IRVING, Texas (January 25, 2022) – Tournament officials today announced a wide-ranging, four-year partnership with Choctaw Casinos & Resorts as the presenting sponsor of the inaugural Invited Classic, April 19-24, at Invited’s Las Colinas Country Club. This unique event will feature the best on the PGA TOUR Champions playing together with sports and entertainment celebrities in separate competitions, as well as an unprecedented amateur match that will bring Invited members inside the ropes to play side-by-side with the pros and stars.

As presenting sponsor of the annual PGA TOUR Champions event, Choctaw Casinos & Resorts brings its status as a premier entertainment venue to the tournament with remarkable fan enhancements, on- and off-site promotional activations and dedicated charitable efforts benefitting local organizations.

The Invited Classic will benefit Momentous Institute, a North Texas nonprofit dedicated to building and repairing social and emotional health so that all children can achieve their full potential. The tournament will also highlight Invited’s Gateway Program with First Tee, which opens the doors of Invited private clubs to First Tee junior golf participants with a focus on growing diversity within Invited clubs and throughout the golf industry. The program provides First Tee participants with junior golf memberships, which include tee times, use of the practice areas and the opportunity to compete in events. Club Members and Staff serve as mentors to the youth, empowering them to build their strength of character on and off the course.

“The Invited Classic presented by Choctaw Casinos & Resorts will deliver world-class competition, top-tier celebrities and entertainment alongside the best in hospitality, making this partnership a perfect fit,” said David Pillsbury, CEO of Invited. “Choctaw Casinos & Resorts is well-known throughout our region for the important role they play in entertainment, their high-end level of hospitality and attention to detail as well as the work they do in the community. They are an ideal partner in the launch and growth of this spectacular event.”

Choctaw Casinos & Resorts are owned and operated by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the third largest Indian Nation in the United States with more than 200,000 tribal members and 10,000 employees. Choctaw Casinos & Resorts features a variety of gaming, hotel and resort properties throughout southeastern Oklahoma.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Invited Classic and the PGA TOUR Champions as both organizations share a culture centered around respect, innovation and entertainment,” said Janie Dillard, Senior Executive Office for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. “We look forward to connecting with both fans and players in fun and unique ways to not only help grow the event but to maximize the charitable impact for the community.”

Choctaw Casinos & Resorts generate revenue to accelerate the success of the tribe. The strong, sovereign tribal government is an economic engine that, in 2019 alone, provided nearly $2.5 billion in economic impact in the state of Oklahoma. From jobs and roads to emergency services and education, Choctaw Casinos & Resorts contribute in countless ways that benefit all tribal and non-tribal members in the communities where they live, work and raise their families.

The Invited Classic will feature 78 PGA TOUR Champions professionals and 50 sports and entertainment stars. The PGA TOUR Champions professionals will play 54 holes of stroke play for a purse of $2 million, along with the celebrities in a separate $500,000 competition utilizing a modified Stableford scoring format.

Among the celebrities confirmed is Annika Sorenstam, World Golf Hall of Fame member and 72-time LPGA winner who’ll be competing against the celebrities – Annika made her memorable foray onto the men’s PGA TOUR in 2003 at the nearby Colonial Open Fort Worth, Texas. Joining her are 11-time MLB All-Star Pitcher Roger Clemens, Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown, MLB Network Analyst and 12-year MLB standout Kevin Millar, as well as stars of the music and entertainment world with Larry the Cable Guy, Brian Baumgartner, and Colt Ford.

A group of amateur Invited members will compete in a qualifying system that includes regional and national events to earn a spot alongside the stars during the official tournament rounds to play in their own modified stableford, low gross and low net format. The celebrities, amateurs and professionals will be paired together all three days of competition with all three rounds to be telecast on GOLF Channel.

As the largest owner and operator of private clubs, Invited embraces its roles as a dynamic lifestyle company that brings people together through extraordinary experiences, impeccable service and opportunities to build meaningful relationships. The recent transformation and re-imagination of Las Colinas Country Club as an overall golf and lifestyle venue is a shining example of the work and effort being made across the entire Invited brand and portfolio to bring ClubLife to its members and communities.

The Invited Classic is operated by Mike Flaskey Entertainment. Flaskey, the founder and tournament executive director, is the former President and CEO of Diamond Resorts International and has extensive experience conceiving and overseeing top-tier golf events with both the LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR Champions, plus All-Stars and Hall of Famers from NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL teams.

Las Colinas Country Club, which was classically designed in 1963 by Joe Finger, was named among the top 100 courses in Texas by the Dallas Morning News and selected as one of 2019 Best Country Clubs by Avid Golfer. The 18-hole course recently underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation and now features Trinity Zoysia fairways, Tif Tuf Bermuda rough and G12 Bermuda Greens. A brand-new practice facility that covers more than 10 acres was designed by Golf Hall-of-Famer, Lanny Wadkins.