Pro Classic Unveils Marquee Player Senior Event Moves To Indian Canyon While Luring Its First Legendary Golfer

Through its infancy, the Senior PGA Pro Classic has flourished despite organizers’ inability to land a true marquee celebrity player.

They’ve got him this year, though, as Gary Player has agreed to be among the 20 Senior Tour pros competing in the Labor Day event.

Also, tournament director Toby Steward announced Thursday that the site of the Pro Classic has shifted from MeadowWood to Indian Canyon.

The genial Player, who has enjoyed world-wide popularity for decades, has won 21 PGA Tour events and 18 Senior Tour events. His nine titles in major tournaments include three Masters, three British Opens, two PGAs and one U.S. Open.

“All along, we’ve wanted to bring in one of the true legends of golf,” Steward said at a press conference at the Indian Canyon clubhouse. “I think most people are well aware of Gary’s credentials, but the one thing about Gary is he’s probably one of the best ambassadors for the game of golf there is.”

Since other contracts have not been finalized, Steward could not list the other 19 pros who will compete.

Once again, the event will feature a $10,000 nine-hole shootout in the morning, a kids clinic, a clinic by trick-shot specialist Bob Brue, and an 18-hole pro-am competition.

Also, Player will conduct a short-game clinic.

Gallery tickets are $10, with youths 12 and under admitted free.

The move to Indian Canyon is not without complications.

The Canyon is a revered course that has been nationally recognized, but whose tight and hilly layout might in some ways restrict spectator mobility.

“The one nice thing to keep in consideration is that they only play nine holes (in the shootout), so we can choose the nine best to accommodate the gallery and the nine that have the best viewing areas,” Indian Canyon pro Gary Lindeblad said. “It’s really pretty easy and some will accommodate more than you might think.”

In two years, the Pro Classic attendance has swelled from 4,500 to 10,700, Steward said.

He expects the appeal of Indian Canyon to only enhance the draw.

“If you look out this window, you’ll know one of the reasons why we’re bringing this to Indian Canyon,” Steward said, gesturing to a panoramic view off the clubhouse deck. “It’s a beautiful, magnificent site.”

Steward said some pros have told him that the goal of turning this event into a fullfledged Senior Tour stop would be more attainable with Indian Canyon as the site.

Some changes have to be made, though. Limited on-site parking will require considerably more shuttling of spectators from remote lots.

Also, Pro Classic organizers have agreed to make some improvements to the Canyon’s parking lot.

“The changes they’re doing up here are changes that are needed,” Lindeblad said. “The parking lot thing is something I’ve wanted to get done for a long time.”

City golf manager Mike Stone said event organizers will rent the course at a rate that will offset the loss of public play that day, or provide course improvements in lieu of that pay.

“We’re going to have to kind of play it by ear the first year; this is our first event of this nature here,” Stone said. “Certainly, for the spectators, this course is going to be more difficult to walk than MeadowWood, and if we’re going to have a thousand people following Gary Player for 18 holes, then we’ve got a lot of work we’re going to have to do.”

MeadowWood’s spacious layout easily accommodated the crowds the event drew the first two years.

Mike Kingsley, county golf manager, said he had not been officially notified that the event was not going to be held at MeadowWood again this year.

“It was a great event for the community and we were glad to host it,” Kingsley said. “MeadowWood is a nice site and we like to showcase that, but Labor Day weekend is a tough one (to surrender) because it’s a big revenue producer and it’s hard to give that away. That’s the only sour part of it for us.

“But we were glad to be a part of helping it grow and we hope it does end up to be a tour stop.”

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