Galleri Classic building to its debut event at Mission Hills CC

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Twelve months ago, there was no PGA Tour Champions event in the Coachella Valley, something that had been true in the desert since the 1990s. No pro-ams, no title sponsors, no star-studded field.

This week, at Mission Hills Country Club, the PGA Tour Champions roars back to life in the desert with the Galleri Classic, the newest event on the 50-and-older professional golf circuit. Going from no event to having an event ready to tee off has proven to be a busy, and at times surprising, year for the tour and tournament director Michelle DeLancy.

“I would say with every first year event, and I’ve gotten to be a part of a couple different events, you always don’t know until you get to the actual event to see how successful it will be,” DeLancy said. “Before we have even gotten to this event, we can see the amazing field of 78 players that will be playing, which is the very important piece of the tournament. People will show up and see who they want to see, and there are a lot of great guys on our list.”

From securing a strong field to selling pro-am spots to signing up volunteers for the event, almost everything a professional golf tournament needs had to be built from the ground up since it was announced last April the event was coming to Mission Hills. The Dinah Shore Tournament Course had been the home of the LPGA for 51 years, but comparing the Chevron Challenge and the Galleri Classic on the same golf course is something DeLancy didn’t want to happen.

“I am not trying to make us look different or compare us to other events that have been on this course,” said DeLancy, whose background includes running a PGA Tour Champions event in Seattle. “Overall, it is just a completely different event and a different experience, but all in the same fun of professional golf, coming out and being able to follow professionals in a fun way and good food to eat while you have different spots you can watch along the golf course.”

DeLancy and her Coachella Valley-based team have worked to spread the word of the new event, presenting the case for the tournament through community events with organizations like the City of Rancho Mirage, Visit Greater Palm Springs and the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce.

“And we have partnered with Coachella Valley cancer…