Wells Fargo Awards Sponsor Exemptions To Marcus Byrd and Quinn Riley Wells Fargo Awards Sponsor Exemptions
Charlotte, NC, April 26, 2023— Two successful APGA Tour players—Marcus Byrd and Quinn Riley—have accepted special sponsor exemptions from Wells Fargo to compete in the Wells Fargo Championship as the PGA TOUR returns to Charlotte and Quail Hollow Club, May 1-7.
Earlier this season, Byrd received the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption into The Genesis Invitational and a week after receiving word of this, he won the APGA Farmers Insurance Invitational at Torrey Pines to earn an exemption into The Honda Classic, giving him back-to-back starts on the PGA TOUR. Byrd, 25, has won three times on the APGA Tour, and prior to turning pro was the 2019 Conference USA Player of the Year while at Middle Tennessee State. This will be his fourth PGA TOUR start.
Marcus said, “I’m truly honored to play in the Wells Fargo Championship this year and thank everyone involved for the opportunity. Being from D.C. and seeing the event last year inspired me, and I’m so thankful to play this year in Charlotte. From First Tee to support of the APGA Tour, I appreciate Wells Fargo’s commitment to championing young golfers.”
Riley, who was Duke University’s first African American golfer, finished first in the APGA Tour 2021-22 rankings and earned an exemption into the John Deere Classic last year. The 22-year-old, who lives in Raleigh, was the 2017 NC Junior Champion. He won several events while playing for the Blue Devils and from 2019-2022 was on the ACC Academic Honor Roll. This will be his third PGA TOUR start.
Quinn offered, “This is a dream come true for me, and I’m extremely appreciative of Wells Fargo giving me the opportunity to play a PGA TOUR event in my home state of North Carolina. I know Wells Fargo has supported where I got my start in golf at First Tee and now it has come full circle to being here at the Wells Fargo Championship.”
Kristy Fercho, head of Diverse Segments, Representation and Inclusion at Wells Fargo, added, “Wells Fargo is committed to advancing opportunities for diverse communities inside and outside of the financial industry year-round. We are proud to offer Marcus and Quinn the chance to tee off against the best golfers in the world at Quail Hollow. In addition to their friends and families supporting these young men, they now have 240,000 new fans in Wells Fargo’s employees who will be cheering them on during the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship.”
Finally, Wells Fargo Championship Tournament Director, Gary Sobba, noted, “We are delighted to welcome these two young men to the tournament and certainly hope they will have an enjoyable week on and off the golf course. We also appreciate everything Wells Fargo does to support and help grow this event each and every year—and offering these two deserving professionals this opportunity is another example of this.”
Players have until 5:00 p.m. Eastern on April 29 to commit to the 156-player field and can withdraw from the tournament at any time.
The Wells Fargo Championship is partnering with Ticketmaster to streamline the ticket purchase process for fans. To purchase tickets, please visit wellsfargochampionship.com/tickets. Children ages 15 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult.
The tournament, on behalf of Champions for Education, has distributed over $27 million and raised awareness for numerous charitable foundations in the Charlotte area. For more information about the Wells Fargo Championship, please visit www.wellsfargochampionship.com or call 704-554-8101.
About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets, proudly serves one in three U.S. households and more than 10% of small businesses in the U.S., and is a leading middle market banking provider in the U.S. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 41 on Fortune’s 2022 rankings of America’s largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth, financial health, and a low-carbon economy.
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Additional information may be found at www.wellsfargo.com | Twitter: @WellsFargo
About the Wells Fargo Championship
The Wells Fargo Championship is one of the largest, most prestigious sporting events in the North Carolina region with an economic impact estimated to be around $75 million each year. The tournament’s charitable arm Champions for Education has donated over $27 million to local and regional charities since 2003. The 2023 tournament will be held May 1-7 at Quail Hollow Club. The tournament’s list of champions includes David Toms, Joey Sindelar, Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk, Tiger Woods, Anthony Kim, Sean O’Hair, Rory McIlroy (3), Lucas Glover, Rickie Fowler, Derek Ernst, J.B. Holmes, James Hahn, Brian Harman, Jason Day and Max Homa (2). The Wells Fargo Championship received the “Players Choice” Award in 2019, before the initiative was dropped by the TOUR, for the “Best in Class”, as voted on by the players. The tournament has twice won Overall Tournament of the Year and has been among the top-five in this category each year during the time the recognitions were awarded.