History of The Umpqua Bank Challenge

In 1986, PGA TOUR professional and Northwest-native Peter Jacobsen turned a dream into a reality. His idea for combining professional golf, competition, and fun for the spectators and players alike, proved to be a formula for success and The Fred Meyer Challenge, as it was then known, in Portland, Oregon became a milestone by which all other non-TOUR events have since been judged.

Over the years, the popular two-man, stroke play best-ball format allowed the players to develop a special camaraderie. With a laid-back, fun-filled atmosphere, the players looked forward to August and The Fred Meyer Challenge, and it eventually evolved into an annual “happening” in the community. This unique golf tournament grew into a four-day event with a field of 24 PGA TOUR professionals, a payout of $1.15 million, more than 300 national sponsors, and 50,000+ spectators. It was broadcast on ESPN, reaching a U.S. audience of more than 82 million households and an international audience of around 30 million households throughout Latin America, Australia, Canada, the Middle East and Africa.

Nearly 100 professionals participated in The Challenge, amassing a list that reads like a “Who’s Who” of accomplished professional golfers – Palmer, Nicklaus, Player, Azinger, Stewart, Faxon, Andrade, Strange, Crenshaw, Norman, Faldo, Calcavecchia, Couples, Mickelson, Singh, Zoeller, Trevino, Irwin, Stadler, Kite, Daly, Watson, Lehman, Cook, Elkington, Rodriguez, Cink, Garcia, Kuchar, Toms, DiMarco and many more.