MIDLOTHIAN — The State Open of Virginia, a championship featuring a
mix of amateurs and professionals conducted jointly by the Virginia State Golf
Association and Middle Atlantic PGA, is seeking a new home and title sponsor
for the 2021 edition of the championship.
The State Open will be played
for the final time at Roanoke’s Ballyhack Golf Club in July 2020, ending a
seven-year run at the venue. Title sponsor Delta Dental of Virginia and Dormie
Network—the private club network that owns Ballyhack—independently informed
tournament officials that they will pursue other opportunities beyond 2020.
“Delta Dental of Virginia and Ballyhack Golf Club have been
tremendous partners for the State Open of Virginia and we’re grateful for the
exposure they’ve generated for the sport of golf,” VSGA Executive Director Matt
Smiley said. “As we look ahead to the future of this nearly century-old
competition, we’re excited for the opportunities to create new partnerships
while continuing to offer an unmatched competitive tournament for professional
and amateur golfers.”
“We cannot thank Delta Dental of Virginia and Ballyhack Golf
Club enough for their generous contributions to the golf industry in Virginia,”
MAPGA Executive Director Jon Guhl said. “We look forward to the 2020 event
being as strong as ever, while simultaneously pursuing opportunities to bring
the State Open of Virginia to new markets and corporate partners.”
Established in 1924, the State Open of Virginia offers
amateurs and professionals the opportunity to join a prestigious list of past
winners including Sam Snead, Chandler Harper, Bobby Cruickshank, Keith Decker,
Vinny Giles, and Lanny and Bobby Wadkins.
“It has been a pleasure serving as the title sponsor for
this prestigious tournament and we’re committed to making the 2020 event an
enjoyable and rewarding experience for guests and golfers,” said Chris Pyle,
Vice President, Marketing and Government Relations, Delta Dental of Virginia.
“We’re proud of the exposure we’ve generated for the Roanoke region and
extremely appreciative of the Virginia golf community for its significant
support of The First Tee of Roanoke Valley over the past six years.”
Prior to coming to Ballyhack, the State Open of Virginia was
played in the Richmond area from 2003-14. In 1985, the VSGA and VPGA Opens
merged to become a single entity known as the State Open of Virginia. Champions
crowned at Ballyhack include PGA Tour winner Lanto Griffin and longtime
Virginia professional standout Jay Woodson, who won two of his four State Open
titles at the Roanoke club. In 2019, University of Virginia player Jack
Montague became the first amateur to win at Ballyhack.
“We’re honored to have set the scene for the State Open for
the past several years,” Dormie Network Chief Operating Officer Mark Ruhga
said. “The energy of the tournament at Ballyhack has been phenomenal, and we’re
looking forward to offering another year of excellent course conditions to competitors
in the event.”
Ballyhack Golf Club will host the 2020 Delta Dental Virginia
State Open from July 16-18. The tournament will kick off as it has since 2014,
with a Youth Day Clinic and donation to The First Tee of Roanoke Valley. The
Delta Dental State Open of Virginia, through its sponsoring partners, has
contributed nearly $83,000 to the First Tee of Roanoke Valley, helping more
than 8,000 children build life skills through golf.
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About Delta Dental
of Virginia
Established in 1964, Delta Dental of Virginia is the
largest dental benefits provider in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Delta Dental
of Virginia provides high-quality, cost-effective dental plans to more than two
million members. Through its foundation, Delta Dental of Virginia has donated
millions of dollars to improve the oral health of Virginians.
Delta Dental of Virginia is a member of the national Delta Dental
Plans Association (DDPA). For more than 50 years, the DDPA has worked to
improve oral health nationally. Delta Dental member companies serve more than
80 million people in more than 141,000 groups across the nation.
About Dormie Network
Dormie Network is a national network of private destination
golf clubs that includes ArborLinks in Nebraska City, Neb.; Dormie Club
in Pinehurst, N.C.; Ballyhack Golf Club in Roanoke; Victoria National
Golf Club in Newburgh, Ind.; Hidden Creek Golf Club in Egg Harbor
Township, N.J.; and Briggs Ranch Golf Club in San Antonio, Texas. Each
offers a premier golf experience in a relaxing and accommodating environment
ideal for business or leisure. Learn more at DormieNetwork.com.
About the Virginia
State Golf Association
Since 1904, the VSGA has been dedicated to
providing golfers a full range of services for the good of the game and golf in
Virginia. Today, the VSGA community is comprised of more than 310 member clubs
and more than 72,000 individual members. The VSGA is a non-profit 501(c)(3)
organization and offers substantial value and access to courses throughout the
commonwealth.
About the Middle
Atlantic PGA
The Middle Atlantic Section of the PGA is located
in Stafford, Va., and is one of 41 sections of The Professional Golfers’
Association of America, headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The MAPGA has
been part of the PGA since 1925 and consists of over 1,100 members and
associates in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and small portions
of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. There are more than 900,000 golfers playing
more than 16.5 million rounds of golf a season in the Middle Atlantic region.