Cologuard Classic to have tighter course at La Paloma, partnership with community food bank at new Tucson home

After five years playing at the Omni Tucson National Resort, The Cologuard Classic by Exact Sciences’ new home in 2024 will offer different components both on and off the course.

The annual Tucson PGA Champions Tour event will be hosted by La Paloma Country Club for the first time when the 2024 tournament begins March 8-10; that kicks off national Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, which raises awareness about colorectal cancer and honors those affected by the disease.

“We’re happily carrying on the baton to serve as a civic opportunity to gather people and to raise money for a great charity and a great cause,” said Rob DeMore, executive vice president of Troon Privé, the firm that manages La Paloma's facilities, at a news conference Thursday.

The event will include a two-day pro-am competition before 54 holes of stroke play with no cut between Friday and Sunday. There will be three rounds with a total of 78 PGA Champions Tour players competing.

Thinner course at La Paloma poses new challenges

As opposed to the spacious course that golfers have played on years past at Onmi Tucson National Resort, players will now have to get used to a more narrow and mountainous terrain.

“Players can expect to have that eye shot,” PGA Tournament Champions golfer and Cologuard ambassador Jerry Kelly said Thursday of the La Paloma layout.

Kelly said that the closest resemblance of this course he’s had in his career is The Club at Starr Pass, also in Tucson. He said the wind will have a huge impact on the golfers, while the number of challenges that the PGA golfer named in this new course is enough to count fully on one hand.

“It’s gonna be a lot harder to hit fairways,” Kelly said. “It’s gonna be a lot harder to escape after you miss the fairway, it’s gonna be a lot harder to hit the green, it’s gonna be a lot harder to get up and down once you do miss the greens, the putting is gonna be a lot more difficult, so basically I think this course is gonna be a lot more difficult.”

Added Kelly: “You can escape from anywhere out there and you can hit it anywhere out there [at Tucson National], not here.”

Although La Paloma is a tight golf course, Cologuard Classic tournament chairman Joe Hickle said that the course has been rerouted to utilize all three nine hole courses to “bring as much action as we can.”

Kelly said that he wants everybody to come out to watch the event and make it as packed with people as possible. He thinks that the areas where spectators can view from the closing holes is “one huge amphitheater.”

“I think it’s gonna be a great event,” Kelly said.

Complimentary general admission tickets to benefit community food bank

The event announced Thursday that within a new partnership between the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona and Exact Sciences, golf fans who donate non-perishable food items or make a minimum $5 donation to community food bank will receive a complimentary general admission ticket to Day 2 (Saturday) of the tournament.

“At Exact Sciences, we believe that a commitment to community makes everyone stronger,” said Everett Cunningham, chief commercial officer of Exact Sciences, in a news release. “We hope this partnership gives all Tucson community members the opportunity to attend this truly special event, while simultaneously benefiting a great cause and fighting food insecurity in the Southern Arizona community.”

Malea Chavez, CEO of Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, said there has been a 30% increase in need for the food bank’s services each year and that this type of partnership is “amazing” for all involved.

“Hunger in southern Arizona is an enormous challenge and community partnerships can make a big difference, especially a high visibility event like the Cologuard Classic,” Chavez said in the release.

Chavez said that people can visit Find Food & Donate to the Community Food Bank, or stop by their location at 3003 South Country Club Road to make donations.

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Mission for awareness and ‘standard of care’

The Cologuard Classic has seen its tournament proceeds total more than $3.1 million since Cologuard, a screening test that is included in the American Cancer Society’s colorectal cancer screening guidelines, became the tournament's title sponsor in 2018. Those proceeds benefit Tucson-area colon cancer awareness initiatives and Southern Arizona youth sports.

For Kelly, informing people about the benefits of Cologuard and getting tested at an early age means a lot to him as he has personally lost friends who had the disease.

"Getting the word out for early detection hits home," Kelly said. “I think everyone should get tested, I think it should be a standard of care because the instances of younger individuals [ages 35 to 45], getting this disease has jumped traumatically. So, this tournament means so much more.

"The mission of this golf tournament is early detection and saving lives.”