Wells Fargo Championship

The Wells Fargo Championship is a professional golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour.[1] Held in early May, usually at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, it has attracted some of the top players on the tour. It debuted in 2003 as the Wachovia Championship and was known in 2009 and 2010 as the Quail Hollow Championship.

Wells Fargo Championship
Tournament information
LocationCharlotte, North Carolina
Established2003
Course(s)Quail Hollow Club
Par71
Length7,538 yards (6,893 m)
Organized byChampions for Education
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$20,000,000
Month playedMay
Tournament record score
Aggregate265 Wyndham Clark (2023)
To par−21 Rory McIlroy (2015)
Current champion
Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy
Location map
Quail Hollow Club is located in the United States
Quail Hollow Club
Quail Hollow Club
Location in the United States
Quail Hollow Club is located in North Carolina
Quail Hollow Club
Quail Hollow Club
Location in North Carolina

From 2004–06 and 2011–13, the tournament ended in a playoff. Additionally, the event has one of the tougher finishes on tour with 16, 17, and 18, commonly known as the "Green Mile," often ranked among the PGA Tour's toughest holes. Organized by Champions for Education, Inc.,[2] the majority of the charitable proceeds from the tournament benefit Teach for America.

In 2017, the tournament was held on the coast in Wilmington at Eagle Point Golf Club, as Quail Hollow hosted the PGA Championship in mid-August.[3] Wilmington hosted the Azalea Open on tour in the 1950s and 1960s at the Donald Ross-designed Cape Fear Country Club; it was a tune-up event for The Masters through 1965,[4] part of the city's Azalea Festival.

In 2022, the tournament was held near Washington, D.C. at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Potomac, Maryland, as Quail Hollow hosted the Presidents Cup in late September.

Decades earlier, Quail Hollow hosted the PGA Tour's Kemper Open eleven times, from 1969 through 1979.

Sponsorship

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The event is sponsored by Wells Fargo, which purchased Wachovia in 2008. In 2009, Wells Fargo dropped the Wachovia name from the tournament for marketing purposes as they intended to stop using the Wachovia name for all purposes. In addition, Wells Fargo was concerned about the image of a bank sponsoring a sporting event that had received Federal funding under the Troubled Assets Relief Program.[5] After two editions as the Quail Hollow Championship, Wells Fargo attached its name to the event in 2011.

On April 30, 2019, a five-year extension was announced, and Wells Fargo's sponsorship of the tournament currently runs through 2024.

On December 8, 2023, Wells Fargo announced it would no longer sponsor the tournament, starting with 2025.[6]

Tournament hosts

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Years No. Venue City
2022 1 TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm[7] Potomac, Maryland
2003–2016, 2018–2021, 2023–present 18 Quail Hollow Club Charlotte, North Carolina
2017 1 Eagle Point Golf Club Wilmington, North Carolina

Winners

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Year Winner Score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up Purse
($)
Winner's
share ($)
Wells Fargo Championship
2024   Rory McIlroy (4) 267 −17 5 strokes   Xander Schauffele 20,000,000 3,600,000
2023   Wyndham Clark 265 −19 4 strokes   Xander Schauffele 20,000,000 3,600,000
2022   Max Homa (2) 272 −8 2 strokes   Keegan Bradley
  Matt Fitzpatrick
  Cameron Young
9,000,000 1,620,000
2021   Rory McIlroy (3) 274 −10 1 stroke   Abraham Ancer 8,100,000 1,458,000
2020 Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[8]
2019   Max Homa 269 −15 3 strokes   Joel Dahmen 7,900,000 1,422,000
2018   Jason Day 272 −12 2 strokes   Nick Watney
  Aaron Wise
7,700,000 1,386,000
2017   Brian Harman 278 −10 1 stroke   Dustin Johnson
  Pat Perez
7,500,000 1,350,000
2016   James Hahn 279 −9 Playoff   Roberto Castro 7,300,000 1,314,000
2015   Rory McIlroy (2) 267 −21 7 strokes   Patrick Rodgers
  Webb Simpson
7,100,000 1,278,000
2014   J. B. Holmes 274 −14 1 stroke   Jim Furyk 6,900,000 1,242,000
2013   Derek Ernst 280 −8 Playoff   David Lynn 6,700,000 1,206,000
2012   Rickie Fowler 274 −14 Playoff   Rory McIlroy
  D. A. Points
6,500,000 1,170,000
2011   Lucas Glover 273 −15 Playoff   Jonathan Byrd 6,500,000 1,170,000
Quail Hollow Championship
2010   Rory McIlroy 273 −15 4 strokes   Phil Mickelson 6,500,000 1,170,000
2009   Sean O'Hair 277 −11 1 stroke   Lucas Glover
  Bubba Watson
6,500,000 1,170,000
Wachovia Championship
2008   Anthony Kim 272 −16 5 strokes   Ben Curtis 6,400,000 1,152,000
2007   Tiger Woods 275 −13 2 strokes   Steve Stricker 6,300,000 1,134,000
2006   Jim Furyk 276 −12 Playoff   Trevor Immelman 6,300,000 1,134,000
2005   Vijay Singh 276 −12 Playoff   Jim Furyk
  Sergio García
6,000,000 1,080,000
2004   Joey Sindelar 277 −11 Playoff   Arron Oberholser 5,600,000 1,008,000
2003   David Toms 278 −10 2 strokes   Robert Gamez 5,600,000 1,008,000

Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Source:[9]

Multiple winners

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4 wins
2 wins

References

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  1. ^ "New name for Quail Hollow: Wells Fargo Championship". PGA Tour. August 3, 2010. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
  2. ^ Champions for Education
  3. ^ Ross, Helen (June 27, 2016). "Changes in store for upcoming PGA Tour season". PGA Tour.
  4. ^ Blondin, Alan (May 4, 2017). "Wilmington used to be home to star-studded PGA Tour event". PGA of America. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  5. ^ "Event in Charlotte renamed Quail Hollow Championship". PGA Tour. February 27, 2009. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
  6. ^ Muccigrosso, Catherine (December 9, 2023). "Wells Fargo ending longstanding sponsorship of PGA Quail Hollow tournament". The Charlotte Observer.
  7. ^ "Past Results: Wells Fargo Championship". PGA Tour. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  8. ^ "PGA Tour statement regarding additional tournament cancellations". PGA Tour. March 17, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  9. ^ "Past Champions". PGA Tour. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
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38°59′20″N 77°12′07″W / 38.989°N 77.202°W / 38.989; -77.202