Less than a month from now some of the best golfers on the planet will descend upon Akron for the 2024 Kaulig Companies Championship. The PGA Tour Champions event returns to Firestone Country Club for the second year under the Kaulig brand, beginning July 10. The weekend is about more than just golf, though, with plenty of entertainment off the course to make for a great summer party in Akron.
This year’s tournament will feature several high-profile members of the PGA Tour Champions circuit, such as defending champion Steve Stricker, Ernie Els and John Daly. But the weekend at Firestone is about more than just golf. It’s about entertainment, appreciation and giving back to the community.
“We didn’t know what to expect last year, being our first year and we were just getting into it. I think last year was incredibly successful and awesome. We gave over $1.2 million back to charities here in Northeast Ohio. We had a blast. I know everybody in the communities, our friends, our families just had a blast at the tournament,” Kaulig Companies executive chairman Matt Kaulig says at the event’s media day at Progressive Field. “We’ve put it on steroids this year and gone a lot bigger. With our infinity zone and all the entertainment, and all the bands and all the concerts. Even the golf field is better than last year. We have Peyton Manning coming in on Thursday for the Ambassador of Golf event over at House 330, LeBron’s team is going to be there and hosting that. Just going to be a phenomenal weekend.”
The weekend will also do several things to honor the men and women of the military, as those who have served are offered free admission for themselves and a guest. On Friday night after the second round of the tournament, there will be a military appreciation concert with country music star Kameron Marlowe.
The thing that Kaulig feels better about this year than last is the entertainment. Mentioning that while this will be the 71st year there has been professional golf at Firestone, it’s just the second year his group has been the title sponsor. Making sure that the on-course bars and food trucks are in the correct place is a big deal and something that they’ve learned how to do better after the first run last summer.
Last year’s event also raised more than $1 million for local charities and the community as a whole, with this year hoping to surpass 2023.
“I think the philanthropic goal is more than $1.5 million,” Kaulig says. “I know we’ve raised a lot of money so far. It will depend on how many people come out to the event and support the event. We’ve asked a lot of area companies to be involved with sponsorship and giving to the community.”
Professional golf has been played at Firestone dating back more than 70 years, but the event shifted from a PGA Tour event to a PGA Tour Champions event (players 50 years of age and older) in 2019. For the first few years of the event being on the senior circuit, Bridgestone was the naming rightsholder, before Kaulig Companies took over in 2023.
Tickets for the event can be found at https://www.kauligchampionship.com/
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