August 25, 2021
Tournament will continue as Finals event at The Ohio State University Golf Club – Scarlet Course
Columbus, Ohio – Tournament Officials announced today a five-year extension of the agreement between the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship and the PGA TOUR that ensures the tournament will continue as a Korn Ferry Tour Finals event through 2026. Additionally, a five-year agreement with The Ohio State University Golf Club was announced, confirming the Scarlet Course will continue to host the popular Korn Ferry Tour Finals event.
“We are thrilled to announce the extension of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship and are grateful to have them as part of the Korn Ferry Tour family,” said Korn Ferry Tour President Alex Baldwin. “Columbus is an amazing community with supportive, passionate fans, and the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship continues to raise the bar in every facet. With an ever-growing commitment to charitable giving, this tournament will continue to be staple on the Korn Ferry Tour.”
“We are excited about extending this tournament in Columbus and maintaining its status as a Korn Ferry Tour Finals event,” said John Carter, president of Nationwide Financial and chairman of the tournament’s host organization, Champions of the Community. “We’re also happy to continue the tradition of presenting a first-class event that is a springboard for the careers of many professional golfers and raises awareness and critically-needed funds to help Nationwide Children’s Hospital fulfill its mission of providing care for every child who comes through the door, regardless of the family’s ability to pay.”
Since its inception in 2007, the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship has been a leader in generating charity dollars on the Korn Ferry Tour. Through 2020, the event has raised more than $16.2 million in support of the pediatric cancer program for its primary beneficiary, Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
The tournament proudly announced record-high donations to Nationwide Children’s Hospital the past four years, topping the two-million-dollar mark for the first time in 2017 and giving $2,5 million of the 2020 tournament’s $2.67 million total last year during the pandemic.
Thanks to continued corporate and community support, the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship is poised yet again to raise the charity bar and significantly increase donations to the Hospital.
“We are so grateful for what our partnership with Nationwide and the Korn Ferry Tour has already made possible for the families we serve, and this new commitment will allow us to achieve even more together,” said Tim Robinson, CEO, Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “More than 15,000 children every year are diagnosed with cancer in the United States. Through the treatment and pediatric research this partnership supports, we can make an even bigger difference for those children.”
Together with the tournament’s focus on charitable giving, the other constant for the event will be the host venue, The Ohio State University Golf Club – Scarlet Course. The Scarlet Course has served as the home of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship from its inception and remains one of the truest tests of golf on the Korn Ferry Tour. The Ohio State University Golf Club is also the only site to have hosted a Finals event every year since the Korn Ferry Tour initiated the three-tournament Finals in 2013.
“The Ohio State athletics department and The Ohio State University Golf Club are excited about extending our partnership with the PGA TOUR and Nationwide Children’s Hospital to host future Korn Ferry Tour Finals events at our Scarlet Course,” said Shaun Richard, executive associate athletic director at The Ohio State University. “This event will allow us to showcase the terrific facilities at OSU Golf Club and will surely prove a tough test for the professionals vying for a PGA TOUR card. Most important, it will reinforce our partnership with Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the families it serves both here in Columbus and nationally.”
The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship is managed by HNS Sports Group, a full-service event management company headquartered in Dublin, Ohio.
The 15th playing of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship begins tomorrow, Thursday, August 26, as the second of four Finals events and will play a pivotal role in determining who will earn PGA TOUR membership for the 2021-2022 season. At the end of the three Finals events, a second set of PGA TOUR cards will be awarded to those top 25 players who earn the most cumulative points in the three Finals events.
The top-25 from the Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season will carry their points into the Finals. Their order of priority will be determined at the conclusion of the Finals.
Exempt status on the PGA TOUR will be awarded to one member inside of the Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Top 25 at the conclusion of the three Finals events, using combined Regular Season and Finals points. Therefore, any Top-25 player can earn the coveted No. 1 position if he performs well enough in the three Finals events. A second full exemption will be awarded to the highest cumulative earner among the three Finals events, if different from the No. 1 player among the Top 25.
The field for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship will compete over 72 holes of stroke play, with a cut to the top-65 players and ties after 36 holes. Golf Channel will broadcast tournament coverage from Thursday’s opening round to the trophy presentation on Sunday.
For general Tournament information, including how to become a volunteer, please visit www.ncc-golf.com or call (614) 764-GOLF. Stay connected with the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship on Twitter (@NCHC_Golf), Instagram (nchcgolf) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/NationwideChildrensChampionship).
Tournament Schedule of Events and Broadcast times
Schedule times and events subject to change
THURSDAY, August 26
- First Round Official Tournament Competition
- First Shot to Fight Cancer: 7 a.m.
- Competition: 7:15 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Daily Activities
- Birdie Time is Miller Time at Pub Thirteen: All Day, located on No. 13
- Play Yellow Putting Challenge: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., located on Practice Green
Broadcast
Golf Channel: 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
COURTESY NCHC COMMUNICATIONS
