Korn Ferry Tour Championship will leave Victoria National Golf Club in 2024
EVANSVILLE — After this fall, there will no longer be professional golf in the Tri-State.
It was announced Tuesday the upcoming Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance will be the final iteration played at Victoria National Golf Club. The 2023 tournament is scheduled for Oct. 5-8.
The tournament will move to the Pete Dye Course in French Lick, Indiana, starting in 2024 for at least five years.
"This allows us to do something special for the state of Indiana and certainly Southwest Indiana," said United Leasing & Finance Executive Chairman Ron Romain. "We're now to a point where we can elevate the event even further. This is a world-class golf tournament on a world-class golf course."
There has been a professional golf tournament at Victoria National since 2012. The first seven years were played in the spring or summer under the name United Leasing Championship (2012-15) and United Leasing & Finance Championship (2015-18). The Korn Ferry Tour moved its season-ending tournament to Victoria National the following year.
This comes following a report last April that Dormie Network, the owner of Victoria National in Newburgh, exercised its ability to leave a 10-year contract in its fifth year. Dormie is a national network of seven golf clubs throughout the United States. It purchased Victoria National in 2018.
Romain said he wanted to keep the tournament in the state, specifically Southwest Indiana. He also understood the reasoning behind Dormie Network's decision. There is no opt-out clause in the new contract. The tournament is locked in at French Lick through at least 2028.
United Leasing & Finance will remain the title sponsor.
"They gave us two years notice so that was helpful," Romain said of Dormie Network's decision. "It just didn’t fit their model. French Lick was on our radar from the get-go because we knew the caliber of golf course they had. It's important to me that we have some major sporting event (in Southwest Indiana)."
The Pete Dye Course, named after its late designer, opened in the spring of 2009. It has been the host of many professional events since including the Senior PGA Tour and Senior LPGA Tour Championships.
It is ranked the top public golf course in Indiana according to GolfWeek.
"We've been at this for little over a year," said Joe Vezzoso, Vice President of Sales at French Lick Resort. "We wanted to keep this event in the state of Indiana, more importantly in Southern Indiana. When the PGA Tour came in and looked at our course, they said 'This is not a problem.' It's going to be a different event and very positive from this point forward."
Golf Gives Back, a non-profit organization, will continue to be the host organization. Since 2012, it has donated more than $2.2 million to regional charitable organizations, including its signature charity for net tournament proceeds, Building Blocks. Golf Gives Back Chariman Jack Pate said some local volunteers have expressed interest in helping at French Lick but will also be a mix with the Resort's group.
The Korn Ferry Tour Championship is the final event on the Korn Ferry Tour, one step below the PGA Tour, schedule. It will now be a competition reserved for the top 75 players on the Korn Ferry Tour points list with no 36-hole cut. There will be PGA Tour cards awarded following the tournament to the top 30 players on the points list.
A tournament date for the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Championship will be announced following the 2023 season.
Follow Courier & Press sports reporter Kyle Sokeland on Twitter @kylesokeland.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Korn Ferry Tour Championship leaving Victoria National
