It’s been about two years since Jefferson Health CEO Joe Cacchione and Jefferson Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Office Nick Rangone initially discussed holding a PGA Champions Tour event in the Lehigh Valley.

They wanted to show the Lehigh Valley their commitment to the area after a recent merger with Lehigh Valley Health Network.

“I had been thinking of a Champions Tour event and was thinking about Philadelphia, “ Rangone said at a media event last week at Lehigh Country Club. “Joe said ‘actually lets to it here.’ It made perfect sense. This is the culmination of Joe’s vision. And we’re 24 days out now. It’s super exciting.”

The first Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic gets underway Friday, Oct. 2, at Lehigh Country Club. But there will be plenty of events and activities at LCC the week leading up to the event, including pro-am tournaments Tuesday and Wednesday before Thursday’s practice round.

It will mark the first professional-level tournament at the 115-year old club.

When representatives from Jefferson initially proposed the idea to Lehigh, there was some surprise at first, along with some questions.

“It was not on our bingo card,” said third-generation LCC member and current club golf tournament director Rich Adams. “We were surprised and honored, but we knew we had a lot of diligence to do. I was president of the club at the time. We ran it by our board. Our board was wholly in favor of it.

“We called other clubs that host Champions Tour events and we had an opportunity to do it and we said yes.”

Members knew their golf course would be a great test for the pros. Adams said they wondered if the club’s space and infrastructure could support the event. The club’s golfers also wanted to know how long the course would be closed for the event.

He said HNS Sports Group, the Ohio-based company running the tournament, was ‘phenomenal’ in answering those questions.

“Our membership is very supportive and now they’ve rallied behind it 100 percent,” said Adams. “We have a big golfing community at the club. They’re behind it. A lot of volunteers, not only the volunteer support, but the business support from our member-owned businesses.”

Adams said at least 900 volunteers were needed and more than that have joined the effort.

Build out of grandstands and other tournament structures will begin at Lehigh this week, but members will be able to play the course right up until the weekend before the tournament.

Last week the course hosted a few special guests as three professional players attended the media event and got a chance to play the course.

Major champion and Ryder Cup hero Justin Leonard, Dicky Pride and Glen Day were all at Lehigh last week for the event.

For Pride, it was the second time he was playing the William Flynn layout.

“It’s an old-school northeast course and it’s beautiful,” said Pride. “You’re going to have to play a lot of shots away from where you want it to finish. You’re going to be getting bounces because the greens and fairways all contour to the land.

“It’s a lot of fun because one, you have to scout it and know where you’re trying to go, and two, you have to actually do it, which isn’t always easy.”

Both Day and Pride were in the Lehigh Valley for the 2022 US Senior US Open at Saucon Valley and are happy to be coming back to the area.

“I remember how nice everybody was,” said Day. “You remember bad things all the time, but I don’t remember anything bad about the whole trip. I’m really looking forward to coming back.

“It’s going to be great. This is our market. We look forward to coming. I’ve heard the turn out is going to be great. We’re excited about it.”

“It’s a really nice community,” said Pride. “I feel confident that they’re going to support the event and get excited about the event for years to come.”

That’s why the folks at Jefferson wanted the tournament at Lehigh. They want the rest of the world to learn what most Lehigh Valley residents already know.

“The PGA Tour hasn’t been in this area in 50 years,” said Rangone. “I’m not sure the rest of the country realizes what they’re missing out on, but the Lehigh Valley is a special area.”

The tournament will be broadcast live on Golf Channel.

During last week’s event, tournament director Tom Sullivan announced a few new names to the list of players that will be competing at Lehigh next month, including some top names from Europe in major winners Miguel Angel Jimenez, Retief Goosen and Darren Clark, along with Steve Alker, who has been one of the top players on that tour the past few seasons

They join a list of names that Sullivan announced earlier in the year, including Vijay Singh, Stewart Cink, Glen Day, and fan favorite Michael Block.

Tickets are still available for the tournament as well as limited spaces for sponsors to play in the pro-am tournaments where they play alongside professionals.

For more information about the tournament see jeffersonclassic.com.