Wichita also wins in golf tournament

A warm welcome to all the professional golfers and others connected to the Web.com Tour, which is back at Crestview Country Club for the Air Capital Classic. While the champion can look forward to receiving $112,500 on Sunday, the community is certain to share in the winnings.

The support from area sponsors and fans reportedly is up this year for the tournament, which is one of four played annually throughout the tour’s 27-year history. It’s booked at Crestview through 2018.

For spectators, who numbered more than 42,000 in 2015, it’s a chance to see PGA Tour stars in the making. Fourteen former Air Capital Classic players secured 2015-16 PGA Tour cards via Web.com Tour events, including 2016 Wichita champion Rob Oppenheim. And the Air Capital Classic could boast that 21 of its alumni were in the 90-player field for the 2016 Masters, including Wichita winners Jason Dufner (2001) and Scott Piercy (2008). Over the years such names as Tom Lehman, David Duval, David Toms, Ben Crane and Jhonattan Vegas also have prevailed over the event’s challenges, which often include high winds and temperatures.

For Wichita, the Air Capital Classic is an opportunity to show its finest hospitality in return not only for an estimated $4.5 million economic impact but also the benefit to local charities – $140,000 last year and $500,000 since 2013. The 2016 event, which is presented by Aetna, builds on the recent success of the tournament’s ambassador program, which has engaged corporate and individual sponsors in supporting the event and solidifying its finances and future while raising dollars for good causes.

The Air Capital Classic is a winning partnership with a proud past but also a compelling role to play in Wichita’s ongoing quality of life and future economic growth.

This story was originally published June 24, 2016 at 12:07 AM with the headline "Wichita also wins in golf tournament."