UNC Health Championship presented by STITCH to Bring Professional Golf to Raleigh in June
Major enhancements are planned, including new location and elevated spectator experience
RALEIGH, N.C. – Feb. 2, 2023 – Mark your calendars: The inaugural UNC Health Championship presented by STITCH will tee off June 1-4, 2023.
The Triangle region’s most popular professional golf tournament, previously known as the Rex Hospital Open, will mark 2023 with a new name and a new location. The event will feature 156 pro golfers competing at the prestigious Raleigh Country Club. Another first: The total purse will increase to $1 million.
The tournament is now recruiting volunteers for a wide range of key roles, including scorers, marshals and much more. Visit unchealthchampionship.com for more details.
The UNC Health Championship is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Raleigh’s Empire Eats Restaurants for public concessions and hospitality catering. Guests will be treated to menu favorites from The Pit, Raleigh Times, Gravy and Sitti. This exciting partnership will elevate the culinary and overall event experience for spectators and sponsors.
The 2023 UNC Health Championship will be an important stop on the Korn Ferry Tour, where top professional golfers compete for a chance to play on the PGA Tour. UNC Health will again offer one of its title sponsor exemptions to the top-ranked player in the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) Collegiate Ranking.
“UNC Health is proud to build on the important legacy of the Rex Hospital Open by serving as title sponsor for the UNC Health Championship presented by STITCH, connecting with our community and making a difference in the lives of children and families here in the Triangle and across the state,” said Dr. Wesley Burks, CEO of UNC Health.
The 2023 UNC Health Championship will support UNC Children’s Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health programs. UNC Health’s vision is to expand access to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry services throughout all 100 counties in North Carolina, educate the next generation of pediatric behavioral health clinicians, and establish new, cutting-edge inpatient and outpatient clinical programs, including virtual care. The goal is to dramatically improve outcomes for children and adolescents with behavioral health conditions and accelerate pediatric research and discovery.
The Tournament Chairs of the 2023 UNC Health Championship are Tracy Leinbach and Scott Duckworth. Leinbach has spent over 20 years serving in diverse senior operational and financial management positions with Ryder, a global transportation, logistics and supply chain company. She is also a board member of UNC Health. Duckworth is Regional President for Brasfield & Gorrie, a Birmingham, Ala.-based general contracting, construction management, and design and build service provider that has locations through the Southeast. He is a Raleigh Country Club member. Both chairs are avid golfers and will help attract other sponsors and fans.
The tournament’s first-ever presenting sponsor is Apex-based STITCH Golf, a premium brand that makes golf bags, luggage, head covers, accessories and apparel. This partnership helps elevate the event and a three-year agreement demonstrates their commitment to our community.
“It was an honor to serve as three-time chairman of the Rex Hospital Open and we are excited to become the presenting sponsor of the UNC Health Championship,” said STITCH CEO Brad King. “Our new tournament home at Raleigh Country Club is going to offer an amazing fan experience. This is going to be an event that everyone in Raleigh and surrounding areas will not want to miss.”
The UNC Health Championship will offer golf fans the opportunity to watch world-class players compete on one of North Carolina’s top courses, Raleigh Country Club. Designed by renowned architect Donald Ross and operated by McConnell Golf, this new championship course offers expansive views and unobstructed access.
Spectator seating areas include bleachers on the driving range and holes Nos. 6, 17 and 18. A double-decker viewing platform on hole No. 14 offers clear views of the greens on Nos. 10, 13, 14 and 16. There will be a Tito’s Stillhouse open to the public on the No. 17 green, concessions from local Empire Eats restaurants and craft beer from R&D Brewing.
Proceeds from the tournament will also support local community partners, including the Poe Center for Health Education, First Tee of the Triangle and the Wake County Boys and Girls Club. These funds will make a difference in the lives of our patients, colleagues and the community by providing grants for community projects and support services.
The UNC Health Championship is a featured event on the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance and Visit Raleigh’s calendar. For more information on the 2023 UNC Health Championship, including details on how to volunteer and reserve tickets, visit unchealthchampionship.com.
ABOUT THE UNC HEALTH CHAMPIONSHIP
Professional golfers from around the world travel to renowned Raleigh Country Club to participate in the Korn Ferry Tour’s UNC Health Championship presented by STITCH. The tournament’s charitable efforts, coupled with its family and fan-friendly environment, attract thousands of golf fans each spring. During the past three decades, charity golf has raised more than $10 million for patients, programs and services at UNC Health. For more information, including details on how to volunteer and reserve tickets, visit unchealthchampionship.com/.
ABOUT THE 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 (185-plus countries and territories), excluding Australia, China, Korea and Rus
