Stewart Cink, Ernie Els and Darren Clarke among early commitments for 2025 Dominion Energy Charity Classic

RICHMOND, Virginia – Three major championship winners, Stewart Cink, Ernie Els and Darren Clarke, have all committed to compete in the 2025 Dominion Energy Charity Classic next month. The 10^th edition of the Charity Classic will take place October 16-19 at The Country Club of Virginia’s James River Course as the top 72 players on PGA TOUR Champions begin the playoffs for the Charles Schwab Cup.

“We are excited to welcome three major champions as our first commitments for the 2025 Dominion Energy Charity Classic,” said Steve Schoenfeld, Executive Director of the tournament. “Stewart, Ernie and Darren are all enjoying outstanding seasons and each resides inside the top 10 of the Schwab Cup rankings, so they each have high hopes of winning the Charles Schwab Cup this year.”

Cink, the 2009 Open Championship winner, joined the Champions Tour in 2023 and has already captured three wins, the 2024 and 2025 Ally Challenge and the 2025 Insperity Invitational. Cink accumulated a total of eight wins throughout his PGA TOUR career and is currently second in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. He is originally from Huntsville, Ala. and currently resides in Atlanta, Ga.

Els was the winner of the 2025 season’s opening event, the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, and has 10 top-10 finishes this year. He is fifth in the Schwab Cup standings and has won seven times on the Champions Tour since his debut season in 2020. The native of Johannesburg, South Africa is an eight-time member of the Presidents Cup’s International Team, and his 19 wins on the PGA TOUR include titles at the U.S. Open (1994, 1997) and The Open Championship (2002, 2012).

Fan-favorite Clarke picked up his fifth Champions Tour win earlier this year at the American Family Insurance Championship (with partner Thomas Bjørn). The five-time European Ryder Cup team member also captained the 2016 team and secured his major title at the 2011 Open Championship. Clarke is from Dungannon, Northern Ireland and is currently 10^th in the Schwab Cup standings.