JACKSON TOWNSHIP, N.J., Aug. 14, 2023 – Tournament officials announced the five players who have accepted sponsor exemptions to compete this week in the inaugural Magnit Championship, a new Korn Ferry Tour event taking place at Metedeconk National Golf Club in Jackson Township, N.J, Aug. 17-20.
The Magnit Championship marks the Korn Ferry Tour’s return to New Jersey for the first time in more than 25 years, and will be the final opportunity for players to qualify for the Korn Ferry Tour Finals and to earn PGA TOUR status for 2024.
The five sponsor exemptions are:
• Cole Hammer. Former world’s top-ranked amateur and three-time All-American from the University of Texas, Hammer turned professional in 2022 and is competing on conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023. His best finishes as a professional to date include T5 at the 2022 RSM Classic on the PGA TOUR and T7 at the 2022 Memorial Health Championship. He has made four cuts on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023 with a top-finish of T21 at the Veritex Bank Championship in April.
• Jamie Lovemark. Former world’s top-ranked amateur and a two-time Korn Ferry Tour winner (2010 Mexico Open and 2013 Midwest Classic) who is looking to return to form and regain full status on the Korn Ferry Tour. Lovemark has made five cuts in seven starts on the Korn Ferry Tour during the 2023 season, highlighted by a T10 finish at the Utah Championship.
• James Nicholas. A New York native (Scarsdale, N.Y.) and two-time Ivy League Player of the Year at Yale University (2018-2019), Nicholas turned professional following graduation, competing on the Korn Ferry Tour from 2020-2022, highlighted by a T11 finish at the 2021 Price Cutter Charity Championship. The Magnit Championship will be his second Korn Ferry Tour start in 2023.
• Keller Harper. Former three-time Southern Conference Player of the Year at Furman University (2018-2021). Turned professional after graduation and earned conditional status for the Korn Ferry Tour season in 2022. The Magnit Championship will be his first Korn Ferry Tour start for the 2023 season.
• Jack Wall (amateur). A fifth-year senior at Texas Tech University and a Brielle, N.J. resident, Wall captured the 122nd New Jersey State Amateur Championship in a three hole playoff at his home course of Manasquan River Golf Club. He made his PGA TOUR debut in February at the Genesis Invitational after winning the Collegiate Showcase in a playoff. A home game for Wall, the Magnit Championship will be his Korn Ferry Tour debut.
The final eight spots will be determined today via the Monday Qualifier at Fairmont Country Club in Chatham, N.J. Live leaderboard: Monday Qualifier Leaderboard.
They will join an elite field of 156 players competing in the 72-hole championship Thursday Sunday, Aug. 17-20, competing for a share of the $1 million purse. The field includes multiple Korn Ferry Tour winners, former collegiate standouts, New Jersey residents and future stars of the PGA Tour.
Eight of the top-10 players on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List will compete this week, including multiple Korn Ferry Tour winner Ben Kohles (2), Rico Hoey (3), Alejandro Tosti (4), Pierceson Coody (5), David Skinns (6), Adrien Dumont de Chassart (7), Max Greyserman (9) and Nicholas Lindheim (10). Overall, 26 of the top-30 and 94 of the top-100 players on the Points List are entered into the championship.
The field features several New Jersey residents and natives as early commitments, including former Rutgers All-American and Nicklaus/Haskins Award winner Chris Gotterup (Little Silver, N.J.); Greyserman (Short Hills, N.J), David Kocher (Morristown, N.J.), Ryan McCormick (Middletown, N.J.) and Wall (Brielle, N.J.).
The field also includes:
• 16 of 19 winners during the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour season.
• Four players who are #TOURBound for 2024 (Kohles, Hoey, Coody, Tosti). • Seven 2023 Golf Coaches Association of America All-Americans
• Six members of the 2021 United States Walker Cup team.
Following the conclusion of the Magnit Championship, the top 156 players on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List will advance to the four-tournament Korn Ferry Tour Finals, where 30 PGA TOUR cards will be awarded at the conclusion based on the Points List.
Tickets are now on sale for the Magnit Championship at www.magnitchampionship.com, including hospitality and general admissions tickets offering a wide degree of entertainment and access. All 2023 tournament tickets will be completely digital and will be emailed after purchase. Tickets can be viewed either on a mobile device or printed out where they will be scanned at the admissions gate.
All military personnel (active, retired, reserve and veteran) and first responders (police, fire, EMS) will receive complimentary admission to the 2023 Magnit Championship. Tickets will be available at the main admissions tent during tournament week by showing proper identification. Children 17 years of age and younger will also be admitted free into the tournament with a paid adult.
There are three ticket options for fans interested in attending the 2023 Magnit Championship:
• Clubhouse Patio Hospitality
o The best ticket available to purchase, available Thursday-Sunday, Aug. 17-20. Access to Metedeconk National Golf Club grounds, open air MNGC back patio, upgraded restrooms and all-inclusive food and beverage each day (breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and limited open bar).
o For every two (2) daily or weekly Clubhouse Patio Hospitality Tickets purchased, receive one on-site valet parking pass.
o Daily: $350
o Weekly: $1400
• Daily Grounds:
o General admission daily grounds, valid Thursday-Sunday, Aug. 17-20 (tournament rounds).
o $25 per day. Includes general admission to the Metedeconk National Golf Club grounds, golf shop and general concessions.
• Weekly Grounds
o General admission weekly grounds, valid Thursday-Sunday, Aug. 17-20 o $75 for tournament week. Includes general admission to the Metedeconk National Golf Club grounds, golf shop and general concessions.
The inaugural Magnit Championship marks the Korn Ferry Tour’s first event in New Jersey since the 1997 Laurel Creek Classic, which was played at Laurel Creek Country Club and won by six time Korn Ferry Tour winner Matt Gogel.
Metedeconk National Golf Club, which originally opened in 1987, is located in the upper region of the New Jersey Pinelands and is routed through the local marsh and lowland pine forest. Metedeconk National Golf Club is a private, 27-hole facility, which was designed by world renowned golf course architects Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and Roger Rulewich. The Club was created as a golfing oasis, a departure from the hustle and bustle of New York City and Philadelphia, each of which is within a one-hour drive from the Club. Natural use of the terrain coupled with the natural beauty of the 607-acre facility, has created a special golfing environment, with focus solely resting on golf. Conditioning and course layout are second to none in the Metropolitan area, making Metedeconk synonymous with visual intimidation and pristine conditions.
For more information on the Magnit Championship, visit www.magnitchampionship.com, as well as on social media at @MagnitChamp on Twitter and @MagnitChamp on Instagram.
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About Korn Ferry Tour
Founded (1990), owned and operated by the PGA TOUR, the Korn Ferry Tour identifies and develops golf's next stars, preparing them to compete and win on the game's biggest stage. The Korn Ferry Tour, which has served as a path to the PGA TOUR since its inception, will award 30 PGA TOUR cards based off its points list in 2023, with the No. 1 player earning exemptions into the following year’s PLAYERS Championship and U.S. Open. With more than 600 PGA TOUR titles, 28 major championships and six FedExCup champions, Korn Ferry Tour alumni make up 88 percent of the PGA TOUR’s current membership. To learn more about the PGA TOUR, the Korn Ferry Tour and to follow the season-long quest for a PGA TOUR card, visit PGATOUR.COM or follow the Korn Ferry Tour on social media.
Six Korn Ferry Tour events are televised annually on GOLF Channel in the United States, with tournament programming also available via 22 linear TV partners in 170-plus countries and territories. Over 70 hours of live coverage is available in 130-plus countries and territories. Programming is also available via the OTT platform GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR in every market outside of the United States (240-plus countries and territories), excluding China, Korea and Russia, with live coverage distributed in 130-plus countries and territories.
Media Contact:
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Magnit Championship
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