Greystone prepares for 2017 Regions Tradition

The 2017 Regions Tradition golf tournament at Greystone Golf and Country Club, set for May 17-21, is quickly approaching, but the course should be in great shape when the pros arrive, club officials say.

The greens have had a whole year to grow since being reconstructed prior to last year’s tournament and are in even better shape than last year, said Russ Hale, president of the country club.

With a warm winter and spring, the course is ahead of growth compared to last year, Hale said. “It’s looking great.”

Last year was the first year the PGA Tour Champions had returned their Birmingham area tournament to Greystone, after five years at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa and five years at the Shoal Creek Country Club.

And the return was deemed such a success that tournament sponsor Regions Bank and the PGA Tour Champions announced in April they are keeping the tournament at Greystone through 2023. The previous commitment was to stay at Greystone through 2018.

“Things went so wonderfully last year,” said Scott Peters, head of consumer banking for Regions. “It was quite obvious to us this was something we wanted to continue for quite some time.”

Regions is proud the golf tournament has raised more than $4.5 million for charities since it became the Regions Tradition in 2011, Peters said. Greg McLaughlin, president of the PGA Tour Champions, added that the Birmingham area tournament has raised more than $15 million for charities since the tournament’s inception as the Bruno’s Memorial Classic in 1992.

The tournament also has a $25 million economic impact to the greater Birmingham area each year, Peters said.

McLaughlin said the PGA Tour Champions organization had a good partnership with Shoal Creek, but it was time to return to where it all began. Greystone was able to deliver a fun, family atmosphere, he said.

Pro golfer Jeff Sluman said he can’t imagine a better venue than Greystone. The players love coming to the Birmingham area to play, he said. “It’s absolutely wonderful.”

Sluman said the players have the easy part in hitting the balls around the course. The most important thing is raising as much as possible for charities such as Children’s of Alabama hospital, he said.

Last year’s Regions Tradition raised $1.1 million for charities. Children’s of Alabama is the primary beneficiary, but more than 70 other charities benefited from the Birdies for Charities program last year, said Liz Leckemby, tournament director for the Bruno Event Team, which handles tournament logistics.

Children’s of Alabama CEO and President Mike Warren said proceeds from the Regions Tradition allow the hospital to do things it otherwise would not be able to do, such as purchase a stand-up X-ray machine and six disinfecting robots that resemble the R2D2 character in Star Wars movies.

For 2017, the Regions Tradition already has confirmed more than 70 pro golfers, including 29 of the top 30 moneymakers last year, Leckemby said. Confirmed golfers include the 2016 winner, Bernhard Langer, and the winners at the Shoal Creek course: Tom Lehman, David Frost, Kenny Perry and Jeff Maggert. Other crowd favorites such as John Daly, Tom Kite, Jerry Pate and Mark Calcavecchia also are confirmed.

But this year’s tournament also will include new faces to the Birmingham tournament, including Vijay Singh and Angel Miguel Jimenez, Lechemby said.

They will be competing for the top prize of $414,000, but the total purse is $2.3 million, PGA Tour Champions spokesman Stewart Moore said.

The tournament begins with a pro-am on Wednesday, May 17, that is scheduled to include: SEC football coaches Nick Saban, Guz Malzahn, Kirby Smart, Dan Mullen and Hugh Freeze; Alabama basketball coach Avery Johnson; former Auburn, NFL and Major League Baseball star Bo Jackson; former Alabama and NFL quarterback Greg McElroy; SEC Network football analyst Booger McFarland; comedian Steve Harvey; musician Taylor Hicks; radio personalities Rick Burgess and Bill “Bubba” Bussey; and UAB Athletics Director Mark Ingram.

Championship play begins on Thursday, May 18 and runs through Sunday, May 21. Gates open at 7 a.m. Wednesday through Friday and 6:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The tournament will be broadcast live on the Golf Channel from noon to 2:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 2-4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Also, Paul Finebaum plans to broadcast his SEC Network show from the golf course on the day of the pro-am.

Tickets are $20 for one day or $80 for Wednesday through Sunday, plus a processing fee. Children 18 and younger can get free junior tickets when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Military members are admitted free Thursday and Friday with a valid military ID.

To get tickets or more information, go to regionstradition.com.

SCHEDULE

Wednesday, May 17

► NCR Pro-Am, 6:50-9 a.m. and noon-2:10 p.m.

► Includes SEC football coaches Nick Saban, Guz Malzahn, Kirby Smart, Dan Mullen and Hugh Freeze; Alabama basketball coach Avery Johnson, former Auburn, NFL and MLB star Bo Jackson, former Alabama and NFL quarterback Greg McElroy, SEC Network football analyst Booger McFarland, comedian Steve Harvey, musician Taylor Hicks, radio personalities Rick Burgess and Bill “Bubba” Bussey and UAB Athletics Director Mark Ingram.

Thursday-Sunday, May 18-21

► Championship play; gates open 7 a.m. Thursday and Friday; 6:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday

TV

► Live on Golf Channel noon-2:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 2-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; Paul Finebaum to broadcast live on SEC Network during Wednesday pro-am

Tickets

► Go to regionstradition.com; $20 for one day; $80 Wednesday-Sunday (plus processing fee); children 18 and younger get free junior tickets when accompanied by ticketed adult; military admitted free Thursday and Friday with valid military ID

More info

► Regionstradition.com