The 2023 Twin Bridges Championship is the 39th installment of the longstanding Epson Tour tournament. After spending 16 years at Capital Hills at Albany Golf Course, the tournament moved to Pinehaven Country Club in 2021 and that partnership with the Epson Tour still remains two years later in 2023. For an event to stick around for nearly four decades, it takes a team of dedicated volunteers, employees and a community that makes you feel welcome. Leading that charge for the last 19 years is Jim Miller. Miller is the Tournament Director of the Twin Bridges Championship and part of the reason the Epson Tour has stuck around in the Northeast for so long.
“Yeah, I am entering my 19th year for this tournament and every year it has been great,” said Miller. “Pinehaven is always a great test of skill as well. The members here have embraced it, a lot of the members host the players, and it is a testament to this community. It is always great to see fresh faces and occasionally see familiar faces as well.”
A unique part of the Twin Bridges Championship is the weekend concert, which is taking place this year on Friday, July 21 after play concludes for the day. This year’s performer is country singer Dylan Scott, who released his first number-one song in the summer of 2016 titled “My Girl”. The concert brings out country music fans and golf fans from all around the New York area. Miller is expecting the show to be sold out with nearly 2,000 people in attendance on Friday.
“I got the idea from the now Dicks Sporting Goods Open which is now a Champions Tour event,” explained Miller. “The tournament director over there has been there for years like myself and they wanted to upgrade their event and we followed suit. Last year we had 1,600 people show up for the show and golf. It was just phenomenal.”
In the short time Pinehaven Country Club has hosted the event, they have boasted an impressive collection of champions. Last year’s winner, Lucy Li, who is still the youngest player ever to qualify for a U.S. Women’s Open at the age of 11, and the 2021 winner, Lilia Vu, who won the 2023 Chevron Championship, are the past two champions of the event. On Sunday, a new name will look to join that impressive list.
The “Concert on the Course” featuring country artists, Dylan Scott and Jackson Dean will take place after play concludes on Friday with tickets starting at $35.
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