The 72nd edition of the Tigertown Open returns to The Elms Country Club in Massillon on Friday, July 14! Northern Ohio Golf again looks forward to running the tournament along side Tony Mastrianni & Co. at The Elms.
Many of the changes made to the event operations in 2022 were well-received by the full field of 177 players. Those new features will remain in place for 2023: NOGA Live Scoring, skins pots by divisions, and worthwhile cash prizes paid out to the amateur and senior amateur players.
Because these additions were so well-received, we expect another sold-out tournament. But in 2023, the tournament will operate without a title sponsor, so a new tweak is required.
Last year’s title sponsorship allowed for the payout of cash prizes to 25% of the amateur field while also guaranteeing a $5,000 first place prize to the winning professional regardless of the number of pro entries received.
Without that title sponsorship, the Tigertown Open cannot do both of these things.
Since the number of amateurs who compete in the event significantly outnumbers the professionals, we have decided to continue paying out the full amateur cash prize payouts based on entries, just like last year. This is only fair; it is not the amateurs’ role to subsidize the professionals’ prize payouts.
In that same vein, the prize payouts for the professionals in 2023 must be based on the number of entries received, just like is done at nearly every mini-tour event in the country. While cannot guarantee a $5,000 first place prize to the winning professional, we have determined a way to get very close to the same pro payout amounts as in the past.
To create a prize pot for the professionals that matches closely the prize amounts paid out last year, the Professional entry fee will increase to $300 per player in both the Championship and Senior Divisions in 2023. This entry fee amount is only an increase of $75, and matches the amount charged by most mini-tour tournaments nationwide.
If the same number of professionals compete in each division in 2023, the prize payouts will look very much the same as they did last year, including a $5,000 first place prize for the championship. The only difference: that first place amount cannot be guaranteed in advance.
Now, if new sponsors are secured before this year’s tournament, we will add that sponsorship money to the professional prize pots. If those sponsorship amounts match the total amounts collected from last year, we can indeed guarantee a $5K first place prize and will return the professional entry fees to the 2022 rates. So if you own a company or run a business that would like to be closely associated with this long-running regional golf championship, please get in touch with us.
Entries into the 2023 Tigertown Open will open on Wednesday, June 14 – one month out from the tournament date. Watch this website for an announcement on that day. We look forward to crowning a new set of Tigertown champions in 2023!
