{"id":195722,"date":"2025-09-03T02:56:15","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T02:56:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/195722\/"},"modified":"2025-09-03T02:56:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T02:56:15","slug":"pga-lining-up-deal-to-keep-pro-tourney-in-richmond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/195722\/","title":{"rendered":"PGA lining up deal to keep pro tourney in Richmond"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\"DECC<\/a><\/p>\n

The Dominion Energy Charity Classic has been sponsored by Dominion and hosted at Country Club of Virginia since its inception in 2016. (BizSense file)<\/p>\n

The prospect of keeping professional golf in the Richmond region beyond this year is on the upswing.<\/p>\n

The organizers of the Dominion Energy Charity Classic, which will be held for its 10th and final installment in mid-October at Country Club of Virginia, are close to lining up a deal with sponsors and a local golf course to create some form of a successor pro tournament to the DECC.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am pleased to say that we are currently engaged in conversations with both a potential title sponsor as well as a potential host golf course, both of which would allow the event to stay local,\u201d said Steve Schoenfeld, who has been executive director of the DECC since its inception in 2016.<\/p>\n

But Schoenfeld cautioned that the deal isn\u2019t in the bag.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile I\u2019m hopeful, there\u2019s still no pending announcement at the moment. For now, unfortunately, I have to let it lie at that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Schoenfeld wouldn\u2019t specify the nature of the potential sponsorship and whether it involves a large buy-in from a single sponsor or a package of multiple sponsors sharing the title slot, an idea that Schoenfeld and his team had been floating in recent months<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to describe. It\u2019s almost as a hybrid of those,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"DECC<\/a><\/p>\n

Steve Schoenfeld<\/p>\n

Schoenfeld also wouldn\u2019t say whether the surviving tournament would be a PGA Tour Champions event, which features players over age 50, or a tournament on one of the other PGA-owned tours, such as the Korn Ferry Tour for up-and-comers, for example.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal is to keep professional golf in Richmond,\u201d Schoenfeld said, declining to comment further.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also unclear which local course might be ready to take on such a tournament. But one thing is certain, it won\u2019t be held at CCV, nor will it be played at The Crossings Golf Club<\/a>, which last year was purchased by Henrico County with the hopes of renovating it in time to host the 2026 incarnation of the DECC.<\/p>\n

Giff Breed, owner of Independence Golf Club in Midlothian who had teamed with Henrico to try to make the Crossings pro tournament-ready, declined to comment for this story.<\/p>\n

But Schoenfeld\u2019s optimistic tone and hint of a deal in recent days is considered progress compared to where his group was earlier this spring.<\/p>\n

In March, Schoenfeld said they were in a down-to-the-wire hunt for enough title sponsor dollars to keep the tournament in Richmond. It was left in that precarious position beginning in late 2023, when Dominion announced it was exercising an option\u00a0to cease its title sponsorship<\/a>\u00a0earlier than expected following the tournament\u2019s 2025 installment. That announcement was made in conjunction with CCV\u2019s decision to stop being the host course for the DECC, also after 2025.<\/p>\n

Dominion has been the tournament\u2019s title sponsor since its inception, and CCV has been its host course each of those years as well.<\/p>\n

After a year went by and Schoenfeld\u2019s team was unable to find a sponsor or sponsors to replace Dominion, the PGA gave DECC organizers until March 31<\/a> to find a fix. But that deadline came and went with no deal, but also, luckily, no final decree from the PGA.<\/p>\n

Schoenfeld said the previous success of the DECC and its continued momentum leading up to this year\u2019s event showed the strength of the Richmond region as a golf market, which gave his team some extra leeway from the tour to continue the hunt.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think cooler heads prevailed. While you always want to get next year\u2019s schedule sorted out as soon as possible, at the end of the day everyone at the table realizes how strong of a market Richmond is and said, \u2018maybe let\u2019s hang in there a little longer and see if we can make something happen,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m thankful that the tour has allowed that to happen, because of the strength of the tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n

While he was short on details for now, Schoenfeld did relay another promising sign: he said he hopes to be able to announce a finished deal and details of the new event during this year\u2019s final DECC.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a perfect world we get it pushed over the finishing line before this year\u2019s Dominion Energy Charity Classic,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have the attention of the market that week, the golf fans, and it makes a lot of sense to be able to have an announcement that week. So that would be the hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"10.16R<\/a><\/p>\n

The final DECC will be played at Country Club of Virginia\u2019s James River Course. (BizSense file)<\/p>\n

As for more near-term matters, Schoenfeld said this year\u2019s DECC is shaping up to be a fitting send off.<\/p>\n

\u201cSupport is off the charts,\u201d he said, adding that local sponsorship sales have already surpassed last year\u2019s levels and that the tournament is approaching 1,100 volunteers, which is also a high mark.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery metric that we look at continues to trend upward. I haven\u2019t previously been with an event where that was the case,\u201d Schoenfeld said.<\/p>\n

The DECC is set for 54 holes over three rounds from Oct. 17-19. Weeklong festivities will include the Tom Farrell Memorial Pro-Am on Oct. 15 and 16.<\/p>\n

The DECC is part of the Tour Champions playoffs, leading up to the Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix the following month.<\/p>\n

Money leaders on the Schwab Cup so far this season include Miguel Angel Jimenez, Stewart Cink, Steven Alker, Padraig Harringon and Ernie Else.<\/p>\n

In addition to Dominion, the tournament\u2019s other high-level sponsors include Henrico EDA, Riverstone Group, VCU and Markel.<\/p>\n

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