Pro Golf: Jefferson Health, PGA TOUR Champions announce Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic
Nick Ragone, Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Jefferson, top, announces the unveiling of the countdown clock for the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic on Thursday at the Lehigh Country Club. (Photo by Bob Lipsky)
ALLENTOWN — It’s a perfect match — maybe even a hole-in-one.
A partnership between a sport for a lifetime and an organization devoted to making that lifetime as long and as healthy as possible will bring professional golf to eastern Pennsylvania.
Jefferson Health and PGA TOUR Champions announced a five-year partnership to host a new professional golf tournament — the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic, which will debut on the PGA TOUR Champions schedule in the fall of 2026. The inaugural event will be held the week of Sept. 28 and will feature a field of 78 PGA TOUR Champions players, including Stewart Cink, Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, Bernhard Langer and more.
PGA TOUR Champions (formerly the Senior PGA Tour and the Champions Tour) is a men’s professional senior golf tour, open to golfers age 50 and over, administered as a branch of the PGA Tour.
The competition will be held annually at Lehigh Country Club in Allentown, where leaders from Jefferson Health, PGA TOUR Champions and Lehigh Country Club gathered Thursday to make the announcement and answer questions from the media.
Lehigh Country Club is regarded as one of the top golf destinations not only in the Lehigh Valley, but also in Pennsylvania, routinely being ranked among the top courses in the state. The fairways at Lehigh Country Club are known for their masterful routing, featuring significant elevation changes.
The tournament’s title sponsor, Jefferson Health, is one of the nation’s largest non-profit healthcare systems and is committed to delivering exceptional clinical and compassionate care to patients in the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley regions. Lehigh Valley Health Network, a major healthcare provider in Schuylkill County, is a part of Jefferson Health.
Dr. Joe Cacchione, CEO of Jefferson; Nick Ragone, Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Jefferson; Miller Brady, President PGA TOUR Champions; Hale Irwin, a three-time U.S. Open champion and World Golf Hall of Famer; Rich Adams, President of Lehigh Country Club; Matthew Tuerk, Allentown Mayor; and former NFL player and current broadcaster Mike Quick, representing the Philadelphia Eagles; were among the crowd of at least 100 who attended the media conference.
Brady began the festivities with the announcement of the tournament and partnership, accompanied by a video introduction of PGA TOUR Champions and its focus on charity, fan access and sport.
“Pennsylvania has a tremendous history of sports and a tremendous history of golf,” Brady said in his opening remarks. “We know how warm (the people of) this area” are.
Ragone followed, highlighting the connection among Jefferson, PGA TOUR Champions and Lehigh Country Club.
“Relationships matter,” Ragone said. “Partnerships matter. It’s a win-win for everyone. … It’s a great way to bring our brand to life. It’s a great way to give back: Charity comes first, golf comes second.”
Proceeds from the tournament will benefit local charities in Northeastern Pennsylvania and throughout the greater Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley regions. The primary beneficiaries of the inaugural tournament will be Valley Youth House and the Eagles Autism Foundation.
All three rounds of the tournament will be televised on GOLF Channel, the exclusive cable-television partner of PGA TOUR Champions. PGA TOUR Champions coverage is available in more than 170 countries and territories vis 22 media partners.
HNS Sports Group, an Ohio-based event management LLC specializing in golf, will manage the event.
“We are thrilled to partner with Jefferson Health and bring PGA TOUR Champions golf to the Lehigh Valley,” Brady said.
Added Dr. Cacchione: “We’re looking forward to a long, healthy relationship. … This is all about making a long-term, positive impact on the Lehigh Valley and the surrounding areas.”
Ragone summarized the primary mission of the event.
“While we don’t know which player is going to win the inaugural event, we already know that our charitable partners will be the real winners,” Ragone said. “We want the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic to be among the most charitable and well-attended events on the PGA TOUR Champions schedule, beginning in year one.”
