Regions Charity Classic
Encyclopedia
The Regions Charity Classic, formerly known as the Bruno's Memorial Classic, was an American
golf
tournament
on the Champions Tour
. It was held at Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa
, one of ten courses on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
, located in Hoover, Alabama
(a suburb of Birmingham
). The tournament was founded in 1991 by Birmingham-based Bruno's Supermarkets
. The event was managed by the Bruno family under its Bruno Event Team company.
Through 2006, the tournament was normally scheduled to end on the first Sunday of May of each year, or a few days close to that day. In 2007, the tournament schedule was moved roughly two weeks later, to May 17-20. The first two tournaments were held in August — frequently a time of hot, humid climate
in Alabama
. The dates were moved to June for three more years, then finally to the early May/late April period.
In 2010, organizers announced that the tournament would be superseded by the move of The Tradition
, a Champions Tour major tournament, which will be played at nearby Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club. Regions will take on sponsorship of this event, which will be called "The Regions Tradition." The tournament will be held May 2-8, 2011.
as the title sponsor. The name stems from the founders, Angelo and Lee Bruno (brothers of Bruno's founder Joseph Bruno), who were killed in an airplane crash shortly after the December 1991 press conference announcing the tournament's inception as the Bruno's Classic. From its beginning, the tournament was staged at the Greystone Golf & Country Club
, in the Inverness section of the Birmingham suburb of Hoover.
Since its inception, the Bruno's Memorial Classic has been one of the most popular stops on the Champions Tour, usually attracting all of the top money winners. With the loss of the annual Iron Bowl
college football
game between Alabama
and Auburn
, which was formerly played at Birmingham's
Legion Field
, the golf tournament has become Metro Birmingham's largest sporting event. Bruno's Supermarkets has since dropped as the presenting sponsorship before the 2009 event.
In 2006, Bruno's Supermarkets — which had undergone a series of financial struggles, various ownerships, and the loss involvement by Bruno family members — announced it would reduce its sponsorship commitment to the tournament. Regions Financial Corporation, a bank
ing and financial services company based in Birmingham, stepped in as the title sponsor, with Bruno's remaining as a presenting sponsor. At the same time, tournament organizers announced that the site would move to the new Ross Bridge course, approximately 15 miles (25 km) west of Greystone at the other end of the city of Hoover.
Regions Charity Classic presented by Bruno's Supermarkets
Bruno's Memorial Classic
to form the Bruno Event Team, a sports event management firm that now operates year round. The team currently manages the Women's U.S. Open
and United States Senior Open
for the United States Golf Association
, various championship events for the Southeastern Conference
, and races at Birmingham's Barber Motorsports Park
. It is now the managing partner for the Regions Tradition.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
on the Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
. It was held at Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa
Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa
The Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa is a 259-room resort, providing fine dining, a championship golf course, and equipped with a full service spa. In addition there is approximately of indoor/outdoor meeting space. The hotel is managed by PCH Hotels and Resorts, Inc...
, one of ten courses on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is a collection of championship caliber golf courses, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., distributed across the state of Alabama, as part of investments by the Retirement Systems of Alabama. The Trail started with 378 holes at eight sites throughout the state,...
, located in Hoover, Alabama
Hoover, Alabama
Hoover is a city in Jefferson and Shelby Counties in north central Alabama, in the United States. The largest suburb of Birmingham, the population of the city was 62,742 as of the 2000 census and 81,619 in the 2010 census. Hoover is part of the Birmingham-Hoover, AL MSA and is also included in the...
(a suburb of Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
). The tournament was founded in 1991 by Birmingham-based Bruno's Supermarkets
Bruno's Supermarkets
Bruno's Supermarkets, LLC is an American chain of grocery stores founded in 1932 by Joe Bruno in Birmingham, Alabama. It previously operated over 230 stores under the names Bruno’s, Food World, Foodmax, Food Fair, Fresh Value, Vincent's Markets, Piggly Wiggly, Consumer Foods, and American Fare in...
. The event was managed by the Bruno family under its Bruno Event Team company.
Through 2006, the tournament was normally scheduled to end on the first Sunday of May of each year, or a few days close to that day. In 2007, the tournament schedule was moved roughly two weeks later, to May 17-20. The first two tournaments were held in August — frequently a time of hot, humid climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. The dates were moved to June for three more years, then finally to the early May/late April period.
In 2010, organizers announced that the tournament would be superseded by the move of The Tradition
The Tradition
The Tradition is one of the five major championships recognized by the U.S.-based Champions Tour, the world's leading tour for professional golfers aged fifty and older. The inaugural event was staged in 1989.Unlike the U.S...
, a Champions Tour major tournament, which will be played at nearby Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club. Regions will take on sponsorship of this event, which will be called "The Regions Tradition." The tournament will be held May 2-8, 2011.
History
The tournament was first held in 1992 as the Bruno's Memorial Classic, with Bruno's SupermarketsBruno's Supermarkets
Bruno's Supermarkets, LLC is an American chain of grocery stores founded in 1932 by Joe Bruno in Birmingham, Alabama. It previously operated over 230 stores under the names Bruno’s, Food World, Foodmax, Food Fair, Fresh Value, Vincent's Markets, Piggly Wiggly, Consumer Foods, and American Fare in...
as the title sponsor. The name stems from the founders, Angelo and Lee Bruno (brothers of Bruno's founder Joseph Bruno), who were killed in an airplane crash shortly after the December 1991 press conference announcing the tournament's inception as the Bruno's Classic. From its beginning, the tournament was staged at the Greystone Golf & Country Club
Greystone Golf & Country Club
Greystone Golf & Country Club is a private, 36-hole golf club located just outside Birmingham, Alabama, United States, in the suburb of Hoover, Alabama. The two courses are known as The Founders Course and the The Legacy Course . The Legacy Course is currently ranked #89 in Golf Week's ...
, in the Inverness section of the Birmingham suburb of Hoover.
Since its inception, the Bruno's Memorial Classic has been one of the most popular stops on the Champions Tour, usually attracting all of the top money winners. With the loss of the annual Iron Bowl
Iron Bowl
The Iron Bowl is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the University of Alabama and the Auburn Tigers football team of Auburn University. The series is considered one of the best and most hard-fought rivalries in all of sports...
college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game between Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
and Auburn
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
, which was formerly played at Birmingham's
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
Legion Field
Legion Field
Legion Field is a large stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but is occasionally used for other large outdoor events. The stadium is named in honor of the American Legion, a U.S. organization of military veterans. At its peak...
, the golf tournament has become Metro Birmingham's largest sporting event. Bruno's Supermarkets has since dropped as the presenting sponsorship before the 2009 event.
In 2006, Bruno's Supermarkets — which had undergone a series of financial struggles, various ownerships, and the loss involvement by Bruno family members — announced it would reduce its sponsorship commitment to the tournament. Regions Financial Corporation, a bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
ing and financial services company based in Birmingham, stepped in as the title sponsor, with Bruno's remaining as a presenting sponsor. At the same time, tournament organizers announced that the site would move to the new Ross Bridge course, approximately 15 miles (25 km) west of Greystone at the other end of the city of Hoover.
Winners
Regions Charity Classic- 2010 Dan ForsmanDan ForsmanDaniel Bruce Forsman is an American professional golfer.-Early years:Forsman was born in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. He grew up in northern California, where he learned to play golf at Los Altos Golf and Country Club. He attended Arizona State University.-Professional career:Forsman turned...
- 2009 Keith FergusKeith FergusKeith Carlton Fergus is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour, the Nationwide Tour and the Champions Tour....
Regions Charity Classic presented by Bruno's Supermarkets
- 2008 Andy BeanAndy BeanThomas Andrew Bean is an American professional golfer who previously played on the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour...
- 2007 Brad BryantBrad BryantBradley Dub Bryant is an American professional golfer.Bryant was born in Amarillo, Texas, the son of a Southern Baptist pastor. He moved with his family to Alamagordo, New Mexico during his youth...
- 2006 Brad BryantBrad BryantBradley Dub Bryant is an American professional golfer.Bryant was born in Amarillo, Texas, the son of a Southern Baptist pastor. He moved with his family to Alamagordo, New Mexico during his youth...
Bruno's Memorial Classic
- 2005 D. A. WeibringD. A. WeibringDonald Albert "D.A." Weibring, Jr. is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments including several on the PGA Tour and Champions Tour....
- 2004 Bruce FleisherBruce Fleisher-Early years and amateur career:Fleisher was born in Union City, Tennessee. He became involved in golf at age 7 by working as a caddie with his two brothers. Fleisher attended Miami-Dade Junior College and Furman University. In 1968 at age 19, he became the third youngest player to win the U.S....
- 2003 Tom JenkinsTom JenkinsThomas Wayne Jenkins is an American golfer.Jenkins was born in Houston, Texas. He attended the University of Houston, where he was a member of the winning 1970 NCAA Division I golf team. He graduated in 1971 and turned professional. His only PGA Tour victory was the 1975 IVB-Philadelphia Golf...
- 2002 Sammy RachelsSammy RachelsSammy Tindol Rachels III is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour, but found his greatest level of success on the Champions Tour....
- 2001 Hale IrwinHale IrwinHale S. Irwin is an American professional golfer. He is one of the few players in history to have won three U.S. Opens and was one of the world's leading golfers for much of the 1970s and 1980s. He has also developed a career as a golf course architect.Irwin was born in Joplin, Missouri, but was...
- 2000 John JacobsJohn Jacobs (American golfer)John Alexander Jacobs is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour. Jacobs is the younger brother of professional golfer Tommy Jacobs....
- 1999 Larry NelsonLarry NelsonLarry Gene Nelson is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level.Nelson was born in Fort Payne, Alabama and grew up in Acworth, Georgia, northwest of Atlanta...
- 1998 Hubert GreenHubert GreenHubert Myatt Green is an American professional golfer who has won numerous professional golf tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level....
- 1997 Jay SigelJay SigelRobert Jay Sigel is an American professional golfer. He enjoyed one of the more illustrious careers in the history of U.S...
- 1996 John BlandJohn BlandJohn Louis Bland is a South African professional golfer who has won more than thirty professional tournaments around the world....
- 1995 Graham MarshGraham MarshGraham Vivian Marsh MBE was one of the leading Australian professional golfers of his generation.-Career outline:Marsh was born in Kalgoorlie, Australia...
- 1994 Jim DentJim DentJames Lacey Dent is an American professional golfer.Dent was born in the golf mecca of Augusta, Georgia, home of the Masters Tournament, though as an African American he wouldn't have been allowed onto the Augusta National course at the time, except as a caddie. He caddied both at Augusta National...
- 1993 Bob MurphyBob Murphy (golfer)Robert Joseph Murphy, Jr. is an American professional golfer who was formerly a member of the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour. Murphy has won 21 tournaments as a professional.-Early years:...
- 1992 George ArcherGeorge ArcherGeorge William Archer was an American golfer who won twelve events on the PGA Tour, including one major championship.Archer was born in San Francisco, California and was raised just south in the city of San Mateo...
Bruno Event Team
The team that organized and managed the first tournaments drew applause for their efforts, so much so that they were asked to perform the same functions for other events. This led partners Ronnie Bruno, whose father started Bruno's Supermarkets, and Gene HallmanGene Hallman
Gene Hallman is one of the co-founders of the Bruno Event Team, a Birmingham, Alabama based sports marketing and event management company along with Ronnie Bruno. The company was founded from the Bruno's Memorial Classic , a Champions Tour golf event started in 1991...
to form the Bruno Event Team, a sports event management firm that now operates year round. The team currently manages the Women's U.S. Open
United States Women's Open Championship (golf)
The United States Women's Open Golf Championship, one of thirteen national championships conducted by the United States Golf Association , is one of the LPGA's major championships along with the LPGA Championship, the Women's British Open, and the Kraft Nabisco Championship...
and United States Senior Open
United States Senior Open
The U.S. Senior Open is one of the major championships in men's senior golf. It was first played in 1980 and is administered by the United States Golf Association and is recognized as a major championship by both the Champions Tour and the European Seniors Tour...
for the United States Golf Association
United States Golf Association
The United States Golf Association is the United States' national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the Rules of Golf. The USGA also provides a national handicap system...
, various championship events for the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
, and races at Birmingham's Barber Motorsports Park
Barber Motorsports Park
The Barber Motorsports Park is a multi-purpose racing facility located on the eastern fringes of Birmingham, Alabama, USA near Leeds. The facility was the vision of George Barber, and includes the Barber Vintage Motorsport Museum. In July 2009 officials announced that Barber will be the site of...
. It is now the managing partner for the Regions Tradition.