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Greenville Business Magazine

BMW Charity Pro-Am announces 2019 host courses, new format

The Web.com Tour and South Carolina Charities Inc., announced today that Thornblade Club and The Cliffs Valley will return as the host courses for the 2019 BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation. In addition to the venues, the tournament announced a new format for the longstanding event, which will return to the Upstate the week of June 3-9.

Thornblade Club and The Cliffs Communities have agreed to five-year extensions to host the event through 2023.

“We are excited to continue our longstanding partnership with the Web.com Tour and South Carolina Charities, Inc.,” said Thornblade Club Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Tim Mervosh. “Our membership has demonstrated tremendous support for this tournament as it has presented a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase our club on an international stage.”

The Tom Fazio-designed course at Thornblade will undergo a complete bunker renovation by The Fazio Golf Group in 2019, alongside a significant clubhouse renovation and repurposing by Tom Hoch Interior Design Group, which is currently underway and should be completed for tournament week in June.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Web.com Tour, BMW, SYNNEX Corporation, South Carolina Charities, Inc., and Thornblade Club and to host the tournament again this year at The Cliffs Valley. Our Cliffs members and associates look forward to having fun with golf enthusiasts who visit The Cliffs during the tournament. Our goal is to inspire happiness in our beautiful slice of Blue Ridge mountain heaven,” said David Sawyer, President and Managing Partner of The Cliffs Clubs.

Starting in 2019, the tournament format will be modified to feature an amateur and celebrity cut at the conclusion of 36 holes after all contestants in the field complete 18 holes on both Thornblade Club and The Cliffs Valley. Following the cut, the remaining amateur and celebrity teams, as well as professionals who make the cut in the tournament proper, will play the third round on Thornblade.

The fourth and final round, to be contested at Thornblade, will solely feature professionals after the field is cut to the low 65 and ties. The two-course setup mirrors the tournament’s origins from 2001 through 2004, when The Cliffs Valley and The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards hosted the event.

To accommodate the two-course format, the professional and amateur fields will be reduced from 168 players to 160 players.

“The new Pro-Am format provides a great product for our amateurs and celebrities, and we are confident in our ability to deliver a memorable week for fans, sponsors and players as we continue to grow one of the Web.com Tour’s longest-running events,” said Bob Nitto, President of South Carolina Charities, Inc. “Thornblade Club and The Cliffs Valley have tremendous histories with our tournament and have been great partners for the Tour, and we are thrilled to be returning to each course in June.”

Since 2001, the tournament and has donated over $13 million to numerous charities across the Upstate. An economic impact study by Clemson University’s International Institute of Tourism Research and Development estimated that the tournament annually generates total direct spending of $4.712 million, supports 139 jobs, generates net local government revenues of $541,048 and net state government revenues of $868,479, and yields $6.744 million in total output/impact.

For more information on the 2019 BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation, please visit BMWUSFactory.com