Jacksonville native Jacob Davidson has been named event director for The Players Championship, the PGA TOUR’s marquee tournament at TPC Sawgrass.
Davidson will oversee the championship’s day-to-day planning and execution. He joins as Lee Smith, the former executive director, continues in his expanded position as vice president of TPC Sawgrass and The Players.
A Trinity Christian and University of North Florida alumnus, Davidson played golf for UNF from the 2006-07 season through 2010-11. He attended his first Players Championship as a 10-year-old and later volunteered at the tournament as a student-athlete. The PGA TOUR said he is the first Jacksonville native to hold a senior management role with The Players.
For the past decade, Davidson held senior leadership jobs at Callaway Golf spanning product strategy, athlete relations, tour operations and sports marketing. Most recently, he was vice president of product strategy and product marketing, overseeing strategic direction and commercialization for Callaway’s equipment portfolio. He has also served as an assistant golf coach at UNF and Mercer.
“The opportunity to return home and help lead an event that has meant so much to me throughout my life is incredibly special,” Davidson said in a statement.
The next Players Championship is scheduled for March 9-14 at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. The tournament said several ticket and hospitality options are already sold out or nearing capacity; fans planning a Florida event trip can find tournament ticket information through The Players Championship.
