Tournament News

August 27, 2026 – For Immediate Release

HOMETOWN FAVOURITE WIL BATEMAN RECEIVES SPONSOR’S EXEMPTION INTO 2026 ATB CLASSIC

Edmonton, AB — The ATB Classic presented by Building Trades of Alberta is pleased to announce that Edmonton’s Wil Bateman, the 2023 ATB Classic champion, has received a sponsor’s exemption to compete in the 2026 tournament, September 14–20 at Blackhawk Golf Club.

The ATB Classic will serve as the final full field event of the 2026 PGA TOUR Americas schedule, adding even more significance to Bateman’s return to a course that has played an important role throughout his golf career.

Bateman won the ATB Classic title in 2022 and went on to win the Fortinet Cup Tour Championship. Wil competed on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023 and 2024 finishing 68th and 54th in points. After being sidelined with a wrist injury at the beginning of 2025, Bateman is returning to competition and will have the opportunity to do so in familiar surroundings. Blackhawk is truly home for Bateman. He and his family joined Blackhawk and built a home on the golf course when it was established in 2003.

“I’m incredibly excited to have the opportunity to play the ATB Classic at Blackhawk Golf Club,” said Bateman. “It’s hard to put into words what this tournament means to me and my family. I used to run scorecards to scoring after 9 holes for the professionals at this event when I was 7 years old. To see everything come full circle, with the win in 2022, and now having the opportunity to play my home course in a professional tournament, its truly special. I can’t wait to get up to Canada to compete and see everyone. Thank you to Darcy for the invitation.”

Tournament organizers say Bateman’s return will provide local golf fans with another reason to attend the season-ending event.

“Wil has a special connection to the ATB Classic, to Blackhawk and to Edmonton golf,” said Darcy Enick, Executive Director, ATB Classic. “To welcome a past champion back as he returns from injury – and to have him competing in front of his hometown fans – is a great story for this year’s tournament.”

The 2026 ATB Classic presented by Building Trades of Alberta takes place September 14–20 at Blackhawk Golf Club, marking the final stop on the 2026 PGA TOUR Americas schedule in Canada. The season-ending event will be played October 15-18 in the Dominican Republic, where the top 10 players on the final PGA TOUR Americas Points List will earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for the 2027 season.

December 3, 2025 – For Immediate Release

PGA TOUR announces 2026 PGA TOUR Americas schedule

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – The PGA TOUR has announced the 2026 schedule for PGA TOUR Americas, a slate of 15 tournaments running April through October and spanning nine countries. The tour’s third season will conclude in the Dominican Republic with the PGA Oceans 4 Tour Championship presented by Scotiabank, where the top 10 players on the ﬁnal season-long points list will earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2027.

Since PGA TOUR Americas’ inaugural season in 2024, Johnny Keefer (2024) and Michael Brennan (2025) have ﬁnished No. 1 on the points list and continued on the pathway to the PGA TOUR. Keefer earned his PGA TOUR card for 2026 after ﬁnishing No. 1 on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour points list, while Brennan earned TOUR membership in the coming season by winning the Bank of Utah Championship this October.

“The quality of golf courses, sponsors and community support on PGA TOUR Americas continues to rise, and the result is a tour that is more competitive than ever,” said Alex Baldwin, president of PGA TOUR Americas and the Korn Ferry Tour. “We have 15 great tournaments on our 2026 schedule, and each one provides a chance for the future stars of the PGA TOUR to develop the skills needed to succeed at the next level, like Johnny Keefer and Michael Brennan.”

Michael Brennan wins ATB Classic, secures exempt Korn Ferry Tour membership through the 2026 season via Three-Victory Promotion

Michael Brennan – 2025 ATB Classic Champion

With his third win of the PGA TOUR Americas season Sunday at the ATB Classic, second-year pro Michael Brennan secured exempt Korn Ferry Tour membership through the 2026 season via the Three-Victory Promotion. Brennan, who carded a 4-under 68 in the final round at Northern Bear Golf Course, tops the Fortinet Cup with two events remaining in the season.

Derek Hitchner recorded his second consecutive runner-up finish and moves to No. 10 in the Fortinet Cup points list after finishing the week at 18-under.

“It’s everything. It was my goal to start the year when I knew I was playing out here. Just try to focus in the offseason and kind of grind and make sure I was prepared to get out here. It feels amazing,” Brennan said Sunday after the win, which marked his third victory in his last four starts.

Brennan’s promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour completes a redemption story that started last September at the Fortinet Cup Championship. On the back nine of the final Sunday of the 2024 season, Brennan was leading the tournament and projected to finish in the top 10 of the Fortinet Cup. After extending his lead with a birdie on No. 11 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, he played the next three holes in 7-over and eventually finished the tournament T3, resulting in an 18th-place finish in the Fortinet Cup.

Coming off a rookie campaign that included five top 10s in 10 starts, Brennan returned to PGA TOUR Americas and opened the 2025 season with back-to-back top-five finishes. In his 21st career start, he finally broke through with his first victory at the BioSteel Championship in August, and two starts later, he followed with a playoff victory at the CRMC Championship presented by Northern Pacific Center.

In 14 starts on PGA TOUR Americas this season, Brennan has three victories and 10 top 10s and has risen to No. 159 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He is in position to follow in the footsteps of Johnny Keefer, who was No. 219 in OWGR when he won the 2024 Fortinet Cup and has moved all the way up to No. 59, topping the Korn Ferry Tour points list.

Prior to turning pro in June 2024, Brennan was a two-time All-American at Wake Forest and earned PGA TOUR Americas membership by finishing No. 12 in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2024. He recorded eight collegiate victories, including a pair of ACC Championships, and finished with the fourth-best career scoring average (71.46) in Wake Forest history.

In addition to being exempt on Korn Ferry Tour next season, Brennan will be exempt into Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry as one of the top 10 players in the final Fortinet Cup standings.

Brennan is expected to be in the field at the Times Colonist Victoria Open presented by Andrew Sheret Limited, which will be contested at Uplands Golf Club from Sept. 18-21 in Victoria, British Columbia.

About Michael Brennan (first/-19)

Third win comes at the age of 23 years, 7 months and 5 days
Secures exempt membership on the Korn Ferry Tour for the 2026 season, after winning his third event in his last four starts
Will play in the final group for the fourth time in his career and third time in the last four events
Carded an 11-under 61 in the first round, breaking the course record at Northern Bear Golf Course by two strokes
Won his second career PGA TOUR Americas event at the CRMC Championship presented by Northern Pacific Center at the age of 23 years, 6 months and 23 days after overcoming a four-stroke deficit in the final round
Won his first title at the BioSteel Championship, where he coasted to a five-stroke win, the largest margin on PGA TOUR Americas since 2024; became the first wire-to-wire winner of the season
Has the most top-10 finishes of the 2025 season with nine; Brennan has finished in the top 10 14 times in 23 career starts on PGA TOUR Americas, 12 of which have come in his last 17 starts dating back to the 2024 season
Finished as the No. 12 player in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2024 to earn PGA TOUR Americas membership
Tied for third in Wake Forest program history with Curtis Strange with eight individual titles: Brennan only trails Bill Haas (10) and Gary Hallberg (9)
Earned co-medalist honors at the 2024 ACC Championships and earned All-ACC honors four times during his time with the Demon Deacons
Won the Middle Atlantic Amateur Championship in 2017, 2018 and 2019
Won the 2019 Virginia State Amateur Championship

Competition notes

Course setup: Par 72, 7,352 yards; R4 average: 71.000
Weather: Sunny with a high of 23 (75). Wind from the southeast at 6-14 km/h with gusts up to 24 km/h.

Fortinet Cup No. 1 Michael Brennan won his third event of the season at the ATB Classic, to earn exempt membership on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2026. Brennan’s first two wins came at the BioSteel Championship and CRMC Championship presented by Northern Pacific Center.
Derek Hitchner moved inside the top 10 of the Fortinet Cup for the first time this season to No. 10, after his second consecutive runner-up finish.
Hole No. 15, the 579-yard par 5 played as the easiest hole at Northern Bear Golf Course on Sunday (-0.639 strokes over par).
Hole No. 11, the 447-yard par 4, played as the toughest hole at Northern Bear Golf Course on Sunday (+0.491 strokes over par).

December 3, 2025 – For Immediate Release

Building Trades of Alberta Named Presenting Sponsor of the ATB Classic in support of Alberta Dreams

Edmonton, AB — As part of today’s PGA TOUR Americas schedule release, the ATB Classic is proud to announce the Building Trades of Alberta (BTA) as the presenting sponsor of the 2026 and 2027 editions of the ATB Classic. The tournament will rotate between two of Alberta’s premier championship venues: Blackhawk Golf Club in Edmonton will host the 2026 tournament, September 17-20, and the 2027 event will be played at Mickelson National Golf Club in Calgary.

The new partnership highlights BTA’s commitment to supporting Alberta communities, developing future opportunities for workers across the province, and investing in events that bring Albertans together.

“We’re proud to partner with the ATB Classic as presenting sponsor,” said Terry Parker, Executive Director of the Building Trades of Alberta. “This tournament not only showcases world-class golf, but it also creates social and economic benefits for the province. At BTA, we bring world-class skills and collaborative partnerships to Alberta job sites every day. So being part of an event that highlights exceptional skill and builds community reflects the values of the BTA and our 18 Affiliate unions.”

Alberta Dreams Announced as Official Charity Partner

The ATB Classic is also pleased to announce Alberta Dreams as the tournament’s official charity partner. Alberta Dreams is dedicated to granting meaningful wishes and experiences for children in Alberta facing severe, life-altering medical conditions.

Michael Brennan wins ATB Classic, secures exempt Korn Ferry Tour membership through the 2026 season via Three-Victory Promotion