PGA Professional National Championship headed back to Sunriver

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Sunriver Resort, one of the country's most scenic golf destinations, featuring acclaimed Crosswater Club, has been selected to host the 46th PGA Professional National Championship presented by Club Car, Mercedes-Benz USA and OMEGA, June 23-26, 2013. It marks the third visit to Sunriver Resort by The PGA of America's showcase event for PGA Professionals.

The Championship will bring a field of 312 to the Central Oregon resort, utilizing both Crosswater Club and Meadows Golf Course that hosted the 2001 and '07 National Championships. Crosswater Club, ranked by Golf Digest as one of "America's Greatest 100 Public Golf Courses," was the site of the Champions Tour's JELD-WEN Tradition from 2007-10; the 2006 NCAA men's Division I Championship; a 1999 segment of "Shell's Wonderful World of Golf," and the 1998 Western PGA Professional Championship. The Meadows Course also served as host of the 2007 USGA Senior Women's Amateur Championship and the 2002 USGA Women's Amateur Public Links Championship.

"The PGA of America is proud of its tradition of taking our PGA Professional National Championship to many of the best venues in the country and Sunriver Resort fulfills all expectations you would want in a golf destination," said PGA of America President Allen Wronowski. "Beginning with two outstanding championship courses, the Pacific Northwest scenery and activities for contestants and their families, it is the total package. Over the past decade, we enjoyed two memorable PGA Professional National Championships at Sunriver, and we anticipate another great chapter in Championship history to be written in 2013."

Sunriver's 605-acre resort, nearly 4,200 feet above sea level, lies between the Big Deschutes and Little Deschutes Rivers. Inspired by the Scottish highlands, Crosswater Club opened for play in 1995, and was selected the No. 1 New Resort Course in America by Golf Digest. It is a heathland-style course, offering a blend of strategy and aesthetics, featuring a wide range of fairway lengths and the constant interplay of wetlands, ponds, and rivers.

"We are extremely pleased to continue our longstanding tradition of major championship golf at our Crosswater Club and Sunriver Resort by hosting our third PGA Professional National Championship," said PGA Professional Scott Ellender, Sunriver Resort director of resort operations. "I talked to many PGA Professionals who played in the 2007 National Championship. They said that they thoroughly enjoyed their experience, not only because they loved our Bob Cupp-designed Crosswater course, but also because many brought their families and made a vacation out of their stay. There is so much to do here for children, including swimming, bicycling, river floats, horseback riding, white water rafting and, of course, golf."

Designed by Bob Cupp, the par-72 Crosswater Golf Club played to 7,563 yards in two previous National Championships, which made it the second longest layout in event history. The Meadows Golf Course, a collaborative effort between Fred Federspiel and John Fought, also is a par-71 layout that was played at 7,001 yards in the Championship. The Meadows winds its way along the great meadow and through groves of Ponderosa Pines.

About the PGA Professional National Championship
Begun in 1968, The PGA Professional National Championship provides additional playing opportunities for PGA Professionals. In over four decades, it has become the showcase event for PGA Professionals, featuring some of the finest players in the Association. Formerly a 360-player field, and contested after the golf season had ended across much of the United States, the PGA Professional National Championship was first converted to a 156-player field from 1997-2005. The Championship now presents a 312-player field representing 41 PGA Sections competing at the peak of their games, and with its 20 top finishers earning a berth in the PGA Championship.

The National Championship was first televised live by Golf Channel in 1997 to viewers across the U.S., Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Latin America, Malaysia, the Middle East, Scandinavia, and Singapore. This year's PGA Professional National Championship has a potential audience of 110 million.

This summer's 45th National Championship will be contested June 24-27, at Bayonet and Black Horse in Seaside, Calif. The PGA Professional National Championship has been conducted in 15 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wisconsin.

About The PGA of America
Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering world-class championships and innovative programs, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. As The PGA nears its centennial, the PGA brand represents the very best in golf.