NBC Sports and Excel Sports Management announced today the Payne’s Valley Cup, a special 18-hole charity team exhibition match headlined by four of the world’s top golfers to commemorate the grand opening of Payne’s Valley Golf Course at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Mo. Payne’s Valley represents the first public golf course design for 82-time PGA TOUR winner Tiger Woods, who will team up with World No. 3 Justin Thomas (Team United States) to take on major champions Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose (Team Europe) in the Payne’s Valley Cup.
Airing live on GOLF Channel on Tuesday, Sept. 22 (3-7 p.m. ET), the Payne’s Valley Cup will feature an entertaining mix of some of the best competition formats seen during Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups: Fourball, Foursomes and Singles matches. NBC will televise a special encore as two separate telecasts on Dec. 26 and 27 from 4-6 pm ET. The four players competing in the Payne’s Valley Cup have an eclectic resume: all four have been World No. 1; are major champions, all have won the FedExCup and have been part of victorious Ryder Cup teams.
The made-for-television exhibition match will be produced by NBC Sports, featuring all four players mic’d up during competition while showcasing Woods’ new golf course that pays tribute to Ozarks-native and World Golf Hall-of-Famer, Payne Stewart.
“Payne’s Valley is the first public golf course that I have designed. I couldn’t be prouder of how it turned out,” said Woods. “It was an honor for me and my TGR Design team to work with Johnny Morris and Big Cedar Lodge on this spectacular golf course. I am thrilled that it will be featured during the Payne’s Valley Cup.”
“The breathtaking beauty and pure majesty of my native Ozarks is something you have to see to believe. To be able to harness this unique landscape and make it come alive through our golf courses has been an honor that has been driven by passion,” said Johnny Morris, noted conservationist and founder of Bass Pro Shops and Big Cedar Lodge. “Tiger and I have a twenty-year friendship that started through fishing and has evolved into a great partnership. We look forward to showcasing this destination to the world through the Payne’s Valley Cup and truly believe we are creating ‘America’s Next Great Golf Destination.”
Through a partnership between Morris and Woods, the 18-hole layout of Payne’s Valley, named in honor of golf legend, Ozarks native and dear Morris friend Payne Stewart, was created with the intent to foster a deeper connection to nature through the game of golf. Being celebrated as one of the most remarkable golf holes in the world, the course features an unforgettable par-3, 19th bonus hole designed by Morris to celebrate the nature and beauty of the Ozarks. After the final hole, golfers traverse a breathtaking, cliff hanger nature trail and journey through a beautiful nature cave system to return to the clubhouse.
FUNDRAISING - PAYNE STEWART FAMILY FOUNDATION: To honor the namesake of the golf course and one of Missouri’s all-time great sports legends, the Payne’s Valley Cup will raise funds for the Payne Stewart Family Foundation – a foundation that supports beneficiaries that were vitally important to the late Stewart, including Kids Across America, the AJGA and The First Tee.
ON-SITE EVENT AND SAFETY INFORMATION: The match will be closed to the public, with a select group hosted by Big Cedar Lodge granted access on-site to preview the amenities at Payne’s Valley Golf Course and walk the course for the exhibition match. The Payne’s Valley Cup will implement a comprehensive health and safety play that will follow all recommended protocols put in place by the PGA TOUR and local government, utilizing testing measures to help protect the health and safety of the players, officials, the production team and others on-site.
DIGITAL/STREAMING COVERAGE: In addition to live coverage on GOLF Channel, the Payne’s Valley Cup will stream live via GOLF Channel and NBC Sports mobile apps, GolfChannel.com and on GolfPass.
ABOUT BIG CEDAR LODGE
Located in the heart of Missouri’s Ozark Mountains, Big Cedar Lodge is America’s premier wilderness resort. A passion of Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, the 4,600-acre lakeside retreat connects families to the outdoors with a variety of nature-based experiences including fishing, boating, hiking, spa and wellness offerings, hosting 2.4 million guests annually. Signature attractions include Top of the Rock, home to world-class golf, dining, and entertainment; and Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, a 10,000-acre nonprofit wildlife nature park. Named “Number One Resort in the Midwest” by the readers of Travel + Leisure, the resort offers genuine Ozarks hospitality and a convenient location just south of Branson. Learn more at www.bigcedar.com.
ABOUT TGR DESIGN
Established in 2006, the mission of TGR Design is to utilize Tiger’s worldwide experience, his limitless pursuit of excellence and his love of golf to create a unique collection of amazing golf courses around the world. Tiger believes that every project should be special and provide an outstanding golf experience. As a result, TGR Design seeks to find the best sites, select the best partners and create fantastic course designs. To learn more, visit tgr.design.
ABOUT EXCEL SPORTS MANAGEMENT
Excel Sports Management is an industry-leading agency representing top-tier talent, blue-chip brands and marquee properties. Excel has twice won Sports Business Journal’s Best In Talent Representation and Management, is consistently named as one of the most valuable sports agencies in the world by Forbes and was acknowledged as one of Front Office Sports 2019 Best Places to Work. The agency has offices in New York, Miami and Los Angeles. For more information, visit excelsm.com.
ABOUT NBC SPORTS GROUP
NBC Sports Group serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company consists of NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBCSN, Golf Channel, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Audio Network and NBC Sports Digital, which includes NBCSports.com, NBCOlympics.com, GolfChannel.com, the digital assets of the NBC Sports Regional Networks, Rotoworld, the NBC Sports Talk franchise, multiple apps, and two transactional sports businesses, GolfNow and SportsEngine, and a direct-to-consumer product NBC Sports Gold. NBC Sports Group possesses an unparalleled collection of media rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the NFL, NHL, NASCAR, INDYCAR, PGA TOUR, The R&A, PGA of America, USGA, Churchill Downs, Premier League, Tour de France, French Open, and many more.
-NBC Sports Group-
