JCB’s Golf and Country Club is set to realise its vision as a major international tour destination as some of the biggest names in the sport prepare to descend on the course for a star-studded competition.
The prestigious Staffordshire club – the brainchild of JCB Chairman Lord Bamford – will host the JCB Championship as part of the Legends Tour’s international schedule in July next year.
The event will take place in the week after The Senior Open at Gleneagles and will offer a prize fund of €600,000. The JCB Championship will be hosted by Ryder Cup and European Tour legend Darren Clarke and profits will be donated to JCB’s NSPCC Platinum Jubilee Appeal.
Today Anthony Bamford said: “When JCB set out to create a world class golf and country club, it was always our ambition to attract an international tour event, so it really is wonderful news that the course has been selected to host such a prominent competition.”
JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald added: “The JCB Golf and Country Club has already successfully hosted the Rose Ladies Series tournament and our inclusion in the Legends Tour’s international schedule really is the next step in fully realising our aspirations for the course. We are thrilled by the news.”
Spanning 240 acres of rolling countryside, the JCB Golf and Country Club has been hailed as a masterpiece in contemporary course design since it opened in 2018. It was designed and built using industry-leading technology to create aesthetically appealing tee shots, wide, sweeping fairways and interesting, yet fun, green complexes.
Darren Clarke said: “I’m extremely proud to be hosting The JCB Championship. Knowing JCB as a company and having been fortunate enough to visit JCB’s Golf and Country Club, you can be certain that this will be a fantastic event and I’m very much looking forward to it.”
Phil Harrison, Chief Executive of the Legends Tour, said: “We are thrilled to have secured the first international event to be held at JCB Golf and Country Club. It is truly a world-class venue, and this is an opportunity for us to help showcase it to the world.
“We are thankful to the venue, as well as Chubby Chandler and International Sports Management (ISM), for their help in bringing this event to fruition and we are looking forward to working alongside them in the coming months.”
ISM has a rich history of promoting tournaments and past events include the British Masters, Turkish Airlines Open and the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open.
ISM Chief Executive Officer Chubby Chandler said: “As a member of The JCB Golf and Country Club I’m very proud that ISM is involved in what is sure to be a memorable tournament. Darren is also excited to be involved and is sure to bring a few friends to the JCB Championship with him. We have some great plans for the tournament and, befitting JCB and its incredible venue, we’re looking forward to helping produce something unique and very special.”
The JCB Championship will take place from July 29-31, 2022. The full 2022 Legends Tour International Schedule will be revealed later this year.
