New golf tournament will bring rising stars to Richmond next fall

PGA and Richmond officials made the announcement about the new event on Monday. (Payton Kifus for The Richmonder)

For the past decade the Dominion Energy Charity Classic brought golf's past stars to the Country Club of Virginia. Starting next year, a new professional golf tournament will be returning to the area in its place, with an eye on the future of the game.

In a press conference on Monday, the PGA announced that the Korn Ferry Tour, where young golfers go to qualify for the PGA Tour, will bring its season-ending event to The Federal Club in Glen Allen.

The four-year contract agreement will be sponsored by "Virginia’s Richmond Region," a partnership between the Henrico Economic Development Authority, Henrico Sports & Entertainment Authority and the Virginia Tourism Corporation.

The inaugural event will take place October 5-11, 2026, at The Federal Club's course. The event will also include the PGA Tour Card ceremony, where the top 20 players on that year's Korn Ferry Tour after the Richmond event will receive an invitation to compete at the sport's highest level.

“It’s an effort that certainly checks all of the boxes for all of us as regional partners,” said Dan Schmitt, of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors. “I think as the tour would say, it supports tourism in so many ways. Sports tourism, specifically, supports our economic development efforts here in our region, and demonstrates the strength of our region’s ability when we work together.”

According to the PGA, the Korn Ferry Tour is composed of younger players within the league and acts as the developmental circuit for players playing their way up to the PGA’s top group, the PGA Tour.

The DECC played its final round last week. During it's decade in existence, the event raised more than $14 million for Richmond-area charities.

“The impact of professional golf on our region has been exponential,” said Schmitt. “The Dominion Energy Charity Classic has brought jobs, and more than $30 million annually, to the Richmond Region, has generated millions more for local charities, through community engagement and volunteers.

"We know that the Korn Ferry Championship will build on this model, and build on the momentum of that work delivering economic, cultural and community benefits across every corner of our region.”

The PGA TOUR has served as the event operator of the DECC since its inception and will be taking on the same role for the Korn Ferry Tour Championship.

This announcement brings answers to Richmond golf fans after two years of uncertainty, following Dominion Energy and the Country Club of Virginia’s decisions to pull from the tournament.

“Our local team that has managed the Dominion Energy Charity Classic is thrilled to have the opportunity to continue in the same capacity for the Korn Ferry Tour Championship,” wrote Steve Schoenfeld, Executive Director of the Dominion Energy Charity Classic and soon to be of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship. “The support the community has demonstrated over the past ten years has been nothing short of spectacular, so we are excited to be able to remain here and cannot wait to get started on this next chapter of professional golf in the Richmond region.”