You want to have low scores – for high stakes.
At the second annual Orange County Fall Classic at the Osiris Country Club, US $ 50,000 in first place prize money will be awarded when a high-profile field of golfers competes against each other on Saturday.
That’s more than seven times the payout of $ 7,000 at the opening event last year.
The prize money for first place is paid out through increased sponsorship, ticket sales and entrance fees. Oasis Country Club owner Bill Richards agreed to increase the total amount this year.
Last year: Ryan McCormick wins the Orange County Fall Classic in the playoff
And if one of the participants scores a hole-in-one on the 17th par 3 hole, they win a Healey Brothers car.
The dealer, City Winery of the Hudson Valley and Millspaugh Furniture are the main sponsors of the event.
“Three pretty big companies here in the Hudson Valley jumped on board to support us with this event that we hope will keep growing and getting bigger every year,” said Rob Hoag, chief golf pro at Osiris Country Club .
And the playing field is strong. Aaron Baddeley, a four-time PGA Tour winner, was added to the list this week.
Last year’s field was represented by three members of the Korn Ferry Tour. This year there are four (Erik Barnes, Ryan McCormick, Michael Miller and Ryan Sullivan), along with three from the PGA Tour (Baddeley, Chris Baker and Brett Drewitt).
Others in the field are PGA teachers or PGA professionals – the chief golf course professionals who teach and run tournaments.
Anyone can attend after paying an entry fee, which makes the event unique, added Richards.
Hoag said the benefits of having spectators at the event this time were. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the only viewers in 2020 were the members of Osiris.
“Hopefully this year some other non-member people will be able to see what the club is about and watch professional golfers up close without a TV between them,” said Richards. “It’s all about having something here in the Hudson Valley that golfers can come out and watch that they have never seen here before.”
The course is played as a par 72 and the club increased the run length to about 6,800 yards due to the higher class nature of the golfers who play at the event.
“Especially when you watch golf on TV, you see some of the results these guys have come up with week after week. They can really hurt the place, ”said Hoag. “That’s why we found it very important to make it a little more demanding for them.”
The rough will also be a little longer than normal.
“We have a thick rough around Osiris anyway, so this will be a challenge for them,” said Hoag. “We’re going to speed up the greens a little just to add to what these guys see week after week on their tours and some of the tournaments they play.”
One of this week’s competitors, Rondout native and graduate of Rondout Valley High School, Andrew DeForest, grew up in Osiris, where Wallkill plays his home games.
“I know the course very well and am looking forward to getting down there,” he said. “It’s exciting because there’s nothing like it, so it’s great that they are putting it on for us. I played last year and didn’t have much success, but it was a good time. “
DeForest was able to attend a training round a few weeks ago, so its overall comfort is a bit higher, he said. Last year he hadn’t seen the new holes and some changes in the course setup and was struggling with them. And now there is additional motivation with the increased payout.
“It’s very tempting,” said DeForest. “It’s definitely something I marked on my calendar when I heard about it. As a local professional golfer playing on a northeastern stage, we don’t see wallets like this, so it’s definitely fascinating and very exciting for us to have the opportunity to do. “