Beau Rivage to host second annual VGA Championship

(PRESS RELEASE) -- The Veteran Golfers Association (VGA) seeks to follow up on the success of last year's inaugural championship when 80 of the country's top military veteran golfers tee it up at the Second Annual 2016 VGA National Championship, 16-19 October in Biloxi, Miss. This year's tournament is hosted at Fallen Oak, the Tom Fazio-designed championship course ordinarily reserved exclusively for guests of MGM Resort International's renowned Beau Rivage Resort & Casino.

Anticipation for the championship continues to grow as 430 competitors square off in four regional qualifiers to earn the right to play for VGA division titles at Fallen Oak. The qualifiers take place 4-5 September at Blackwolf Run in Sheboygan, Wisc. (Central region-concluded), 17-18 September at Queenstown Harbor in Queenstown, Md. (North region), 24-25 September at Anderson Creek in Spring Lake, N.C. (South region), and conclude 1-2 October at Chambers Bay – site of the 2015 U.S. Open – in Tacoma, Wash. (West region).

"MGM Resorts International and Beau Rivage are honored to host the VGA National Championship for our veterans," said Beau Rivage General Manager Marcus Glover. "Fallen Oak has hosted many of the greatest golfers in the world at the PGA Tour Champions event we host each spring, and we look forward to having the same opportunity this fall to inspire and celebrate our nation's top veteran golfers on one of the most spectacular courses in the country."

The 2016 VGA Tour included over 125 tournaments at military, public and private courses, with more than 1,000 veteran golfers participating. Like the tour events, the VGA National Championship features three divisions of competition: Veteran, Combat Wounded and Family. Within each division are four handicapped flights and an open handicap Women's flight.

The championship tournament at Fallen Oak is expected to have the same emotional impact as last year's debut event in Pinehurst, N.C., once again putting put the service, sacrifice and patriotism of its participants in the national spotlight. Wounded veterans and Purple Heart recipients will make up nearly half the field, and competitors will range from enlisted personnel to three-star generals.

"The 2016 VGA Tour has been terrific so far, and this year's championship will be just as special as Pinehurst No. 2 was last year," said VGA President Joshua Peyton, a retired Army Captain and Army Ranger. "The regional qualifiers will provide an exciting run-up to the grand finale at Fallen Oak."

Founded in 2014, the VGA is a national non-profit organization offering U.S. military veterans the opportunity to enjoy competition and community through golf. Membership is open to all U.S. veterans – wounded, non-wounded, disabled, active duty and retired – as well as to their families, including parents, siblings and dependents who are at least 18 years old.

The VGA's mission is to enhance the lives of veterans and their family members through the camaraderie and sportsmanship of golf. The VGA also focuses on Post Traumatic Growth initiatives to help veterans and families cope with combat-related injuries. Using golf as an alternative activity, these veterans can choose a more productive way to deal with the challenges that impact their everyday lives.

More information on the 2016 tour and championship event is available at the VGA Championship website.