The Cologuard Classic is an official PGA Tour Champions event, held each year in Tucson, Arizona, bringing together some of the game’s most accomplished players alongside amateurs, advocates, and families affected by colorectal cancer. But while it looks like a traditional tournament on the surface, its purpose runs much deeper. It’s a very unique experience — one that goes far beyond a golf tournament.
Cologuard brand ambassador and PGA Tour pro Jerry Kelly and Exact Sciences CEO Kevin Conroy have spent nearly a decade building something truly special.
My first Cologuard Classic was five years ago. What struck me immediately was the community — patients, survivors, and caregivers coming together to support one another and raise awareness about colorectal cancer screening. Early detection — beginning at age 45, and earlier for those at higher risk — saves lives. That message is clear at this tournament.
Colorectal cancer is now the number one cancer killer for people under 50. In the past decade, 23 million Cologuard tests have been delivered, and an estimated 875,000 cancers and precancers have been found. The expanded access to screening means more cancers will be detected earlier, when they are far more treatable — and more lives will be impacted.
It’s hard to fully describe the spirit in the room at the Night of Champions dinner, held Thursday evening before the tournament officially begins.
This marked Kevin’s final year as CEO, following Abbott’s acquisition of Exact Sciences. Over the course of his roughly 17-year tenure, he helped guide the development and growth of at-home cancer screening in a way that has fundamentally changed access for millions of people. Nine years ago, Jerry walked into Kevin’s office and asked him to step in as the tournament’s lead sponsor. Jerry is persuasive — and relentless in the best way — and Kevin said yes. That spontaneous moment turned into a partnership that has grown every year since, both in size and in purpose.
The dinner is where that purpose comes into sharp focus.
This year, Kevin and Jerry spoke, and Katie opened and closed the event. Additionally, a woman named Angie, whose husband died seven years ago, presented the John MacLeod Award in her husband's honor. And Simone Ledward Boseman — the widow of Chadwick Boseman — recited a poem about loss, loneliness, and the ongoing challenge of moving forward after losing her husband. The room — made up of more than 500 survivors, caregivers, and patients — fell completely silent. It was one of those rare moments when you could feel the collective commitment to supporting one another and ending this hideous disease.
Jerry is, in many ways, the spirit of the tournament.
Like so many people there, this mission is personal for him. His niece, Allie, lost her husband to cancer when he was only in his 30s. On the course, Jerry’s accomplishments speak for themselves — a three-time PGA Tour winner and 13-time Champions Tour winner, and a top 20 player in the early-2000s. But what sets him apart is his role as an unyielding advocate for cancer screening. His energy, optimism, and persistence transcend golf.
Katie also spoke at the tournament's opening ceremony. Then, once the competition kicked off, the field of 78 players — part of the PGA Tour Champions circuit — competed over three days, but the format intentionally weaves in something more meaningful. Several of the 78 professionals played in the Pro-Am alongside cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and advocates. During the tournament, all 78 played in honor of someone impacted by the disease, wearing a ribbon with the honoree's name. The tournament became the backdrop for most of the people there. (But for amateurs like me, the thrill of playing alongside some of the game’s greats is unforgettable.)
This year, I played in the Pro-Am with Stewart Cink — a genuinely kind, down-to-earth guy and the 2009 Open Championship winner at Turnberry. In previous years, I’ve had the privilege of playing alongside Jerry himself, who brings the same enthusiasm to the course that he brings to this cause. This year's winner was Steven Alker from New Zealand. He's now an 11-time PGA Tour Champions winner.
When I think of the essence of this event, another man comes to mind: JJ Singleton. He's a stage four colon cancer patient who has endured multiple surgeries and more than 180 rounds of chemo over the years. He received the first Jerry Kelly Award in 2023. His endurance is what the tournament is about.
What stays with you isn’t the golf. It’s the people. The stories. The shared sense of purpose.
