PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (April 18, 2017) – The PGA TOUR announced today that the Web.com Tour’s Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in the Dominican Republic will transition to the PGA TOUR beginning next season. It will debut March 19-25, 2018, the same week as the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, offer 300 FedExCup points to the winner and carry a purse of at least $3 million.
Through a new four-year agreement, Grupo Puntacana, which owns and operates Puntacana Resort & Club, will serve as the host organization and the Tom Fazio-designed Corales golf course will remain the tournament course. The Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship will be held for the second time on the Web.com Tour this May 1-7.
“We are extremely pleased to have this unique opportunity to elevate an outstanding tournament from the Web.com Tour to the PGA TOUR,” said Andy Pazder, PGA TOUR Chief Tournament and Competitions Officer. “With the tournament structure in place and a world-class golf course and resort in the Dominican Republic, the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship presents an exciting new playing alternative for our members. We look forward to working with Grupo Puntacana toward the debut in 2018.”
The Web.com Tour’s Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in the Dominican Republic will transition to the PGA TOUR beginning next season following a four-year agreement. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
“Hosting the very first PGA TOUR tournament in the Dominican Republic is an honor both for Puntacana Resort and Club and for the Dominican Republic itself,” said Frank Rainieri, Chairman and Founder, Grupo Puntacana. “This is an affirmation of the exceptional golf facilities we have down here, and we are thrilled to expose the international golf community to the Dominican Republic. The Web.com Tour’s Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship debut in 2016 was a standout moment on the calendar for us and we are thankful for that experience. We look forward to another outstanding tournament on the Web.com Tour in May and then to grow our relationship with the PGA TOUR beginning in 2018.”
The Corales course, which opened in 2010, plays along the cliffs, bays and coves of the Caribbean Sea and the inland lakes and coralina quarries. Six holes play along the ocean including the final three, known as the “Devil’s Elbow.” The 18th hole includes a forced carry over the cliff-lined Bay of Corales.
In last year’s inaugural Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, Dominic Bozzelli claimed his first Web.com Tour title by shooting 24-under par to win by four strokes over three players. Bozzelli went on to qualify for the current PGA TOUR season by finishing seventh on the Web.com Tour Regular Season money list.
About Grupo Puntacana
Grupo Puntacana S.A. through its subsidiaries, owns and operates real estate properties including resorts, hotels, spas, and restaurants. The company also operates residential communities, marinas, shopping malls, and an airport. The company was formerly known as Compañía de Desarrollo Turístico Residencial e Industrial S.A. Grupo Puntacana S.A. was founded in 1969 and is based in Higüey, Dominican Republic.
About Puntacana Resort & Club
The development of Grupo Puntacana dates back to 1969 when Dominican businessman Frank R. Rainieri and Theodore W. Kheel, the late prominent New York attorney and labor mediator, created a partnership to construct a resort and real estate community that respects the natural habitat of Punta Cana while offering a world-class vacation experience. Maintaining a dedication to sustainable tourism, Puntacana Resort & Club has since grown to encompass over 26 square miles and now includes luxury boutique hotel Tortuga Bay; The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club; the Four Points by Sheraton Puntacana Village; the Six Senses Spa; newly inaugurated Oscar de la Renta Tennis Center; The Grupo Puntacana Foundation; five residential communities (Corales, Hacienda, Marina, Arrecife, and Tortuga); a full-service marina; eight restaurants; a shopping village; 45 holes of championship golf over two golf courses and Punta Cana International Airport, a modern facility that incorporates innovative and eco-friendly design. In 1997, Julio Iglesias and Oscar de la Renta joined the Group as co-investors and have made Puntacana Resort & Club their home. Currently, Punta Cana is the most highly visited Caribbean destination and is easily accessible from all over the globe. For more information on Puntacana Resort & Club, visit www.puntacana.com.
About PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is the leading global platform in professional golf, showcasing the highest expression of excellence, both on and off the course. 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, grow and protect the game of golf and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.
The PGA TOUR co-sanctions more than 130 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR China. Its members represent the world’s best players, hailing from 24 countries (86 members are from outside the United States). Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to more than 1.1 billion households in 227 countries and territories in 23 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2016, tournaments across all Tours generated a record of more than $166 million for local and national charitable organizations, bringing the all-time total to $2.46 billion.
The PGA TOUR co-sanctions more than 130 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR China. Its members represent the world’s best players, hailing from 24 countries (86 members are from outside the United States). Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to more than 1.1 billion households in 227 countries and territories in 23 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2016, tournaments across all Tours generated a record of more than $166 million for local and national charitable organizations, bringing the all-time total to $2.46 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, Fla.
conTACT
Contact:
Chris Smith Matthew Levison
PGA TOUR HL Group (for Puntacana Resort & Club)
904-273-3379 646-274-3631
csmith@pgatourhq.com puntacana@hlgrp.com
Chris Smith Matthew Levison
PGA TOUR HL Group (for Puntacana Resort & Club)
904-273-3379 646-274-3631
csmith@pgatourhq.com puntacana@hlgrp.com
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