Sports in Palm Beach County reached over 6.2 million households with three internationally televised events. The events included the PGA Tour Champions’ TimberTech Championship, college football’s Boca Raton Bowl, and the ATP Tour’s Delray Beach Open. The over 60 hours of live broadcast coverage continued in the Palm Beach County Sports Commission’s efforts to market The Palm Beaches as an internationally recognized sports destination.
The TimberTech Championship teed off first from Oct. 26 to Nov. 1, 2020, with the world’s best senior golfers competing in Boca Raton. Since 2007, the event has called the Old Course at Broken Sound Club home and featured former PGA Tour stars like Bernhard Langer, Darren Clarke, Jim Furyk, and John Daly. Clarke edged Furyk and Langer by one stroke to win his first professional event since the 2011 Open Championship. Golf Channel provided 17.5 hours of live coverage which reached 3.3 million households.
On Dec. 22, 2020, the seventh annual RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl featured a high-scoring battle between Central Florida and Brigham Young in which the Knights defeated the Cougars 49-23. Since its inception in 2014, the bowl game has taken place at FAU Stadium on the campus of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. Over the years, the game has featured six conference champions including Northern Illinois, Marshall, and Florida Atlantic. The game aired live on ESPN during primetime and was shown in over 1.5 million households.
Professional tennis has developed a long history in Palm Beach County and, in 2021, added to that tradition. The Delray Beach Open, the only ATP Tour event that combines an ATP 250 event with an ATP Champions Tour event, was moved from its typical February slot to the Tour’s season-opening fixture from Jan. 4-13, 2021. Hubert Hurkacz, the No. 4 seed, claimed his second ATP Tour title by defeating 20-year-old American Sebastian Korda 6-3, 6-3. In doubles play, Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar won their first ATP title with a 6-7(5) 7-6(4) 10-4 victory over the Harrison brothers, Christian and Ryan. The Tennis Channel produced 41 hours of live event coverage and was shown in over 1.4 million households.
Throughout the three events and over 60 hours of broadcast coverage, Palm Beach County was featured as a premier sport and travel destination. 18 commercials across the Golf Channel, ESPN, and the Tennis Channel were shown featuring The Palm Beaches. Signage placements in each event also promoted the Palm Beach County Sports Commission and Discover The Palm Beaches.
The events took place at three of the best facilities in their respective sports. The Old Course at Broken Sound was established in 1987, redesigned in 2003, and has been the home of Palm Beach County’s PGA Tour Champions event for 14 years. Beyond the Champions Tour, Palm Beach County is also home to the PGA Tour’s The Honda Classic at PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens and recently hosted the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio Golf Club also in Boca Raton.
The Boca Raton Bowl’s host venue FAU Stadium opened in 2011 and is the home to the Florida Atlantic Owls football team. The crown jewel in Florida Atlantic University’s sports portfolio, the 30,000-seat FAU Stadium is built around a natural grass playing surface and includes 23 private boxes on two suite levels, a luxury Premier Club level, an open-air Priority Club level with Cabana Bar, and a media/broadcast press box level. Outside of football season, the stadium has held year-round events such as the Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game, USA Men’s and Women’s National Soccer Teams, and the NCAA Women’s Soccer College Cup.
Since moving into Palm Beach County, the Delray Beach Open has made the Delray Beach Tennis Center its home complex. The Center’s 14 clay courts, six hard courts, and an 8,200-seat stadium make it one of the premier tennis facilities in the southeast. The Center hosts many elite and charity tennis tournaments throughout the year including the USTA Clay Court Championships and the Chris Evert Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic.
For more information on venues and event services in Palm Beach County, please visit PalmBeachSports.com today.
