Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Pro tours to stop in NW Arkansas
BELLA VISTA — Darryl Muldoon looked out over the Bella Vista Country Club course and could not contain his huge smile. Golfers dotted the green tee boxes and fairways on Tuesday morning.
A couple of months ago, the director of golf operations for the Bella Vista Property Owners Association wasn’t sure whether he’d have professional golf this year after the coronavirus pandemic brought a halt to sports across the country. But this week a field of more than 200 professional men and women golfers will compete in the All Pro Tour and Women’s All Pro Tour’s NWA Charity Classic.
The All Pro Tour and the Women’s All Pro Tour are playing together for the first time in Bella Vista this week. The 144-player men’s field
will play all four days at Bella Vista Country Club starting today, while the women’s field will play today and Thursday at the Scotsdale course before moving over to the country club for the final two rounds of the four-round tournament.
“This year with the WAPT here, they will be split among the two courses so the women will experience the same hospitality the men have the past few years,” Muldoon said. “We have over 118 golf groups throughout the area who will come out and watch the pros play.”
Social distancing and other protocols will be in place for the event, but fans can watch from certain locations as the view from the clubhouse at the country club offers four tee boxes and holes 9 and 18.
The ATP Tour started in March in Alexandria, La., but like the other pro sports, it was halted for nearly three months. The tour returned June 2 in Brownwood, Texas, and this marks its third event since the restart.
James Nitties won this event in 2019 and is in the field again. Current ATP money-leader Greg Eason also is in the field along with former University of Arkansas golfer Alvaro Ortiz, who will be making his second ATP start.
The men’s purse is an estimated $120,000. The players will compete in a 72-hole stroke play format, with a cut after 36 holes to the top 35% of the starting field.
There will be familiar faces on the women’s side as former UA star Maria Fassi, who finished second a couple of weeks ago on the WATP tour in Texas, will tee off at 7:30 a.m. today at Scotsdale. Dylan Kim, another former Razorback, is in the field along with Brooke Matthews, a current member of the UA women’s golf team who will play as an amateur.
The women’s purse is $35,000, with the taking home $7,500. They also will compete over 72 holes, with the field being reduced to the top 40% after 54 holes.
“These are players, most of them just out of college, who are trying to develop their game and hopefully get to the next level,” said Brandon Moore, the communications director for the ATP. “We provide a place for them to play. The women don’t have as many options as the guys do, but they are all top-quality players.”
Regional connections help boost attendance, Moore said. Having players like the former Razorbacks this week — and last week’s field in Broken Arrow, Okla., including a number of Oklahoma State players — helps generate more interest in the event.
The ATP will move to Victoria, Texas, next, but it also has scheduled stops in Texarkana (July 15-17) and Fort Smith (Aug. 5-8). The Texarkana tournament, to be held at both Texarkana CC and Northridge CC, will include a men’s and women’s field. The WAPT will return to Arkansas on July 21-24 for the Central Arkansas Open at Centennial Valley in Conway.
The tournament’s final round will be Saturday at Bella Vista Country Club for both the men and women.