Chiquita Golf Classic Relocates To Charlotte
January 11, 2012
The PGA Tour’s Nationwide Tour will partner with Chiquita Brands to bring the Nationwide Tour to Charlotte, NC for the first time in 2012 when the Chiquita Classic is played September 24-30 at The Club at Longview. The announcement comes six weeks after Chiquita unveiled plans to relocate its global headquarters to Charlotte. A three-year tournament agreement is in place.
“We are pleased to bring the Chiquita Classic to the greater Charlotte area,” said Fernando Aguirre, Chiquita chairman and chief executive officer. “We promised to help make a positive impact in the Charlotte area, and bringing this fantastic golf tournament here will do just that. The Chiquita Classic also provides us a great opportunity to feature our nutritious products, highlight our commitment to health and wellness, and to assist Greater Charlotte charities.”
Aguirre said one goal of the event is to exceed the charitable donation of more than $400,000 raised during the event’s two-year run in Ohio.
The Chiquita Classic will feature a field of 156 players competing over 72 holes of stroke play for a purse of $550,000. The Club at Longview is a 7,065-yard layout designed by legend Jack Nicklaus which opened for play in 2003 with a guided tour of the golf course by the architect himself. It is located in the Charlotte suburb of Weddington, about 15 miles from downtown. A pro-am will be played on Wednesday, Sept. 26th.
All four rounds of the Chiquita Classic will air on Golf Channel in the U.S., with the tournament made available in 176 countries and territories around the world. The Chiquita Classic joins the PGA TOUR’s Wells Fargo Championship, played at Quail Hollow Club in May, as Charlotte’s fall option to watch and support a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event.
The Chiquita Classic will name a benefiting charity or charities in the near future. In addition, the tournament will implement the “Charity Ticket Program”, which will enable Charlotte-area charities to sell Chiquita Classic tickets and retain 100 percent of the sales for the benefit of their respective organizations. The 2010 and 2011 Chiquita Classics raised more than $400,000 for charitable organizations. Details will be announced at a later date on how greater Charlotte-area charities can participate in the Charity Ticket Program.
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