Tucson, Ariz. (February 18, 2021) – The Cologuard Classic announced today that Hall-of-Fame pitcher John Smoltz will receive a sponsor exemption to play in the 2021 Cologuard Classic, to be played February 26 – 28, 2021 at Omni Tucson National’s Catalina Course. 2021 marks the third straight year that Smoltz has played in Tucson’s PGA TOUR Champions event on a sponsor exemption. Smoltz finished T53 in 2019 and 71st in 2020. Four more sponsor exemptions will be awarded in the coming days.
The 53-year-old, 1996 NL Cy Young Award winner has played in five PGA TOUR Champions’ events including the 2020 Cologuard Classic; the 2019 Cologuard Classic; the 2019 Mitsubishi Electric Classic in Atlanta, Ga. (finishing T61); the 2019 American Family Insurance Championship in Madison, Wis. (finishing T76); and the 2018 U.S. Senior Open, where he carded rounds of 85-77 at The Broadmoor Golf Club.
In January, Smoltz placed seventh at the 2021 Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in Orlando, a tournament he won in 2019. Smoltz’s golf resume also includes three top-10 finishes at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe (3 rd in 2020, 10th in 2018 and T9 in 2017).
In 21 MLB seasons, Smoltz was an eight-time All-Star and won the 1995 World Series with the Atlanta Braves. He is the Braves' all-time leader in strikeouts (3,011), ranks third in games pitched (708), and he tallied a 15–4 record with a 2.67 ERA in 41 career postseason games. Smoltz is the only pitcher in MLB history to record 200 wins and 150 saves, and he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015, his first year of eligibility.
Smoltz joined MLB Network in 2010 and is a game and studio analyst. He appears across MLB Network's studio programming, including MLB Tonight and the live game series MLB Network Showcase. Smoltz also serves as lead game analyst for FOX.
In addition to Smoltz, many of the top names on the PGA TOUR Champions have committed to play in the 2021 Cologuard Classic, including defending champion Bernhard Langer, Jim Furyk, Ernie Els, Jerry Kelly, and Retief Goosen.
The Cologuard Classic, named after Wisconsin-based Exact Sciences’ noninvasive at-home colon cancer screening test for average-risk individuals 45 years or older, is now in its fourth year and 2021 marks the seventh year the Conquistadores have partnered with the PGA TOUR Champions. Bernhard Langer is the tournament’s defending champion. The 2021 tournament activities are scheduled to take place February 21-28 at Omni Tucson National Resort and will feature an 81-player field competing for a $1.7 million purse with $255,000 and 255 Charles Schwab Cup points for the winner. The no-cut format includes three days of competition (Friday-Sunday) with players participating in pro-am events on Wednesday and Thursday. Tournament proceeds benefit youth athletic programs in Southern Arizona and colorectal cancer research and advocacy. For information on the Cologuard Classic, please visit CologuardClassic.com.
ABOUT COLOGUARD
Cologuard was approved by the FDA in August 2014, and results from Exact Sciences' prospective 90-site, point-in-time, 10,000-patient pivotal trial were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in March 2014. Cologuard is included in the American Cancer Society's (2018) colorectal cancer screening guidelines and the recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2016) and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (2016). Cologuard is indicated to screen adults 45 years of age and older who are at average risk for colorectal cancer by detecting certain DNA markers and blood in the stool. Do not use Cologuard if you have had precancer, have inflammatory bowel disease and certain hereditary syndromes, or have a personal or family history of colorectal cancer. Cologuard is not a replacement for colonoscopy in high risk patients. Cologuard performance in adults ages 45-49 is estimated based on a large clinical study of patients 50 and older. Cologuard performance in repeat testing has not been evaluated.
The Cologuard test result should be interpreted with caution. A positive test result does not confirm the presence of cancer. Patients with a positive test result should be referred for diagnostic colonoscopy. A negative test result does not confirm the absence of cancer. Patients with a negative test result should discuss with their doctor when they need to be tested again.
Medicare and most major insurers cover Cologuard. For more information about Cologuard, visit www.cologuardtest.com. Rx Only.
ABOUT PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS PGA TOUR
PGA TOUR Champions is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older, including 35 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Tour’s mission is to provide financial opportunities for its players, entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back and generate significant charitable and economic impact in tournament communities. Follow PGA TOUR Champions online at PGATOUR.com, at facebook.com/PGATOURChampions, on Twitter @ChampionsTour and on Instagram @pgatourchampions.
All events are televised in the United States, with most receiving complete coverage on Golf Channel, the exclusive cable-television partner of PGA TOUR Champions. Tournament programming is available via 25+ TV linear partners in 145+ countries and territories, with 25 channels carrying long-form and/or highlights coverage, and 200+ hours of live coverage distributed in 135+ countries and territories. Programming is also available via the OTT platform GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR in every market outside of the United States, excluding China and Korea, with live coverage distributed in 130+ countries and territories.
ABOUT THE TUCSON CONQUISTADORES
The Tucson Conquistadores are the tournament management team that oversees the operations and the sales arm of the PGA TOUR Champions’ Cologuard Classic. Since their inception in 1962, the Conquistadores have contributed more than $36 million to local and national charities. The Conquistadores comprise of up to 60 active business and professional members, and a total membership of 220 who represent a cross-section of the Tucson community. In addition to their involvement with professional golf, the group has established the Tucson Conquistadores Foundation. Key beneficiaries of the Conquistadores' fundraising efforts include southern Arizona youth athletic programs, The First Tee Tucson and colon cancer advocacy organizations. Follow the Tucson Conquistadores online at www.tucsonconquistadores.com and www.Facebook.com/TucsonConquistadores.
Tournament Media Contact: Rob Myers, rob@rmprgroup.com, 602-317-6131
