By George Eichorn
Another huge sporting event is coming back to Michigan. The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren is
this week, August 23-29, at beautiful Warwick Hills in Gland Blanc. Golf Channel has full coverage.
Just last weekend (August 21/22) the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Cup Series raced at Michigan
International Speedway on NBCSN.
Detroit earlier had a huge weekend slot on NBC when the annual Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix was held
on Belle Isle. Fox Sports will be here September 12 for the Detroit Lions home game and CBS-TV on
September 26 at Ford Field. MLB Network and possibly ESPN could have multiple Detroit Tigers
telecasts in addition to games telecast on Bally Sports Detroit. Red Wings pre-season action takes center
ice also in September on BSD.
Defending champion Jim Furyk joins Charles Schwab Cup leader and 2019 tournament winner Jerry
Kelly and PGA Tour and Champions Tour winners Retief Goosen, Mark O’Meara, John Daly, Bernhard
Langer, Mike Weir, Ernie Els, David Love III, Darren Clarke and David Toms to highlight the fourth edition
of the official PGA Tour Champions stop, this week at professional golfer-favorite Warwick Hills.
Furyk, 51, became the 19 th player in Champions history to win his debut with his victory at the 2020 Ally
Challenge. He went on to join Bruce Fleisher in September as the only players to win their first two starts
on the senior circuit after his win at the Pure Insurance Championship.
Furyk grabbed his third, and most recent, Champions title at the 2021 U.S. Senior Open Championship in
July. The victory marked his first senior major and second overall, adding to his U.S. Open Championship
win in 2003, the same year he took the Buick Open at Warwick Hills. Furyk has finished inside the top-25
in all 17 starts of his PGA TOUR Champions career, including 10 top-10 showings. He currently ranks No.
2 on the Charles Schwab Cup Money List and his three wins this season rank No. 1 on the Champions
tour.
Goosen, 52, enjoyed a standout rookie Tour Champions season in 2019. His 12 top-10 finishes over 23
starts, including two runners-up and his first senior title at the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship,
resulted in the Tour’s best scoring average (69.14) and Rookie of the Year honors.
O’Meara, 64, has recorded 16 PGA Tour titles during his more than 40-year professional career, including
two majors: 1998 Masters and 1998 The Open Championship and was the PGA Tour player of the year in
1998.
The primary sponsor is also bringing back the Ally Deck at 17 to the Warwick Hills famed hole. The Deck
is open to the public and will feature an upgraded viewing experience, photo ops and giveaways. Also
located in The Fan Zone is the McLaren Bunker Challenge. Fans can try to sink a shot out of a bunker
onto a mini green that is screened in for safety with a chance to win a raffle prize at the end of the
tournament.
Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill is the fourth member of the tournament’s marquee special
event, the Celebrity Shootout. Blashill joins golf great Jack Nicklaus; fellow World Golf Hall-of-Famer Lee
Trevino; and NCAA Men’s Basketball title-winning head coach Tom Izzo of Michigan State University to
create a powerhouse foursome that will compete in an exhibition match to benefit charity. The Celebrity
Shootout will take place Saturday, August 28, following the last tournament pairing of round two, and
begins on Hole No. 10 at Warwick Hills.
All three rounds, Friday through Sunday, of the Ally Challenge will be broadcast on Golf Channel. For
more information and tickets visit theallychallenge.com.
