early season highlights from the PGA TOUR include Bubba Watson’s dramatic win at the Masters last month. Watson played here in Wichita in 2004 and 2005. 2001 Wichita Open champion Jason Dufner finally broke through for his first career PGA TOUR victory two weeks ago in New Orleans and has now amassed over $10 million in career earnings. Almost 75% of PGA TOUR members this year are Nationwide Tour alumni. Tour alumni have combined to win 330 PGA TOUR tournaments, 15 major championships and six PLAYERS Championships. This year’s PLAYERS, which boasts the deepest field in golf, had 74 Wichita Open Alumni in the field and Matt Kuchar, who finished second in the 2006 Wichita Open, won the event while two former Wichita Open champions, Jhonattan Vegas and David Toms, finished inside the top 10.
In 2013 the Nationwide Tour will undergo a major restructure, with all 50 PGA TOUR cards coming through the Nationwide Tour, see attached for more details. Also, Nationwide Insurance Company’s 10-year run as the Tour’s umbrella sponsor comes to an end. The search for a new umbrella sponsor is well underway. Details on these important developments will be shared in the future as the Tour takes steps to further define itself as the pathway to the PGA TOUR.
The Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open is a Nationwide Tour event that is sanctioned by the PGA TOUR. The tournament strives to have a positive impact throughout the community and all net proceeds go to local-non profit organizations. For any additional information please visit our website at www.phswichitaopen.com.