Korn Ferry Tour Championship expected to bring big impact in French Lick
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After 12 years at Victoria National Golf Club in Newburgh, the Korn Ferry Tour Championship will take place beginning next month at the Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort.
Previous events drew about 25,000 people to southwest Indiana, and Ron Romain, executive chairman of Evansville-based United Companies, told Inside INdiana Business Host Gerry Dick that the event generates approximately $10 million in economic impact.
The Korn Ferry Tour is the developmental system for the PGA Tour. The championship event is presented by United Leasing & Finance, a subsidiary of United Companies.
Speaking at a media preview for the championship, Romain said he’s excited to see the impact it will bring to French Lick.
“I’m really pleased with the fact that we started out in Evansville, and I wanted to do something that would have an impact in that southwest Indiana region. And moving it up here really gives us a little more of a statewide feel economically,” Romain said.
Patrick Nichol—CEO and president of TOUR Vision Promotion, which manages the event—told Inside INdiana Business last October that the famed Pete Dye Course, along with the amenities offered by French Lick Resort made the location attractive to organizers.
“We’ve heard from a lot of our sponsors that they look forward to the opportunities to spend the weekend at the hotels, the other things to do around the resort,” Nichol said.
Jim Ryan, CEO of Evansville-based Old National Bank, added that the event will bring greater visibility to the French Lick area, which will drive economic development and tourism growth.
“We hope to draw people from all over central Indiana, southwest Indiana, and Kentucky to the tournament this year, which is going to be fantastic,” Ryan said. “But the golf coverage really allows us to open to a worldwide audience, to really showcase how special Indiana really is and hopefully drive some more tourism at the French Lick Resort.”
But the event isn’t just bringing eyes to French Lick, it also has a philanthropic aspect. In partnership with Golf Gives Back, the championship raises funds for Building Blocks of Southwestern Indiana, which supports pre-K education for at-risk youth.
Earlier this year, Golf Gives Back awarded $150,000 to the not-for-profit from the 2023 championship.
“These kids that are at risk, we’re working on and trying to get them an opportunity to have a good start. So we could not be more pleased,” Romain said. “We’re raising good amount of money for them, and I think it’s been very successful, and it’s going to grow from here.”
“We’re really pleased to bring world class golf to southwest Indiana, but really, at the end of the day, our organization is really focused on giving back,” Ryan added. “Early childhood education has always been an important part of the tournament success.”
The Korn Ferry Tour Championship will take place Sept. 29 through Oct. 6.