PGA Tour Champions star Fred Funk said Galleri senior golf in the desert just makes sense
For Fred Funk, the new Galleri Classic tournament coming to Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage later this month is a win-win situation for the PGA Tour Champions.
“It always seemed to me the Champions Tour was perfect for Palm Springs, the demographics,” Funk said Tuesday.
Funk will be one of 78 golfers playing in the inaugural Galleri Classic, the first PGA Tour Champions event in the Coachella Valley since 1994.
The tournament announced the last of its big commitments for the tournament Tuesday, including Germany’s Bernhard Langer, who just won his record-tying 45th victory on the senior tour. Other big names added to the field include 2022 player of the year Stephen Alker, former major championship winner Vijay Singh and popular winner on the PGA Tour Champions Miguel Angel Jimenez.
They join a list that already includes Fred Couples, John Daly, Steve Stricker, Jim Fuyrk, David Duval and Ernie Els as well as 11-time PGA Tour winner John Cook, who grew up at Mission Hills Country Club.
Funk singled out both Langer for his longevity and consistency and Couples for his popularity as big drawing cards on the PGA Tour Champions.
“When Freddie’s here, it’s a little more special,” Funk said. “He’s our rock star.”
The $2.2 million event will be played March 24-26, with two one-day pro-ams on March 22 and 23.
“Bernhard’s ongoing quest to be the winningest, and greatest, golfer in PGA Tour Champions history is the most intriguing storyline on the tour this year, and he can cement such status with a win at the Galleri Classic,” the tournament said in the announcement of the new players. “Vijay Singh is one of the most dominant players in recent PGA Tour history. Steven is coming off a career year and he and Miguel Angel are currently two of the PGA Tour Champions leading golfers.”
“It’s really nice when we get sponsors, new sponsors. They are excited about the opportunity to have the Champions Tour represent what they do,” Funk said. “To entertain, what we do for them, what we bring to the table for a big corporate sponsor who is willing to put up the money to host a tournament.”
Like many golfers on the PGA Tour Champions, Funk has a long history in the desert playing The American Express, then known as the Bob Hope Classic, as well as playing in the Skins Game in the Coachella Valley. Funk had 17 starts in the Hope, an event that was always played after the tour was in Hawaii, with strong trade winds.
“We just couldn’t wait to get back, this was our first start on the West Coast, it was like playing indoors when we are playing here most of the time,” Funk said. “I know this winter has been a little colder than normal, but you still have a beautiful day, it’s a little cool out. It’s perfect out right now.”
For Bob Ragusa, CEO off Grail, the healthcare company that produced the Galleri cancer test, the senior event is the perfect chance to bring attention to a test that can detect 50 different kinds of cancer. A testing facility will be onsite at Mission Hills the week of the Galleri tournament.
“This is just bringing it to where the people are,” Ragusa said. “We realize that a lot of people have difficulty getting to appointments and a lab, so bringing it to where people are is important.”
For Funk, another story of the new tournament is getting to see popular golfers and learn about new golfers in a more relaxed atmosphere than a regular PGA Tour event.
“We’ve got a good gig. When you think about it we have an opportunity to do what we have done our whole life, continue it from age 50 on,” Funk said. “If you can stay healthy, you can still play. Bernhard’s the epitome of that, the most consistent golfer on the planet.”
Ticket and volunteer information for the tournament are available at thegallericlassic.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Galleri Classic: Bernard Langer, Vijay Singh, Fred Funk added to stellar field
