Quicken Loans National to be Played at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in 2017

Tiger Woods

The Quicken Loans National will be played at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Potomac, Maryland, during the PGA TOUR’s 2016-17 season, officials from the TOUR, Tiger Woods Foundation and Quicken Loans announced on Oct 2.

This will mark the first PGA TOUR tournament TPC Potomac has held since 2006. Formerly known as TPC Avenel, the facility became the host venue for what then was known as the Kemper Open in 1987 and continued until the tournament’s final year in 2006. The golf course and clubhouse underwent a multi-million dollar renovation two years later.

“My foundation is deeply committed to the D.C. area with our three learning centers and Earl Woods Scholarship Program students,” Tiger Woods, two-time Quicken Loans National champion and Tiger Woods Foundation founder, said. “We are excited to take the Quicken Loans National to another top course in the area that will challenge our strong field.”

“We believe TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm will prove to be an outstanding test for the Quicken Loans National field in 2017,” Charlie Zink, Co-Chief Operating Officer for the PGA TOUR, said. “With the extensive work that was done in 2008, the players who competed there previously will find it to be a much different golf course and tournament facility. We very much look forward to bringing the Quicken Loans National to TPC Potomac in three years.”

The move to TPC Potomac will follow the Quicken Loans National being held at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, July 27-Aug. 2, 2015 and the 2016 tournament returning to Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. Congressional has played host to the Quicken Loans National for all but two years since the tournament’s inception in 2007. The exceptions were 2010 and 2011, when the tournament was held at Aronimink Golf Club in Newton Square, Pennsylvania, as Congressional made preparations for the 2011 U.S. Open.

“The Quicken Loans National is one of D.C.’s premier sporting events, bringing people from all over the country to enjoy a world-class tournament with the biggest names in golf,” Bill Emerson, CEO of Quicken Loans, said. “Our first year as title sponsor was tremendously successful, and the teams at Congressional and the Tiger Woods Foundation did a great job. Looking ahead to 2017, I have no doubt that the fine folks at TPC Potomac will host an amazing event for fans and players alike.”

Opened in 1986, the facility was renamed TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm at the time of the renovation. Numerous competitive and aesthetic changes were made to the golf course to make it more challenging for tournament play. This included significant modifications, re-shaping and enhancements to all 18 holes, featuring a complete re-design of holes 10, 11 and 13; lengthening of the course to 7,139 yards, with a new par-70 design; a new state-of-the-art irrigation system; an aesthetic and competitive design solution to storm water management issues on holes 4, 5, 6, 10, 11 and 12; the re-building of all bunkers, including the addition of some Scottish-style bunkering detail with tall fescue grasses; new green complexes and landscaping on all 18 holes; and an expansive new practice facility and short-game area.

“We are very excited to bring a PGA TOUR tournament back for the first time since the renovation,” TPC Potomac general manager Michael Sullivan said. “We’ve held two Web.com Tour tournaments and the Senior PLAYERS since the changes were made, plus a number of players have come over when they’ve been in town, and the feedback has been very positive. I believe the winning score for those three tournaments was around 8-under par, as opposed to 20-under in 2006. So I look forward to seeing how that compares in 2017.”

The Quicken Loans National raises funds and awareness for the Tiger Woods Foundation and local charities, while paying tribute to the armed forces. Justin Rose is the defending champion; past champions include K.J Choi, Anthony Kim, Nick Watney, Bill Haas and Woods.

The Tiger Woods Foundation currently operates three Tiger Woods Learning Centers in the Washington, D.C., area, in wards 6 and 7, and the Marine Corps Base at Quantico. Scholars in grades 5-12 are immersed in an interactive STEM curriculum at the learning centers and are exposed to college-access programs. Here, they make the connection between school and career, while planning a road map to college. In addition to the learning centers, there are 25 D.C. Tiger Woods Foundation Scholars from the Earl Woods Scholarship Program.

For more information on the Quicken Loans National, visit www.QLNational.com.

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