Windsor Championship Golf Tournament ready to tee off
Tee off time is almost here for one of the most-prestigious golf tournaments to ever hit the Essex County Area.
The Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada’s Windsor Championship is coming July 2-8 at Ambassador Golf Club.
For organizers, it will be the culmination of several months of hard work and planning.
“It’s been a long time coming. I know myself, I’ve been working on this for a year and half now. We’re really looking forward to getting it going and getting the week started,” says Adam Wagner, Ambassador’s director of golf operations.
“It’s an exciting time for all of us involved and not just us at the club, but also for our host coordinators, the volunteers, the community – even the PGA. I’ve been in contact with them and they are very excited about coming back to Windsor. They had such a great time here the last time (during the 2011 Canadian Tour Championship).”
Along with coordinating the volunteer staff, hosting a media day and other related tasks, Wagner says the course – already in “great shape” – will naturally receive daily attention leading up to the slate of events.
“It has certainly been dry as of late, but these last few storms we have had recently really helped to green things up for us, so, we’re very happy with the golf course and the condition of it right now. We’ll spend the final week now just fine-tuning it to get it ready for the pros come into town next week,” he says.
“The spectators who come out are really going to be treated to a great week of golf.”
All told, 156 golf professionals will vie for a purse of some $200,000 in the Windsor Championship. Top money leaders on the PGA Tour Canada earn spots on the Web.com Tour, which – in turn – leads to the PGA. “Over the past couple of years, ever since the PGA rerouted the way players make it to that top level of play, the quality of play on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada has raised itself significantly,” says Ryan Robillard, Ambassador head pro. “We’re seeing that these guys are 18-24 months away from being on the PGA Tour. Right now, they may not be household names, but they are the household names-to-be as we see the youth movement take over on the PGA Tour.”
While the pro portion of the tourney takes place Thursday, a host of other related events are also on the docket, offering area fans a full plate of golf-watching options.
First, on July 2, Roseland Golf and Curling Club plays host to the Open Qualifier – where 10 spots in the Windsor Championship will be up for grabs among more than 100 participants. Practice rounds will likewise kick off that Monday at Ambassador.
The Official Pro-Am will be up next on July 3, sponsored by Hearn Industrial Services, featuring foursomes made up of one Mackenzie Tour Professional and three amateurs. In total, 168 amateurs will compete along with 56 pros.
The following day will focus on the Windsor Spitfires Junior Pro-Am, with more practice rounds taking place July 4. The public is welcomed to attend at no cost. Of note, this year’s tournament will also act to benefit Hospice of Windsor and Essex County. That is music to the ears of Marty Komsa, president of the host organization, who helped bring the tournament to Windsor. As the former WFCU CEO, Komsa was co-sponsor of the event in 2011 and 2012.
“When I was approached by the PGA to look at bringing this tournament to Windsor, I looked at two things: one, it was a professional golf tournament – and – that there was a significant amount of money donated to a charity,” says Komsa. “Two of my loves were put together by the PGA, so it was very easy for me to say yes to being involved again.”
“We are donating a minimum of $100,000 this year which is something we are very proud of,” adds Wagner. “That’s certainly one of the biggest reasons we are able to do this event – because of the generous support of the community and partners that have come in at different sponsorship levels. The support of the community has been incredible.” The Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada’s Windsor Championship is sponsored by the City of Windsor, WFCU Credit Union, Unico/Primo, Farhi Holdings Corporation, Ambassador Golf Club, LIUNA! Local 625 and Cypher Systems Groups. Tickets for the Mackenzie TourPGA Tour Canada’s Windsor Championship are available for purchase at windsorchampionship.com/tickets.