Regions Tradition is back in Hoover this May

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Regions Tradition Hoover
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Mark your calendars.

From May 16-20, the PGA Tour Champions will be holding its first major championship of the year at the Regions Tradition in Hoover.

Played at the Founders Course at Greystone Golf and Country Club since 2016, the annual major championship is like the Masters on the PGA Tour. It is the only major championship on the PGA Tour Champions played at the same course each year.

The Regions Tradition stands out as one of five annual major championships on the PGA Tour Champions, a tour for professional golfers age 50 and older.

World Golf Hall of Fame participants

The 2018 edition of the Regions Tradition will have four members of the World Golf Hall of Fame participating, including two-time defending champion Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle, Colin Montgomerie and Fort Payne, Alabama native Larry Nelson.

Watch Larry Nelson set the course record and win the U.S. Open at the legendary Oakmont golf course shooting a 36 hole course record that still stands today.

Langer is aiming this year to be the first golfer to win The Tradition three consecutive years. Past repeat champions of the Tradition were the legendary Jack Nicklaus (he did it twice in 1990-91 and 1995-96), Gil Morgan and Tom Lehman. Last year, Langer won three major titles, including the Regions Tradition, to set the PGA Tour Champions career record. He also became the first golfer to win all five major championships on the PGA Tour Champions during his illustrious career.

Golf’s most popular golfers are back

Crowd favorites John Daly, Vijay Singh, Steve Stricker and Miguel Angel Jimenez are just a few of the elite and popular golfers who will be competing in Hoover.

Regions Tradition
Photo from Regions Tradition

The PGA Tour Champions has deep roots in the area beginning 26 years ago in 1992 with the inaugural Bruno’s Memorial Classic at Greystone. The tournament became the Regions Charity Classic from 2006-2010, with Regions Financial Corp. taking over as title sponsor, and was played at Ross Bridge on the Robert Trent Jones Trail.

After a successful five-year run at Shoal Creek, the Regions Tradition moved to Greystone Golf and Country Club in 2016.

“The Regions Tradition at Greystone is a terrific partnership,” said Gene Hallman, president and CEO of Bruno Event Team. “It’s a premier event on the PGA Tour Champions, featuring some of the biggest names in golf, at a premier venue. The quality of the field runs deep, and the community has a well-deserved reputation for hosting a great event with large crowds and tremendous enthusiasm.”

Most satisfying, Hallman said, is the tournament, dating to its inaugural run as the Bruno’s Memorial Classic, has raised more than $16 million for Alabama charities.

History in the making

The Regions Tradition at Greystone has become one of the most exciting major golf championships on the PGA Tour Champions. This year’s tournament offers a chance to witness history if Bernhard Langer can three-peat. Don’t miss a shot to see golf history in Hoover.

Regions Tradition
Photo from Regions Tradition

“These champions love the risk-reward opportunities at Greystone with three par-5s on the back nine,” said tournament director George Shaw of Bruno Event Team. “Some of the most dramatic moments happen on the par-5 18th hole, where the tournament can be won or lost on a single shot in front of the largest galleries.”

Before the professional golfers get down to business, the festivities kick off in earnest on Wednesday, May 16. The NCR Celebrity Pro-Am features Nick Saban, Gus Malzahn, Bo Jackson, Kirby Smart and other well-known names from the sports world and beyond taking a swing at the game of golf. There will be opportunities for autographs, and Paul Finebaum and the SEC Network will broadcast live from Greystone that day.

Purchase your tickets today for the NCR Celebrity Pro-Am and the Regions Tradition at RegionsTradition.com.

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Pat Byington
Pat Byington

Longtime conservationist. Former Executive Director at the Alabama Environmental Council and Wild South. Publisher of the Bama Environmental News for more than 18 years. Career highlights include playing an active role in the creation of Alabama's Forever Wild program, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Dugger Mountain Wilderness, preservation of special places throughout the East through the Wilderness Society and the strengthening (making more stringent) the state of Alabama's cancer risk and mercury standards.

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