ATB announces new home for the ATB Classic
STRATHCONA COUNTY, AB – The third stop on the PGA TOUR Canada schedule is the ATB Classic, which will be played at Northern Bear Golf Course, June 26-July 2, 2023. This will be the first of three years that Northern Bear will host the event.
“Northern Bear has always been regarded as a high-quality, strong venue, and we are ecstatic about our three-year partnership,” said Scott Pritchard, PGA TOUR Canada Executive Director. “A hallmark of the Tour since its inception is the excellence of the golf courses where we contest our tournaments. Northern Bear is another in a long line of PGA TOUR Canada golf courses that I know the players will love for both the challenge it presents and its beauty.”
ATB has been a long-standing supporter of professional golf in Alberta for 25-plus years, and this year marks the 16th year as title sponsor of the ATB Classic.
“ATB Financial is excited to welcome PGA TOUR Canada to Strathcona County to celebrate the seven-day event with our clients and community partners from across the province,” said Curtis Stange, President & CEO, ATB Financial. “Northern Bear is going to be a great test for the professionals as they battle it out for the ATB Classic title and the coveted Fortinet Cup points.”
Northern Bear Golf Course is a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course located just 30 minutes away from downtown Edmonton in Strathcona County. The 7,400-yard course is only the fifth Canadian course to be built by Nicklaus Design, and with its tight, tree-lined fairways, strategically placed bunkers and greens situated around five lakes located on the property, it will be a great challenge for the PGA TOUR Canada professionals.
“Northern Bear is extremely excited to be hosting the ATB Classic for the next three years” said Blair McDowell, General Manager of Northern Bear Golf Club. “The golf course is considered one of the best layouts in Western Canada and will challenge the players in all aspects of their games. Edmonton is a great sports town, and people are passionate about the game of golf. We can’t wait to be a part of a wonderful event that support junior and professional golf.”
The beneficiary from this year’s event is Alberta Golf and the net proceeds will support Youth on Course, which provides youth ages 6-18 affordable, life-changing opportunities through golf. Youth on Course members have access to golf for $5 or less at more than 20 participating courses in Alberta.
“This is the fifth year for Youth on Course in Alberta, and this funding from the ATB Classic is crucial in keeping this popular initiative viable going forward,” said Alberta Golf’s Communication Director Kevin Smith. “It’s amazing to see Northern Bear and other Alberta courses join together for the 2023 season to break down cost barriers and allow all youth in our province to discover golf.”
In 2022, the tournament launched the MJT Future Stars Invitational presented by ATB, and it was deemed a huge success. The event is back for 2023 and will be held June 23-24 leading into the ATB Classic tournament week. The Invitational will see 18 of the best juniors from across Canada participate in a 36-hole, stroke play event at Northern Bear Golf Course. The winner of the Invitational will receive an exemption to play in the ATB Classic.
“The MJT is privileged to partner with ATB, Northern Bear and PGA TOUR Canada to once again offer this unique experience to Canadian junior golfers,” said Trent Matson, National Operations Director, Maple Leaf Junior Tour. “The opportunity to experience competition at this level is the first step in their pursuit of playing professional golf.”
The ATB Classic will require approximately 300 volunteers and 50 caddies for the event. To register, or for more information, please visit www.atbclassic.com.
About PGA TOUR Canada
PGA TOUR Canada is professional golf tour that offers a series of tournaments played across Canada each summer, where tomorrow’s stars begin the path to the PGA TOUR. The leading five money winners at the end of each season earn status on the Korn Ferry Tour for the following year. The Tour’s alumni include 54 PGA TOUR players and more than 300 Korn Ferry Tour players since 2013. The PGA Tour Canada’s mission is to deliver a PGA TOUR experience for its members, fans, volunteers and partners in order to develop the future stars of professional golf and enrich the communities it visits.
About Alberta Golf
Alberta Golf is the provincial governing body of golf in Alberta, a not-for-profit organization comprised of 50,000 members. We work collaboratively with Golf Canada, the National Sport Organization, to ensure golf remains the number one recreational activity in Canada. We preserve the integrity of the game of golf at more than two hundred golf courses in the province and promote the sport for enjoyment by all golfers.
About the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour
The non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour is Canada’s No. 1-played junior golf tour as well as the only national junior tour run exclusively by PGA of Canada professionals and is the ‘Road to College Golf’ in Canada. The organization is supported by valued Premier, Tournament and Product Partners. The MJT hosts 100 events across Canada, including free Ford Go Golf Junior Clinics, the MJT Mini Tour for 12-and-under players and multi-day events for competitive players aged 11-19, which also offer qualifiers for international tournaments. The program has annual awards, scholarships and incentives to help reward performance and participation throughout each season. MJT alumni include many professional tour players and PGA of Canada professionals, as well as Canadian amateur, national and provincial junior champions. The MJT aims to develop champions, in golf and in life, promoting the game from grassroots through the provincial, national, university and professional levels.
