One of several things that helps set the annual PGA Tournament at Colonial Country Club apart from other tournaments is the plaid jacket the winner dons at the conclusion of play.
Now, the tournament has another prize that will further separate it from the pack.
This year the winner of that renowned jacket will have a new way to show it off as they cruise around in a restored 1973 Dodge Challenger.
The year 1973 is synonymous with the year Charles Schwab began challenging the status quo in the financial services industry on behalf of investors. The company is also now the title sponsor of a PGA Tour event that has been challenging the world’s top golfers since 1946 – also 73 years.
Hence, the new name of the prestigious event at Colonial Country Club, the Charles Schwab Challenge. Therefore, it makes sense the vehicle would be a Challenger.
The car mixes a vintage body with modern comfort, performance and reliability. It features a custom Glacier Blue paint job, with one-off Schwab badging. It also features touches of Colonial’s trademark Scottish royal tartan on the seats, serving as a tribute to the awarding of a tartan plaid jacket to the event’s champions and top committee chairs.
This unique champion’s prize will be displayed at this year’s Charles Schwab Challenge May 23-26.
To get a glimpse inside the restoration process, visit AboutSchwab.com.
“As a brand that was founded on challenging the status quo for investors, we wanted to honor the spirit of the tournament with a one-of-a-kind award that represents the ‘challenger’ spirit of both the champion and our company,” Schwab Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Andy Gill said. “With this incredible prize and all of the other fan-friendly events and improvements we have planned, we look forward to bringing this challenger spirit to life.”
Charles Schwab & Company, a major sponsor on the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions, announced last year it would expand its golf presence and its strong commitment to the North Texas community by assuming title sponsorship of the PGA Tour’s Fort Worth Invitational at Colonial Country Club. The company came to the rescue after an agreement with the upscale grocery chain Dean & DeLuca came to an abrupt end following the 2017 tournament, only two years into a six-year agreement.
The tournament was played without a title sponsor in 2018, using the name the Fort Worth Invitational.
Charles Schwab & Company’s agreement with the Colonial is for four years, beginning this year, and runs through 2022.
The Charles Schwab Challenge is one of the country’s premier and longest-running PGA Tour events. The Wall of Champions at Colonial Country Club is populated by many of the game’s greatest names, with Fort Worth native and Colonial member Ben Hogan chief among them as the tournament’s only five-time champion, starting with the first two editions of the tournament in 1946-47.
For more information on the tournament, visit www.charlesschwabchallenge.com.
o get a glimpse inside the restoration process, visit AboutSchwab.com.
Charles Schwab Challenge and the Champion’s Prize: By the Numbers
1: Number of PGA TOUR events featuring a prize with nearly 500 horsepower.
6: Months the car will spend in a ground-up restoration at the hands of Steve Strope and his team at Pure Vision Design in Simi Valley, Calif.
73: Years the tournament has been played at Colonial Country Club, including this year, making it the longest-running non-major held at the same location.
1973: The year the “champion’s prize” was manufactured, as well as the year Schwab was incorporated.
2019: First year of Schwab’s four-year title sponsorship of the event at historic Colonial Country Club.