EAST GULL LAKE – Jake Knapp, champion of the 2022 CRMC Championship presented by Gertens, has been named honorary chairman of the event, which will be held August 25-September 1 at Cragun’s Legacy Courses.
Knapp has four top-10 finishes in his rookie season on the PGA TOUR, including a win at the Mexico Open at Vidanta in just his fifth start. He is now exempt from the PGA TOUR until 2026.
“I am honored to be named Honorary Chairman of the CRMC Championship and am grateful to Brainerd Lakes Area and Cragun’s Legacy Courses for this special opportunity,” said Knapp. “The Dutch Course is a great test of my golf talent on the PGA TOUR Americas and my success there has played a critical role in shaping my career to date.”
“It goes without saying that I am thrilled to be able to make a small contribution in the third year of this event and look forward to future collaboration with CRMC, Gertens and the support of the CRMC Foundation.”
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The CRMC Championship is part of the PGA TOUR Americas calendar, which was introduced last year and represents the merger of PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and PGA TOUR Canada into a single tour.
The CRMC – named after title sponsor Cuyuna Regional Medical Center – goes far beyond golf, with an extensive week-long program for the public, adults and children alike, kicking off on Sunday, August 25 with the “Cruising for Charity on Gull Lake” event.
“I’ve talked to him about it a lot and he’s really happy to have won it,” said Jack Wawro, director of golf at Cragun’s. “It’s cool to have him involved in the event in any way possible. We asked him to come for the weekend, but he’s pretty busy playing on tour. We’re one of the few events on the PGA Tour Americas where that’s happened. This is our first winner, so that worked out pretty well. We told everyone these guys are the next PGA stars, and that worked out well because Jake has already won on tour.”
As the final stop for the full field before the PGA TOUR America Fortinet Cup Championship in Toronto, the CRMC Championship is a major milestone for aspiring professionals. The stakes are high, as the top 10 players on the season points list after the Fortinet Cup Championship will earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2024-25 and a share of a $100,000 bonus pool.
Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Shipping
To make things even more exciting, Cragun added 58 yards to the 18th hole in the hopes of creating more drama down the home stretch on Sunday.
“It’s supposed to be a risky shot over water into the 18th green but it’s worth it, but last year they hit 9 irons into the green and made eagle after eagle,” Wawro said. “This year it takes 380 yards to get over the fairway bunker. Just before it’s 320 yards. They’ll have to earn their eagle a little more on the 18th. That will be more fun for the pond and the hole overall.”
Wawro and his staff invested time and effort to make the CRMC Championship a fan-friendly event not only for the golfing public, but also for non-golfers.
Thursday’s opening round is designated Family Day and the Babinski Foundation will be on hand to showcase animals for families to adopt. It’s also Seniors Day and seniors 55 and older will receive 50% off VIP tickets, which include as much food and drink as they desire.
“There will be kids’ games and free ice cream to attract families to our Thursday rounds,” Wawro said. “There will also be VIP discounts for seniors.”
The second round on Friday is Military Day. The first 250 active and non-active soldiers and veterans will receive free VIP tickets from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Shipping
“It’s free food and beverages for the day at three different locations on the course,” Wawro said. “We have a location on the front nine holes, the back nine holes and in the clubhouse.”
“Saturday is the bigger day. After the cut on Friday, there’s a lot of golf to watch. Then we have the Saturday Jam. As soon as the last putt is made on Saturday at around 5:45 p.m., the band The Hype plays near the 18th green. The band plays for about two hours and then there’s a fireworks display. It’s a cool day. It’s kind of a celebration for the volunteers and the tournament itself.”
The CRMC Championship is not only a golf festival in the Brainerd Lakes Region, but also a major fundraiser for the CRMC. This year, there will be a breakfast buffet on Sunday morning before golf begins. The proceeds will go to Smiles for Jake.
On Sunday, August 25, Gull Lake will host Cruising for Charity, an exclusive culinary experience benefitting the CRMC Foundation with special guest Tom Lehman and two-time Stanley Cup winner Shawn Chambers.
New this year is the CRMC Four Charity Scramble on the Lehman 18.
“It’s a pretty cool thing,” Wawro said. “It’s a four-way scramble and every third hole a PGA Tour Americas player hits a tee shot for them. You get to see these guys in a different light. You play a ball for your score and every third hole you see someone new. It’s a unique scramble event. The whole point of it is to raise money for the CRMC Foundation.”
“There’s room for all of that. I think there’s 10 spots left for the cruise. There’s room for the scramble. We have 18 teams there. We’d love to have 36 teams, but we’re aiming for 20. Once people see how cool it is, they’ll love it and want to play. It’s $600 per team with a meal afterward.”
Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Shipping
Wawro also mentioned a closest-to-the-pin event that takes place on the old Bobby’s ninth hole near the clubhouse. The event lasts the entire event. There is a cash prize for a hole-in-one. It is sponsored by the American Legion.
“We’re looking for over 10,000 spectators,” Wawro said. “That’s our goal. We want to make sure everyone comes. We also need about six volunteers. We need walking scorers for Thursday and Sunday afternoons. It’s a really great job because you get to walk with the players and get to know them. You’re right there with them while they’re playing. You notice where their ball goes, what their score is and what they hit off the tee. It’s a pretty fun job.”
Reach JEREMY MILLSOP at 218-855-5856 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jeremymillsop.
