Stewart Cink headlines a star-packed PGA Tour Champions field as the new Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic debuts in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The PGA Tour Champions arrives in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley this week, and the circuit isn’t easing into its newest stop.
The inaugural Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic presented by Sodexo tees off Friday at Lehigh Country Club in Allentown with Charles Schwab Cup leader Stewart Cink heading one of the deepest fields of the late-season schedule.
Cink enters the 54-hole tournament at No. 1 in the Schwab Cup standings after collecting five victories in 2026, including major wins at the Senior PGA Championship and Regions Tradition.
There’s plenty of firepower chasing him.
Steven Alker, currently No. 3 in the standings, won consecutive events in August and joins fellow top-10 contenders Retief Goosen, Boo Weekley, George McNeill, Ernie Els, Ben Crane and Miguel Angel Jiménez.
Eight of the top 10 players in the season-long race are scheduled to compete.
That makes the timing significant. The Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic is the 23rd event of the 28-tournament PGA Tour Champions schedule and leaves only two regular-season stops before the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs begin Oct. 23 in St. Louis.
For fans, the field offers far more than the current points race.
World Golf Hall of Famers Els, Goosen, Colin Montgomerie and Vijay Singh are scheduled to play, while major champions Darren Clarke, David Duval, Justin Leonard, Mike Weir and Ángel Cabrera add even more name recognition.
Tournament officials have assembled a 78-player field for the first edition of an event expected to become an annual fixture in Allentown.
Lehigh Country Club will play as a par 70 at 6,760 yards, creating a relatively compact test where precision and scoring opportunities could become especially important.
There’s also plenty at stake financially. Players will compete for a $2.3 million purse, with $345,000 going to the champion.
And somebody will leave Pennsylvania with something nobody else has: the distinction of becoming the first Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic champion.
All three competitive rounds are scheduled to air Friday through Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. on Golf Channel.
With Cink trying to strengthen his grip on the Schwab Cup and a collection of major champions chasing him, the PGA Tour Champions’ newest tournament is starting with considerably more than ceremonial fanfare.
