Quicken Loans National to be Held at TPC Potomac in 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 30, 2014) – The Quicken Loans National will be played at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Potomac, Md., during the PGA TOUR’s 2016-2017 season, officials from the TOUR, Tiger Woods Foundation and Quicken Loans announced today.
This will mark the first PGA TOUR tournament TPC Potomac has held since 2006. Formerly known as TPC Avenel, the facility became the host venue for what then was known as the Kemper Open in 1987 and continued until the tournament’s final year in 2006. The golf course and clubhouse underwent a multi-million dollar renovation two years later.
“My foundation is deeply committed to the D.C. area with our three learning centers and Earl Woods Scholarship Program students,” Tiger Woods, two-time Quicken Loans National champion and Tiger Woods Foundation founder said. “We are excited to take the Quicken Loans National to another top course in the area that will challenge our strong field.”
“We believe TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm will prove to be an outstanding test for the Quicken Loans National field in 2017,” said Charlie Zink, Co-Chief Operating Officer of the PGA TOUR. “With the extensive work that was done in 2008, the players who competed there previously will find it to be a much different golf course and tournament facility. We very much look forward to bringing the Quicken Loans National to TPC Potomac in three years.”
The move to TPC Potomac will follow the Quicken Loans National being held at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Va., July 27-August 2, 2015 and the 2016 tournament returning to Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. Congressional has played host to the Quicken Loans National for all but two years since the tournament’s inception in 2007. The exceptions were 2010 and 2011, when the tournament was held at Aronimink Golf Club in Newton Square, Pa., as Congressional made preparations for the 2011 U.S. Open.
“The Quicken Loans National is one of D.C.’s premier sporting events, bringing people from all over the country to enjoy a world-class tournament with the biggest names in golf,” Bill Emerson, Chief Executive Officer of Quicken Loans said. “Our first year as title sponsor was tremendously successful, and the teams at Congressional and the Tiger Woods Foundation did a great job. Looking ahead to 2017, I have no doubt that the fine folks at TPC Potomac will host an amazing event for fans and players alike.”
Opened in 1986, the facility was renamed TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm at the time of the renovation. Numerous competitive and aesthetic changes were made to the golf course to make it more challenging for tournament play. This included significant modifications, re-shaping and enhancements to all 18 holes, featuring a complete re-design of holes 10, 11 and 13; lengthening of the course to 7,139 yards, with a new par-70 design; a new state-of-the-art irrigation system; an aesthetic and competitive design solution to storm water management issues on holes 4, 5, 6, 10, 11 and 12; the re-building of all bunkers, including the addition of some Scottish-style bunkering detail with tall fescue grasses; new green complexes and landscaping on all 18 holes; and an expansive new practice facility and short game area.
Another major component of the golf course work was the comprehensive restoration of the Rock Run Stream Valley – one of the main tributaries of the Potomac River that winds through the golf course. During the restoration process, nearly 12 acres of wetlands were added to create a buffer between the stream and the golf course. Additionally, more than 15 acres of trees were added.
Following the renovation project, TPC Potomac hosted the 2010 Constellation Senior PLAYERS Championship and the Web.com Tour’s Mid-Atlantic Championship in 2012 and 2013.
“We are very excited to bring a PGA TOUR tournament back for the first time since the renovation,” TPC Potomac General Manager Michael Sullivan said. “We’ve held two Web.com Tour tournaments and the Senior PLAYERS since the changes were made, plus a number of players have come over when they’ve been in town, and the feedback has been very positive. I believe the winning score for those three tournaments was around 8-under par, as opposed to 20-under in 2006. So I look forward to seeing how that compares in 2017.”
The Quicken Loans National raises funds and awareness for the Tiger Woods Foundation and local charities, while paying tribute to our armed forces. Justin Rose is the defending champion; past champions include K.J Choi, Anthony Kim, Nick Watney, Bill Haas and Woods.
The Tiger Woods Foundation currently operates three Tiger Woods Learning Centers in the Washington, D.C., area, in wards 6 and 7, and the Marine Corps Base at Quantico. Scholars in grades 5-12 are immersed in an interactive STEM curriculum at the learning centers and are exposed to college-access programs. Here, they make the connection between school and career, while planning a road map to college. In addition to the learning centers, there are 25 D.C. Tiger Woods Foundation Scholars from the Earl Woods Scholarship Program.
For more information on the Quicken Loans National, please visit www.QLNational.com.
About the Tiger Woods Foundation
Where you come from shouldn’t mean failure. At the Tiger Woods Foundation, it doesn’t. Our programs break the cycle of poverty through college-access opportunities for low-income students. At Tiger Woods Learning Center campuses across the country, scholars in grades 5-12 are immersed in an interactive STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) curriculum. Here, they make the connection between school and career, while planning a road map to college. Tailored to the needs of the first-generation scholar, the Earl Woods Scholarship Program provides four-year college scholarships coupled with an unyielding support system. But we don’t stop there. Through dedicated mentors, professional development workshops and internships, our one-to-one philosophy ensures the success of our students in college and beyond. See how our scholars are smashing the cycle of poverty at tigerwoodsfoundation.org and @TWFoundation.
About Quicken Loans
Detroit-based Quicken Loans Inc. is the nation’s second largest retail home mortgage lender. The company closed a record $80 billion of volume across all 50 states in 2013. Quicken Loans generates loan production from web centers located in Detroit, Cleveland and Scottsdale, Arizona. The company also operates a centralized loan processing facility in Detroit, as well as its San Diego-based One Reverse Mortgage unit. Quicken Loans ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction among with Primary Mortgage Origination” in the United States by J.D. Power for the past four consecutive years (2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010), and highest in customer satisfaction among all mortgage servicers in 2014.
Quicken Loans was named among the top-30 companies on FORTUNE magazine’s annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for the last 11 consecutive years, ranking #5 in 2014. It has been recognized as one of Computerworld magazine’s ’100 Best Places to Work in IT’ the past ten years, ranking No. 1 in 2014, 2013, 2007, 2006 and 2005. The company moved its headquarters to downtown Detroit in 2010, and now more than 8,500 of its 10,000-plus team members work in the city’s urban core. For more information about Quicken Loans, please visit QuickenLoans.com, on Twitter at @QLnews, and on Facebook at Facebook.com/QuickenLoans.
About PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is the world’s premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 130 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, Web.com Tour, NEC Series-PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR China.
The PGA TOUR’s mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in the communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.
Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to more than 1 billion households in 225 countries and territories in 32 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2013, tournaments across all Tours generated more than $133 million for local and national charitable organizations and in early 2014 the TOUR’s all-time charitable contributions surpassed $2 billion.
The PGA TOUR’s web site is PGATOUR.COM, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
About the TPC Network
Licensed by the PGA TOUR, the TPC Network is comprised of 33 premier private, resort and daily fee golf properties designed by some of golf’s most elite architects. Eighteen of the clubs are operated by affiliates of PGA TOUR Golf Course Properties, Inc. Each TPC has hosted or has been designed to host TOUR-sponsored golf tournaments. Since TPC Sawgrass first opened its world renowned PLAYERS Stadium Course in the fall of 1980, TPCs have provided the PGA TOUR with rent-free venues for tournaments, helping to boost championship golf purses and increasing charitable donations to grass roots non-profit organizations. At the same time, TPCs have provided recreational golfers with the unique opportunity to test their skills on the same layouts where the world’s best golfers compete.
TPCs are known for their outstanding conditioning and amenities, as well as a commitment to environmental excellence. The TPC Network is also distinguished by its unwavering commitment to further the PGA TOUR’s “Together, anything’s possible” giving back mission through support of charitable and community-based programs. For more information, please visit www.tpc.com. For the most up-to-date news, follow the TPC Network on Twitter (@PlayTPC), Instagram (@PlayTPC) or Facebook.com/TPCNetwork.