Tag: Jordan Uppleger

Dell Technologies Match Play officially off 2024 PGA Tour schedule; no match play events slated

The Dell Technologies Match Play is dead, at least for the foreseeable future.

AUSTIN, Texas — It’s official. The Dell Technologies Match Play is dead, at least for the foreseeable future.

Jordan Uppleger, vice president and executive director of PGA Tour championship management, made the announcement to the media on Monday at Austin Country Club.

“We’re formally announcing today that the 2023 World Golf Championship Dell Technologies Match Play will be the final playing of the event here at Austin Country Club, and not be included on the 2024 calendar or moving forward,” Uppleger said.

“The event has had an incredible run here at Austin Country Club.”

MORE: Now’s the time for a match-play major open championship for men and women

“I was told you had to have three main components to have a successful event, you had to have an active title sponsor, an engaging country club and a supporting community and client base,” he added. “And there is no doubt that this event has exceeded all of those expectations as we’ve been here since 2016.”

As part of the announcement, Uppleger added that no match-play event will be included on next year’s PGA Tour schedule.

In February, Golfweek reported that the event would be shuttered after this year’s playing. Its spot in the 2024 schedule, which is typically in late March on the back end of the Florida Swing, is expected to be filled by the Cadence Bank Houston Open, unless it prefers a date in the late April/early May timeframe instead as part of a shuffling of events.

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On Monday, Uppleger said the Tour would look to Austin again if the situation was right in the future. During the tournament’s seven-year run, the WGC event has been one of the hottest tickets on Tour, and with the picturesque Pennybacker Bridge framing the Colorado River, the setting at Austin Country Club has become among the circuit’s most indelible.

ACC has hosted the Match Play since 2016 when Dell became the title sponsor. At the time, the World Golf Championships were considered the highest-ranking tournaments in golf behind the four majors and the Players Championship, the Tour’s flagship event.

“I think you’ve seen this throughout our history. Look at the markets we’ve been in, and we’ve had to exit markets for certain reasons,” Uppleger said. “And obviously, we would look at Austin, Texas, in the future. It’s not on the ’24 calendar, but clearly look at the success that we’ve had here. There’s no doubt that our team would be looking at that.”

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Will WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play move away from Austin Country Club? It’s a possibility the PGA Tour is hoping to avoid.

Some members of the Austin Country Club don’t want to extend the deal beyond 2023.

AUSTIN, Texas — Will this be the second-to-last World Golf Championship-Dell Technologies Match Play tournament at the Austin Country Club?

Some at the ACC think so because the contract between the club and the PGA Tour expires after the 2023 event and more than a few of the 650 members don’t want to extend it. No negotiations have begun on contract talks.

“I understand that some don’t like it,” one ACC member said, citing the four weeks the course is shut down for overseeing and tournament preparation. “There’s the inconvenience factor and not just the four weeks but the construction going on. Some of them don’t abide by golf etiquette, and some people lose their minds over it. But I do think they have a chance (to re-up).”

So does Jordan Uppleger, the tournament’s executive director, who said he believes there’s still a solid chance the partnership is renewed sometime this year. Told there were rumors that the Dell tourney might move to the Barton Creek Country Club, Upplegger said, “That’s bull. There’s nothing to it. Our goal is to keep it at Austin Country Club. We’re bound and determined to make it happen. Our stance is that extending it is important, and we’ve not looked at other sites.”

WGC-Match Play: Matches to watch | Yardage book

2021 WGC - Dell Technologies Match Play
Bryson DeChambeau hits his approach on No. 12 during the second day of the 2021 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club. The Pennybacker Bridge, one of the signature landmarks of Austin, spans Lake Austin in the background. (Photo: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports)

It’s hard to believe the Tour is not looking for a Plan B, like Barton Creek or the Hills of Lakeway or another city. Uppleger did allow that there’s “a subset of members who don’t like it, but a lot of people do. And they’re not as vocal. It’s fair to say some older members oppose it.”

But he insists the event has made an indelible mark on Austin, including $5 million in charity donations since 2015, honors the legacy of Harvey Penick and offers great entertainment for members and their kids with a growing younger demographic that could overtake the older set.

One member estimated at most half the membership is over the age of 50, the contingent most opposed to the tournament.

“That younger demographic sees the lasting impact it made. I’d add the membership support for this tournament is better than any other tournament on the Tour.”

That said, the PGA Tour would be wise to give each member two tickets with the option to buy more instead of no free tickets. That would buy a lot of goodwill and might grease the chances for another extension. Currently, members have the option of buying eight tickets at $730.69 apiece.

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