Wells Fargo Championship
 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location |
Wilmington, North Carolina (2017) Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Established | 2003, fourteen years ago |
| Course(s) |
Eagle Point Golf Club (2017) Quail Hollow Club |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | $7.5 million |
| Month played | May |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 267 Rory McIlroy (2015) |
| To par | −21 as above |
| Current champion | |
 Brian Harman | |
The Wells Fargo Championship is a professional golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour.[1] Held in early May at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, it has attracted some of the top players on the tour. It debuted in 2003 as the Wachovia Championship and was known in 2009 and 2010 as the Quail Hollow Championship. In 2016, the tournament offered a $7.3 million purse with a winner's share of $1.314 million.
From 2004–06 and 2011–13, the tournament ended in a playoff. Additionally, the event is known to have one of the tougher finishes on tour with 16, 17, and 18, commonly known as the "Green Mile," often ranked among the PGA Tour's toughest holes. The majority of the charitable proceeds from the tournament benefit Teach for America. The tournament is organized by Champions for Education, Inc.[2]
In 2017, the tournament was held on the coast in Wilmington at Eagle Point Golf Club, as Quail Hollow is scheduled to host the PGA Championship in August.[3] Wilmington hosted the Azalea Open on tour in the 1950s and 1960s at the Donald Ross-designed Cape Fear Country Club; it was a tune-up event for The Masters through 1965,[4] part of the city's Azalea Festival. Quail Hollow will host again in 2018 after a one year absence.
Sponsorship
The event is sponsored by Wells Fargo, which purchased Wachovia in 2008. In 2009, Wells Fargo dropped the Wachovia name from the tournament for marketing purposes as they intended to stop using the Wachovia name for all purposes. In addition, Wells Fargo was concerned about the image of a bank sponsoring a sporting event that had received Federal funding under the Troubled Assets Relief Program.[5] Wells Fargo's sponsorship of the tournament runs through 2019.
Tournament hosts
| Years | No. | Venue | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 | Eagle Point Golf Club | Wilmington, North Carolina |
| 2003–2016 | 14 | Quail Hollow Club | Charlotte, North Carolina |
Winners
| Year | Player | Country | Score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Purse ($) | Winner's share ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Championship | ||||||||
| 2017 | Brian Harman | United States | 278 | −10 | 1 stroke | Dustin Johnson Pat Perez | 7,500,000 | 1,350,000 |
| 2016 | James Hahn | United States | 279 | −9 | Playoff | Roberto Castro | 7,300,000 | 1,314,000 |
| 2015 | Rory McIlroy (2) |  Northern Ireland | 267 | −21 | 7 strokes | Patrick Rodgers Webb Simpson | 7,100,000 | 1,278,000 |
| 2014 | J. B. Holmes | United States | 274 | −14 | 1 stroke | Jim Furyk | 6,900,000 | 1,242,000 |
| 2013 | Derek Ernst | United States | 280 | −8 | Playoff |  David Lynn | 6,700,000 | 1,206,000 |
| 2012 | Rickie Fowler | United States | 274 | −14 | Playoff | Rory McIlroy D. A. Points | 6,500,000 | 1,170,000 |
| 2011 | Lucas Glover | United States | 273 | −15 | Playoff | Jonathan Byrd | 6,500,000 | 1,170,000 |
| Quail Hollow Championship | ||||||||
| 2010 | Rory McIlroy | Northern Ireland | 273 | −15 | 4 strokes | Phil Mickelson | 6,500,000 | 1,170,000 |
| 2009 | Sean O'Hair | United States | 277 | −11 | 1 stroke | Lucas Glover Bubba Watson | 6,500,000 | 1,170,000 |
| Wachovia Championship | ||||||||
| 2008 | Anthony Kim | United States | 272 | −16 | 5 strokes | Ben Curtis | 6,400,000 | 1,152,000 |
| 2007 | Tiger Woods | United States | 275 | −13 | 2 strokes | Steve Stricker | 6,300,000 | 1,134,000 |
| 2006 | Jim Furyk | United States | 276 | −12 | Playoff |  Trevor Immelman | 6,300,000 | 1,134,000 |
| 2005 | Vijay Singh |  Fiji | 276 | −12 | Playoff | Jim Furyk Sergio García | 6,000,000 | 1,080,000 |
| 2004 | Joey Sindelar | United States | 277 | −11 | Playoff | Arron Oberholser | 5,600,000 | 1,008,000 |
| 2003 | David Toms | United States | 278 | −10 | 2 strokes | Robert Gamez | 5,600,000 | 1,008,000 |
Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Sources[6]
References
- ↑ "New name for Quail Hollow: Wells Fargo Championship". PGA Tour. August 3, 2010. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
- ↑ Champions for Education
- ↑ Ross, Helen (June 27, 2016). "Changes in store for upcoming PGA Tour season". PGA Tour.
- ↑ Blondin, Alan (May 4, 2017). "Wilmington used to be home to star-studded PGA Tour event". PGA of America. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
- ↑ "Event in Charlotte renamed Quail Hollow Championship". PGA Tour. February 27, 2009. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
- ↑ Wells Fargo Championship – Winners – at www.pgatour.com
External links
Coordinates: 34°17′02″N 77°45′32″W / 34.284°N 77.759°W