The American Family Insurance Championship will be back this summer. But there will be changes.
Ben Steele
The popular American Family Insurance Championship is coming back to University Ridge Golf Course this summer.
Just with more precautions and fewer celebrities.
The tournament, which was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will return June 11-13 in Madison. Tournament-related events begin June 5.
The PGA Tour Champions and American Family Insurance have developed a safety plan approved by UW-Madison, which runs University Ridge.
That plan includes:
- Up to 5,000 attendees allowed on the grounds, including players, caddies, fans, workers and volunteers.
- Spectators, staff and volunteers must wear face coverings unless actively eating or drinking.
- There will be no public bleachers. Fans should bring their own chairs and sit socially distanced from those not in your group.
- There will be limited concessions.
- Sanitation stations will be located throughout the grounds.
- The popular celebrity foursome tournament has been canceled. The event has included Brett Favre, Derek Jeter and Andy North over the last five years.
A tournament-related June 11 concert at Madison's Breese Stevens Field featuring The BoDeans and Little Big Town has also been canceled. All ticket holders will be contacted and given a refund.
The American Family Insurance Championship started in 2016. It has been a popular stop for PGA Tour Champions golfers and has earned the tour’s President’s Award for “demonstrating outstanding achievement for charitable giving, sales, attendance and economic impact."
Madison native Jerry Kelly won the 2019 event, which boasted 70,000 spectators.
“It’s exciting to have the American Family Insurance Championship back in action,” tournament player-host Steve Stricker said in a statement. “I know the players and I are looking forward to returning and competing in front of fans in Madison. But more importantly, the tournament will again give us the platform to raise money for charity and positively impact our community.”
Tickets for tournament play will be sold on a per-day basis. Fans who kept their tickets for the 2020 championship will be contacted about which day they want to attend.
Tickets will be available for purchase May 11 and can be obtained at amfamchampionship.com. There will be special admission opportunities for military personnel, first responders and children 18 and under.
Contact Ben Steele at (414) 224-2676 or bmsteele@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BenSteeleMJS or Instagram at @bensteele_mjs