TOURNAMENT ALSO WELCOMES COMMITMENTS FROM TWO-TIME\u00a0CHARLES SCHWAB CUP CHAMPION STEVEN ALKER AND TOUR VETERAN GLEN DAY<\/p>\n
Special events and fan destinations highlight exciting 2026 tournament week<\/em><\/p>\n ALLENTOWN, Penn<\/strong>. \u2013 Tournament officials announced today that the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic presented by Sodexo has accepted the entries of Miguel Angel Jim\u00e9nez, Retief Goosen, and Darren Clarke to compete in the inaugural edition of the official PGA Tour Champions event taking place the week of September 28 to October 4, 2026, at Lehigh Country Club in Allentown, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n Joining Jim\u00e9nez, Goosen, and Clarke in this year\u2019s field are two-time Charles Schwab Cup champion Steven Alker and PGA Tour Champions veteran Glen Day.<\/p>\n Tickets for the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic can be purchased by visiting the tournament website (jeffersonclassic.com<\/a>). The tournament is open to spectators from Thursday (October 1) to Sunday (October 4) and ticket prices start at $15. Youth 17 and under receive free grounds access with a ticketed adult. For a complete listing of ticket options please CLICK HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jim\u00e9nez<\/strong>, 62, has established himself as one of the most accomplished players in PGA Tour Champions history since joining the senior circuit in 2014. The Spaniard is the owner of 17 PGA Tour Champions titles, including four wins during a career-best 2025 season highlighted by victories at the Trophy Hassan II, Hoag Classic, Principal Charity Classic and the Kaulig Companies Championship for his third senior major title. Jim\u00e9nez has continued to excel in 2026, recording 14 top-25 finishes, including eight top 10s, a runner-up finish at the Boeing Classic and top-10 performances at the U.S. Senior Open, Senior PGA Championship and Kaulig Companies Championship. A four-time Ryder Cup player, Jim\u00e9nez has 21 international victories and is known as one of the game\u2019s most colorful and enduring personalities.<\/p>\n Goosen<\/strong>, 57, joined PGA Tour Champions in 2019 and grabbed his first title and first senior major in just his 12th start at the SENIOR PLAYERS Championship. The two-time U.S. Open champion is currently ranked No. 5 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings on the strength of eight top\u201310 finishes this season, including his fifth career PGA Tour Champions title at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic. The South African has recorded a victory in each of the past three seasons.<\/p>\n Clarke<\/strong>, 58, has collected six PGA Tour Champions wins, including the Senior Open Championship in 2022 and his most recent title at the 2026 American Family Insurance Championship with partner Ben Crane. Clarke, a member of five Ryder Cup teams, served as European captain in 2016. The Northern Irishman is currently ranked No. 10 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings on the strength of 11 top-25 finishes over 17 events played this season, including five inside the top-10. During his time on the PGA Tour, Clarke collected three wins, most notably the 2011 Open.<\/p>\n Alker<\/strong>\u00a0, 55, made his PGA Tour Champions debut in 2021 and recorded the first of his 13 senior wins in his ninth start that season at the TimberTech Championship. He has earned at least one victory each year since, including four wins in 2022\u23afthe Senior PGA Championship counted among them\u23afand his first Charles Schwab Cup title. The New Zealand native won a second Schwab Cup trophy in 2024. Alker is currently ranked No. 4 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings with eight top 10s, counting three wins, including the past two weeks at the Rogers Charity Classic and The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren.<\/p>\n Day<\/strong>, 60, joined PGA Tour Champions in 2016 following a solid PGA Tour career that included a win and four runner-up finishes. The Little Rock, Arkansas resident has established himself as a consistent competitor on the senior circuit. His PGA Tour Champions resume includes 76 top-25 finishes, with 26 inside the top 10, and three runner-up efforts. He has enjoyed success when the lights are the brightest, with 12 top-25 finishes in senior majors.<\/p>\n The Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic will not only feature world-class competition, but fans will also be treated to a full slate of events and activities taking place at the tournament through Sunday\u2019s final round.<\/p>\n The Official Tournament Pro-Ams<\/em><\/strong> (Wednesday and Thursday) pair amateur foursomes with a PGA Tour Champions\u00a0professional in a fun team competition format. The Pro-Ams not only provide an incredibly memorable and entertaining time for the participants, but also a way for fans on Thursday to get a unique viewing experience of their favorite players.<\/p>\n The tournament\u2019s Junior Clinic presented by Lower Macungie Township<\/em><\/strong> will take place on Thursday, October 1 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the driving range at Lehigh Country Club. The free event is open to all kids 4-17 years old and includes golf instruction and activities with complimentary Rita\u2019s Italian Ice, snacks, face painting, a balloon artist and more.<\/p>\n Folds of Honor Friday <\/em><\/strong>brings the National Anthem to golf and recognizes the commitment and sacrifice of military service members and first responders who guard our freedoms and protect our communities. Join the tournament for a special opening ceremony on Friday and all are encouraged to wear red, white and blue on Friday as an outward display of unity and an inward commitment to meeting sacrifice with hope for the families of America\u2019s fallen or disabled military and first responders. The day is a perfect complement to the tournament\u2019s military initiatives, including complimentary admission to members of the United States Armed Forces (active duty, National Guard, Reserve, and retirees), veterans, and first responders. U.S. Armed Forces, veteran, and first responder admission to the tournament also includes access to the Patriots Outpost presented by J&M Fairbanks Family Foundation located at the ninth green Thursday \u2013 Sunday.<\/p>\n First Tee and B. Braun will host the Saturday Youth Putting Competition<\/em><\/strong>, a special all-day event within the Kids Zone. Young golfers will have the opportunity to test their skills and participate in a fun, interactive challenge. Throughout the day, First Tee\u00a0Lehigh Valley and Berks\u00a0will also conduct random prize raffles, giving participants the chance to win exciting giveaways.<\/p>\n The Trophy Ceremony <\/em><\/strong>celebrates the end of a wonderful week with speeches from the winner, as well as the tournament\u2019s key sponsor, and \u2013 of course \u2013 the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic presented by Sodexo trophy being officially awarded to the tournament\u2019s inaugural champion. The Closing Ceremony will be held immediately following the conclusion of play on the 18th<\/sup> green.<\/p>\n 2026 FAN DESTINATIONS AT THE JEFFERSON LEHIGH VALLEY CLASSIC PRESENTED BY SODEXO<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Visit jeffersonclassic.com<\/a> for additional information about the tournament\u2019s fan destinations, including daily hours of operation.<\/p>\n The Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic presented by Sodexo is a Regular Season PGA Tour Champions event in 2026, which will give way to the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs\u23afa season-ending, three-tournament series that concludes with the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix, Arizona, used to determine the Tour\u2019s season-long champion. The 2026 PGA TOUR Champions schedule features 28 events, with players competing for more than $70 million in total prize money, the highest in PGA Tour Champions\u2019 46-season history.<\/p>\n All three rounds of the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic will be televised on GOLF Channel, the exclusive cable-television partner of PGA Tour Champions. Internationally, PGA Tour Champions coverage is available in more than 170 countries and territories via 22 media partners.<\/p>\n Tournament proceeds will benefit local charities in Northeastern Pennsylvania and throughout the greater Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley regions, including the primary beneficiaries of the inaugural tournament, Eagles Autism Foundation, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, and Valley Youth House.<\/p>\n For more information about the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic, including sponsorships, hospitality, Pro-Am, and volunteer opportunities, visit the tournament website at jeffersonclassic.com<\/a>. For the latest news and updates on social media, follow the tournament on X at @JeffLVClassic, on Instagram at @jeffersonlvclassic, and on Facebook at JeffersonLVClassic.<\/p>\n About Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic<\/strong><\/p>\n The Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic is an official event on the PGA Tour Champions operated by Tournaments for Charity, a Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation. This 54-hole stroke play golf tournament features 78 PGA Tour Champions professionals competing for a $2.3 million purse at the historic Lehigh Country Club in Allentown, Pa. The event is designed to showcase the best golf on the PGA Tour Champions for the enjoyment of spectators and to benefit local charities throughout the greater Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley regions and Northeastern Pennsylvania. All three official rounds will be internationally televised on GOLF Channel.<\/p>\n For more information about the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic, please visit jeffersonclassic.com<\/a>. For the latest tournament news and updates on social media, follow the Jefferson Lehigh Classic on X, Instagram, and Facebook at @jeffersonclassic.com.<\/p>\n About Jefferson<\/strong><\/p>\n Jefferson is reimagining health care and higher education to create unparalleled value throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. More than 65,000 people strong, Jefferson is dedicated to providing high-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; making our communities healthier and stronger; preparing tomorrow’s professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic\/programmatic, clinical and applied research.\u00a0Thomas Jefferson University<\/strong><\/a>, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Nursing, and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and three schools offering 200+ undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,300 students.\u00a0Jefferson Health<\/strong><\/a>, nationally ranked as one of the top 15 not-for-profit healthcare systems in the country and the largest provider in the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley areas, serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 33 hospital campuses and more than 700 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region.\u00a0Jefferson Health Plans<\/strong><\/a>, through Health Partners Plans Inc., is a not-for-profit managed healthcare organization offering a broad range of health coverage options to more than 370,000 members for more than 40 years.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n About Sodexo North America<\/strong><\/p>\n Sodexo North America is a division of Sodexo Group, a global Fortune 500 company operating in 45 countries and a leading provider of sustainable food and integrated facilities management in all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam, at every moment in life: learn, work, heal and play.<\/p>\n Across the U.S., the company employs over 100,000 people and indirectly supports tens of thousands of additional jobs by annually purchasing goods and services from a wide range of small to large businesses.<\/p>\n Sodexo North America is committed to meeting the challenges of everyday life with a dual goal: to improve the quality of life of our employees and those we serve, and to contribute to the economic, social and environmental progress in the communities where we operate. Our purpose is to create a better every day for everyone to build a better life for all.<\/p>\n About PGA Tour Champions<\/strong><\/p>\n PGA Tour Champions is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older, including 35 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Tour\u2019s mission is to provide financial opportunities for its players, entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back and generate significant charitable and economic impact in tournament communities. Follow PGA Tour Champions online at PGATour.com<\/a>, on Facebook<\/a>, on Twitter<\/a> (@ChampionsTour), on Instagram<\/a> (@pgatourchampions) and on TikTok<\/a> (pgatourchampions).<\/p>\n All events are televised in the United States on Golf Channel, the exclusive cable-television partner of PGA Tour Champions. Internationally, PGA Tour Champions coverage is available in more than 170 countries and territories via 20 broadcast partners.<\/p>\n About HNS Sports Group<\/strong><\/p>\n HNS Sports Group is well positioned to assist companies that find value in the golf industry and build and execute comprehensive golf branding or sponsorship strategies. Effectively understanding the golf marketplace today is a significant challenge, and the HNS Sports Group team possesses over 150 years of collective experience that is applied to lead companies in their efforts to maximize value from golf sponsorship and event participation. To learn more about HNS Sports Group, visit www.hnssports.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Information provided to TVL by: TOURNAMENT ALSO WELCOMES COMMITMENTS FROM TWO-TIME\u00a0CHARLES SCHWAB CUP CHAMPION STEVEN ALKER AND TOUR VETERAN GLEN DAY Special events and fan destinations highlight exciting 2026 tournament week ALLENTOWN, Penn. \u2013 Tournament officials announced today that the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic presented by Sodexo has accepted the entries of Miguel Angel Jim\u00e9nez, Retief Goosen, and Darren Clarke … Continue reading Fan favorite Miguel Angel Jim\u00e9nez with major champions Retief Goosen and Darren Clarke join world-class field at the inaugural Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic presented by Sodexo<\/span> \n
\nFeaturing\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
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\nThomas P. Sprouse<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"