University Ridge proves itself as a golf haven with AmFam

Slowly building energy around the 18th green was zapped by a stunning upset.

Steve Stricker, the tournament’s player-host, defending champion and fan favorite playing in his city blew a lead to World Golf Hall of Famer Ernie Els on the back nine at University Ridge Golf Course, resulting in the second playoff in the PGA Tour Champions event’s history. Stricker lipped out a matching par putt to give Els the victory after both finished regulation 12-under-par 204.

It was an exciting final four holes of regulation and playoff that saw both men have to balance aggression and smart play, but the ceremony crowning Els the champion was anchored by appreciation for University Ridge. The tournament will move next year to TPC Wisconsin, the course on Madison’s North Side owned by Stricker’s father-in-law and former University of Wisconsin men’s golf coach Dennis Tiziani. Stricker led a massive redesign of the course over the past two years and its association with the PGA Tour and its TPC network will make it a destination course.

But University Ridge and the AmFam Championship grew together in the eight years since the tournament’s inception in 2016. Changes to tee boxes, greens and bunkers over the years helped make the course a championship-level track, and the tournament benefited from the connection it had to the community. There’s history in Madison at TPC Wisconsin, formerly the Cherokee Country Club, but it likely won’t be able to replicate the accessibility fans felt each June at U-Ridge.

Only a handful of Champions Tour events are played on public courses and the AmFam was the only tournament played at a university-operated course. Fans could watch the action of the AmFam then book a tee time for the day after. There’s a certain charm to the annual effort to put together a course and event that competes with the best on the circuit — a polished jewel in the Midwest getting attention it otherwise wouldn’t.

“It’s been a great spot for us,” Stricker said of U-Ridge. “University golf course, we’re here embedded in a university town, we wanted it to be — to have the help and the backing of the university, we thought that was important at the time and it’s a wonderful venue for us. I think the players have really enjoyed our time here. They’ve been a great partner in this and it’s been a wonderful ride with them. It will be sad to, it will be bittersweet I should say, we’re going to be leaving here and we’re going over to TPC Wisconsin, which I have close family ties with, but it’s been a great ride here, they’ve been wonderful.”

Els directed a round of applause to the grounds crew after he was given the tournament’s trophy Sunday evening. Els notched his fifth PGA Tour Champions win and second in as many weekends, and he said the way the course held up was impressive.

“I love it here,” Els said. “I just love the condition of the golf course, every year it’s brilliant. The grounds, greens crew, grounds crew are doing a wonderful job every single time. These are the best greens we’re going to putt on all year, the speed’s good, everything. I’ve been speaking to Steve about his new golf course and I hear it’s a very different animal, so we’ll see when we get there next year, but I’ll miss this place.”

Phil Davidson was surprised by the emotions he felt riding around the course on Sunday. He’s been U-Ridge’s superintendent for 11 years and worked at the course for 18. His professional life since the tournament’s origin has been ensuring the place peaked this week.

He and his crew wanted to go out with a bang, despite challenges presented by damaging wind storms last month and multiple rain storms this week.

“It was pretty special to be able to host it, and what we produced this year is just the best ever,” Davidson said. “That was kind of our goal, to knock it out of the park and we did it. We had a great team this year, the kids we have busted their butts and made it work. It was fun to grow with them, watch them embrace it and go for it.

These guys get to play a lot of good courses, so yeah that’s awesome, it’s definitely great to hear compliments about it. It’s worked out really good this year. We did an awesome, awesome job.”

There may be more changes to the tournament next year beyond the venue.

The tournament could move to a team-based format moving forward, a possibility that tournament director Nate Pokrass didn’t shoot down and Els mentioned moving to a team format twice in his acceptance speech and news conference on the 18th green. Two sources told the State Journal about a potential move to team play, but declined to go on record. Pokrass said all possibilities are open as the AmFam Championship is essentially starting over from scratch with the move. The Champions Tour doesn’t currently feature a team event. The Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana, a PGA Tour tournament, features two-player teams with two rounds played in alternate shot format and two more in best ball.

Madison native Jerry Kelly struggled Sunday, going 5-over and finishing 1-under and tied for 38th, but he gained an appreciation for University Ridge through playing the AmFam. He remains the only two-time winner of the event after Stricker fell short Sunday.

“The more I play it, the more it grows on me,” Kelly said. “I really like the way you have to move it around this golf course. But really it’s the area that does it for me. I’ll be happy to move over to Steve’s course. That’s a tough one, it’s a really good golf course, I think he did a fantastic job with the routing. People are going to see some — have to see some really good golf with the scores out there, but this was really fun to play.”

Mario Tiziani resurrected his pro golf career at the AmFam Championship, so University Ridge will always mean something to him.

“I think people fell in love with this course,” Tiziani said. “It can hold its own … good scores are out there, but if you don’t play well, like you really can’t fake it around here for three days. Maybe one, but I think this is a great test and I think we’ll get another one at TPC.”