Firestone Country Club Celebrates Memorable Bridgestone Senior Players Week

Historic Venue Site of Events Centering Around PGA Tour Champions Major

Including Ambassador of Golf Award Ceremony, Lanny Wadkins Room Dedication Ceremony

(AKRON, Ohio) – Firestone Country Club, renowned as one of North America’s most historic venues for championship golf, celebrates a remarkable week as host of the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship on the PGA Tour Champions.

The storied club, which has hosted numerous PGA Championships and World Golf Championships on the PGA Tour, was the site of the 2022 Bridgestone Senior Players Championship on the PGA Tour Champions from July 4-10. Jerry Kelly, who won the 2020 edition and finished runner-up last year, claimed his second senior major on the famed South Course. Kelly finished at 11-under 269 for the tournament, outlasting defending champion Steve Stricker as the pair swapped places from last year’s final leaderboard.

Firestone also hosted the 2022 Ambassador of Golf award ceremony on July 7, with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accepting the honor. Presented by the FirstEnergy Foundation, the Ambassador of Golf Award honors a person who has fostered the ideals of the game on an international level and whose concern for others extends beyond the golf course. Rice is the sixth woman to be honored with the Ambassador of Golf award, and she adds her name to a list of honorees including Byron Nelson (1983), President Gerald Ford (1985), Nancy Lopez (1992) and Fred Couples (2019).

Also on July 7, Hal Sutton, Hale Irwin and Andy North joined the festivities at the “Coffee with Legends” reception. The trio shared their most memorable moments of Firestone on the club’s beautiful front lawn prior to the start of play on Thursday.

Following the conclusion of the second round on July 8, Firestone celebrated the career of Lanny Wadkins with a ceremony dedicating Clubroom No. 24 in the historic clubhouse in his name. A major champion and World Golf Hall of Famer, Wadkins joins a long list of the game’s greats who have been honored with a Clubroom on the top floor of the clubhouse including Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Tiger Woods.

Other festivities occurring throughout tournament week included Summerfest at Firestone, which featured local food trucks and other dining options as well as concerts from such noted performers as The Vindys  and the Akron Symphony Orchestra. Several pro-am and sponsor tournaments and parties also took place, in addition to golf clinics and a Wednesday junior golf tournament.

“As the host of the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship since 2019, it has been a pleasure to welcome back the greats of the game to such a historic and premier venue as we have here at Firestone Country Club,“ says General Manager Jay Walkinshaw. “This year was no different, thanks in large part to the efforts of our incredible staff who make our club what it is: a true home for golf.”

Next year, the event will have a new date and a new sponsor. Akron-based Kaulig Companies signed a four-year title sponsor deal that starts in 2023 and will keep the tournament at Firestone through 2026. The 2023 Kaulig Companies Senior Players Championship will occur July 13-16. The 2023 event will also mark the 70th anniversary of professional golf at Firestone.

Firestone is conveniently located less than an hour from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and 15 minutes from Akron-Canton Airport. It is also within easy driving distance of other major metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Columbus, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Detroit. Nearby off-course attractions include the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton and the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

For more information, www.firestonecountryclub.com.