Community-Service Youth Programs Part of Dynamic Effort to Advance APGA Tour’s

Mission to Drive Greater Diversity in the Sport and the Golf Industry

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BLUE BELL, PA, September 13, 2021 -- –The APGA Tour Valley Forge pro golf tournament has been selected as the first event of the APGA Tour’s new, multi-faceted Farmers Insurance® Fall Series, the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board (VFTCB) announced today.

 

The series of three events launches Sept. 20-22 at Bluestone Country Club in Blue Bell, PA, where the APGA Tour will stage a three-day event with a Pro-Am tournament followed by a two-day, 36-hole competition with $25,000 in prize money at stake.  A field of up to 50 players will compete for points in a cash bonus pool of $15,000 with $7,500 to be awarded to the player accumulates the most points from each of the three events.

 

With the Farmers Insurance sponsorship, APGA Tour Valley Forge joins tournaments in Atlanta (October) and Los Angeles (November) as a three-event post-season finale for the Tour, which has grown dramatically over the past 18 months in conjunction with support from the PGA TOUR and Farmers Insurance.   The APGA Tour launched in 2010 with three events and $40,000 in prize money, growing to seven events with $200,000 in prize money last year.  In 2021, the APGA Tour will stage 14 events awarding almost $500,000 in prize money.

 

The series of major-market tournaments continues in Atlanta and culminates in Los Angeles, as follows:

“It’s been amazing to watch the APGA Tour’s prominence grow since we decided to bring one of the tournaments to Montgomery County late last year,” said Mike Bowman, VFTCB CEO.  “We’re planning a great event at Bluestone Country Club September 20-22 and fans should come out, see some of the best young golfers in America and support the APGA Tour’s important mission of driving greater diversity in the sport.”

 

“We appreciate APGA Tour Valley Forge joining us to launch the Farmers Insurance Fall Series,” said APGA Tour CEO Ken Bentley.  “Farmers has been an incredible partner in our tremendous growth the past couple of years.  Partners like The Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board are also critical as we make our first visit to the Norheast in Montgomery County and Philadelphia.  Our collective efforts are bringing greater diversity to the sport.”

 

"As proud supporters of the APGA Tour and its work to grow diversity in golf, Farmers is honored to help extend the APGA Tour season by sponsoring the Fall Series and bringing more awareness to the talented players competing in these events," said Jeff Dailey, CEO of Farmers Insurance. "We believe this extension will help create more playing opportunities inside the ropes for many impressive athletes while also championing programs and initiatives that can generate connections within the golf industry as a whole."

A primary focus of the APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Fall Series is the youth-focused, community service component.  Pending regional pandemic-related health/safety guidelines, the events will include an Advocates Foundation Farmers Insurance Youth Program that will bring kids from economically challenging backgrounds to the golf course for an introduction to golf, as well as career, health and wellness discussions. Additionally, the APGA Tour will partner with local First Tee Chapters to provide golf clinics and instruction to youth participants who are more experienced in golf. The clinics will be conducted by APGA Tour players, many of whom were either First Tee participants themselves or are currently volunteering their time with First Tee Chapters.

 

Sponsoring the APGA Tour Famers Insurance Fall Series is the latest in a series of actions Farmers has taken to help advance its commitment to diversity and growth in the game of golf. The national insurer has provided funding for APGA TOUR events and the organization’s athletes, sponsored players including Kamaiu Johnson and Willie Mack III, hosted the first-ever APGA event at a PGA TOUR tournament at the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open and provided Mack with a sponsor’s exemption into the 2021 Farmers Insurance Open. Additionally, Farmers recently expanded its relationship with the Advocates Foundation and donated $100,000 for the organization’s career-and-wellness-focused youth programs.

The Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board (VFTCB) is a nonprofit, membership-based sales and marketing organization that actively promotes Valley Forge and Montgomery County, PA as a convention site and leisure visitor destination by encouraging patronage of its 500+ member hotels, restaurants, attractions, and services. The award-winning website links visitors, meeting planners, tour operators, and residents to a diverse portfolio of brands focused on reasons to visit the region.