Tournament History
In December of 2003, the PGA TOUR and former Governor, Bob Wise, announced that West Virginia would host a new Nationwide Tour event at the Pete Dye Golf Club. After four immensely successful years as the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic, West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin joined with PGA TOUR officials in January 2008 to officially launch the first ever $1 million Nationwide Tour Players Cup in July, 2008. The Player’s Cup is now one of the Tour’s three premier, in-season events along with the Soboba Classic in San Jacinto, CA and the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island in Charleston, SC.
The second annual Nationwide Tour Players Cup will be held June 22 – 28, at the Pete Dye Golf Club in Bridgeport, W.Va. It features a unique 144-player field based on the Nationwide Tour's money list and is the first of the Tour’s three $1 million purses. Coverage of the prestigious Players Cup will receive significant national and international exposure on the Golf Channel, promoting the state's tourism industry as far away as Asia, Europe and Latin America.
"We couldn't be happier that the Nationwide Tour has selected West Virginia to host its marquee in-season event," Manchin said. "Tour officials were impressed with the beauty of our state and the quality of our people. The great experience the Nationwide Tour had in our state in the past led to West Virginia being chosen to host this outstanding tournament."
From 2004 to 2007 the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic experienced unparalleled success on the Nationwide Tour and created some noteworthy moments. Tournament organizers knew that they had something special after the inaugural event when the PGA TOUR named the Classic the "Charity of the Year." The Players Cup has built upon that initial success and continues to increase charitable donations.
Past Results
2004 – D.A. Points won the inaugural event by a healthy five strokes, shooting a 23-under par (265).
2005 – West Virginia played a pivotal role in the "feel good story of the year" - Jason Gore. Capturing his first of three tournament victories in a row, Gore's win at the Classic propelled him to the PGA TOUR and a win at the 84 Lumber Classic.
2006 – Showcase of a dramatic playoff victory by Jason Enloe. The 33-year-old native of Decatur, Ill. claimed his first Nationwide Tour title thanks to a final-round 4-under-par 68. Enloe finished regulation in a tie with Boo Weekley at 14-under-par 274 and then drained an eight-foot par putt on the first playoff hole to claim the $108,000 first-place check.
2007 – Jimmy Walker fired a 5-under 67 to come from seven shots behind in the final round to win the 2007 National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic. His 15-under par 273 secured a one shot win over Justin Hicks and Matthew Jones.
2008 – In another drama-filled finish, Rick Price collected a $180,000 first-place check, the largest in Nationwide Tour history. After finishing 15-under-par 275 in a tie with Chris Anderson, Price needed only a bogey in the first playoff hole to win the inaugural Player’s Cup, the Tour’s first $1 million event, in the rain no less.
Nationwide Tour Players Cup Trophy & West Virginia Artisans
In January 2008, Gov. Joe Manchin announced that the Nationwide Tour Players Cup trophy, presented to the champion on the final day, will be designed by a West Virginia artisan in a state-wide competition, hosted by the West Virginia Division of Tourism.
 Fred Wilkerson Jr., a native West Virginian competed with artisans from across the Mountain State to create the winning entry for the 2008 Nationwide Tour Players Cup trophy design competition. During a visit to the Pete Dye Golf Club Wilkerson, 42, said he was thrilled to be named the winner.
“I'm so happy to have won this competition," Wilkerson said. "I had a strong image of what I felt the trophy for this world-class golf tournament should look like and was able to translate that mental picture into the winning entry."
Wilkerson is a third-generation glassmaker who started in the trade in 1975. His company, Wilkerson Glass Company, produces one-of-a-kind client-driven designs as well as standard glass pieces like paperweights and small animals.
Wilkerson said the process of creating the trophy was a cumulative one that included glassblowing, hand cutting and carving, and took at least eight hours to finish. The trophy is made of two individual glass pieces that were made separately and fitted together to complete the design.
Players Cup Tournament Director Tim McNeely was impressed and stunned when he saw Wilkerson’s design. “It’s a truly classy design, and I think it’s the right image for a tournament of this magnitude. It’s a really beautiful trophy,” McNeely said. “I appreciate what the Division of Tourism did for us through the trophy contest. There were some outstanding designs submitted, and I think Mr. Wilkerson’s work was a great choice.”
Pete Dye Classic Trophy & Burl Jones
From 2004 - 2007, the champion of the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic received an original hand-crafted piece of art. The West Virginia Coal Association commissioned world renowned artist and West Virginia native, Burl Jones, to create a trophy that would incorporate the rich heritage of West Virginia, the coal industry, and the Pete Dye Golf Club.
West Virginia, its rich traditions and culture, nurtured an artistic sensibility in Burl Jones that would build into one of the country's most respected careers in bronze sculpture.
Born and raised near Charleston, Burl excelled in academics and athletics, attending West Virginia University on a football scholarship and graduating Summa Cum Laude from the School of Dentistry in 1966. A two year stint in the United States Public Health Service brought him to the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana. This exposure to Native American culture, western wildlife, and frontier ethic would prove to be a major influence on his later work.
Shortly before leaving for Flathead, Burl married his childhood sweetheart, Eunice. Thirty-five years later, they have two sons, Mark and Allen. The family shares an enthusiasm for nature, wild places, and artistic creation. Mark is a physician and spends most of his free time cultivating his interests in hunting and photography. Both talents came together for a book of personal hunting experiences he authored several years ago, The Joy of Misery. Allen is a professional writer and is currently editor of one of the premier regional magazines in the West, Big Sky Journal. Eunice has found an artistic voice through her wonderful, innovative pottery and a growing collection of poetry.
After nearly twenty-five years of dentistry, Burl shifted gears several years ago to focus entirely on his sculpture. Clay and wax are his mediums now, and provide a way of expressing his love for those interests that have dominated his life. Wildlife, mountain men, Native Americans, fishermen, and hunters all come to have a life of their own under his skilled hands. Over a hundred original sculptures have been produced in limited editions and sold to collectors worldwide.
West Virginia is still his home. Burl's works are available from his studio-gallery near Sissonville as well as major galleries throughout the country.
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