Tournament host Steve Stricker, fresh off his second consecutive senior major title, and two-time defending champion Jerry Kelly, as well as a star-studded field of other U.S. and international golf legends, highlight the 78-player field for next week’s 2023 American Family Insurance. The tournament field was announced today, subject to a final player to be determined following this weekend’s Principal Charity Classic and any player withdrawals prior to official play.
The annual PGA TOUR Champions stop at University Ridge golf course begins with first-round play next Friday, June 9. The second 18-hole round will be played on Saturday, with the final round on Sunday. Tickets remain available at amfamchampionship.com.
Including Stricker and Kelly, this year’s tournament will see returning players such as Fred Couples, David Duval, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Retief Goosen, Miguel Angel Jimenez, David Love III, the 2022 Presidents Cup captain and former major champion, Colin Montgomerie and Vijay Singh.
“We are proud to say that this year’s AmFam Champ will again feature an impressive field poised for another fantastic competition,” said Nate Pokrass, tournament director. “There’s not only hometown appeal with Steve and Jerry, we have an incredibly strong field featuring top competitors from around the world. We’re excited for this year’s field to compete on the beautiful and challenging University Ridge course and for the fans to experience another great tournament in Madison.”
Who’s playing in the 2023 American Family Insurance Championship?
All past winners of the AmFam Champ are back: 2022 defending champion Thongchai Jaidee, who made history last year as the first Thai player to win a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event, two-time winner Kelly (2021, 2019), Scott McCarron (2018), Fred Couples (2017) and Kirk Triplett, the inaugural champion (2016).
- Justin Leonard to make tournament debut: The former major winner (The Open Championship, 1997) and PLAYERS champion (1998) will be making his first appearance at University Ridge. Other first-time players include Steven Alker, Notah Begay III, K.J. Choi, another former PLAYERS champion, Brian Cooper, Richard Green, Mark Hensby, Timothy O’Neal and Charlie Wi.
- Stricker remains atop Charles Schwab Cup money list: Stricker’s playoff victory two weeks ago at the Senior PGA Championship, his sixth senior major title, keeps him atop the Charles Schwab Cup player rankings. He has three wins this year and 14 overall.
- Rounding out the top five player rankings behind Stricker are David Toms (2nd) with two wins this year, Steven Alker (3rd) with one victory in 2023, Stephen Ames (4th), a two-time winner so far this season, and Miguel Angel Jimenez (5th), who has 13 PGA TOUR Champions titles and 56 top five finishes since joining the tour in 2014.
- Seven players with multiple PGA TOUR Champions wins since the start of 2022: Stricker (seven), Alker (five), Kelly (three), Ames (two), Steve Flesch (two), Jimenez (three), Toms (two).
- Five members of the World Golf Hall of Fame: Couples, Goosen, Love III, Montgomerie, Singh.
- Five former No.1 players in the world: Couples, Duval, Els, Tom Lehman, Singh.
- Fifteen winners of the Masters, U.S. Open, The Open Championship or PGA Championship: Darren Clarke, Couples, John Daly, Duval, Els, Furyk, Goosen, Lee Janzen, Lehman, Leonard, Love III, Shaun Micheel, Larry Mize, Singh, Jeff Sluman.
- Five winners of the former Greater Milwaukee Open/U.S. Bank Championship: Carlos Franco, Jay Haas, Gary Hallberg, Billy Mayfair, Sluman.
- Eight recipients of the Payne Stewart Award, an honor presented annually by the PGA TOUR to a player who best exemplifies Stewart’s steadfast values of character, charity and sportsmanship: Billy Andrade (2022), Furyk (2016), Els (2015), Stricker (2012), Toms (2011), Lehman (2010), Davis Love III (2008), Haas (2004).
- Two Wisconsin natives who were among those who received invitational sponsor’s exemptions, Skip Kendall and Mario Tiziani. University of Illinois golf coach Mike Small will also play under a sponsor’s exemption.
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Media contact:
Janet Masters
American Family Insurance
[email protected]
608-438-4317
About the American Family Insurance Championship
The American Family Insurance Championship was created in 2016 by American Family Insurance, PGA TOUR Champions and PGA TOUR player and Wisconsin native Steve Stricker. Since its inception, the championship and associated events have raised nearly $15 million for the American Family Children’s Hospital and other charities. The 2023 championship will be held June 3-11 at the University Ridge Golf Course in Madison, Wisconsin. For more information: Web: amfamchampionship.com; Twitter: @AmFamChamp; Facebook: American Family Insurance Championship; Instagram: amfamchampionship. #AmFamChamp
About PGA TOUR Champions
PGA TOUR Champions is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older, including 34 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Tour’s 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, on Facebook, on Twitter (@ChampionsTour), on Instagram (@pgatourchampions) and on TikTok (pgatourchampions).
All events are televised in the United States, with most receiving complete coverage on Golf Channel, the exclusive cable-television partner of PGA TOUR Champions. Tournament programming is available via 25+ TV linear partners in 145+ countries and territories, with 25 channels carrying long-form and/or highlights coverage, and 200+ hours of live coverage distributed in 135+ countries and territories. Programming is also available via the OTT platform GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR in every market outside of the United States, excluding China and Korea, with live coverage distributed in 130+ countries and territories.
