Simmons Bank Named Title Sponsor Of Korn Ferry Tour’s Nashville Event

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — The PGA TOUR’s Korn Ferry Tour, Simmons Bank, and TOUR Vision Promotions announced an eight-year partnership for Simmons Bank to serve as title sponsor of the Tour’s event at Nashville Golf & Athletic Club. The newly named Simmons Bank Open for The Snedeker Foundation will return to Brentwood, Tennessee, the week of April 30 to May 3, 2020, with 156 players competing for a US$600,000 purse.

The eight-year agreement (2020–2027) was announced at Topgolf Nashville by representatives from the Korn Ferry Tour, Simmons Bank and TOUR Vision Promotions, as well as 2012 FedExCup Champion and Nashville resident, Brandt Snedeker.

“We are excited to announce this partnership with Simmons Bank as we continue to build on the first four years of Korn Ferry Tour golf here in Nashville,” said Korn Ferry Tour President Alex Baldwin. “This is an important market not only for our Tour, but also for the PGA TOUR business. Today’s announcement will allow us to invest in this tournament with a tremendous partner as we look to create one of the premier stops on our schedule.”

Founded in 1903, Simmons Bank is a Pine Bluff, Arkansas-based community bank and the primary subsidiary of Simmons First National Corporation, with operations in Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas – including 10 banking centers throughout the greater Nashville region.

“This is an exciting opportunity for Simmons Bank,” said George Makris, chairman and CEO of Simmons First National Corporation. “With a motto like ‘Dreams: Realized,’ we are committed to providing the people and the communities we serve with opportunities to achieve their goals. This is what the Korn Ferry Tour is all about – helping players to be more than they ever thought possible. We are honored to partner with the Korn Ferry Tour, and with the Snedeker Foundation, to make a difference here in middle Tennessee.

In addition to the new title sponsorship with Simmons Bank, the Snedeker Foundation will remain the tournament’s official charitable beneficiary. The Foundation has been a key tournament partner since May of 2017.

"Our goal at the Snedeker Foundation is to better the lives and futures of kids across Middle Tennessee, and today's announcement with Simmons Bank will allow us to strengthen those ongoing efforts,” said Snedeker. “Golf has a tremendous history of giving back, and through this tournament we'll continue to work tirelessly to ensure we leave a lasting impact in our community."

Since August 2015, the Snedeker Foundation has distributed over $600,000 in scholarships and donations to various charities in Middle Tennessee. The Foundation supports a variety of efforts on both the social and athletic fronts, including Our Kids, which provides expert medical evaluations and crisis counseling services in response to concerns of child sexual abuse, while also working to increase community awareness, education and training about child maltreatment.

Through the Tennessee Golf Foundation, the Snedeker Foundation annually supports the Sneds Tour, which puts forth a year-round junior golf tour in Tennessee aimed at allowing kids to learn, play and enjoy the game of golf, while also making competition more affordable through lower entry and registration fees.

Simmons Bank concluded the announcement by presenting Our Kids with a $25,000 check from the Simmons First Foundation in honor of Mandy and Brandt Snedeker.

“We appreciate the personal support of Mandy and Brandt, and we’re proud to honor their efforts with this contribution to Our Kids,” said Makris.

The Simmons Bank Open for The Snedeker Foundation is managed by TOUR Vision Promotions. TOUR Vision Promotions also operates the Visit Knoxville Open in Knoxville, Tennessee, as well as the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance in Evansville, Indiana.

For more information about the Simmons Bank Open for The Snedeker Foundation, including tickets and volunteer opportunities, please visit SimmonsBankOpen.com.