November 3, 2008
ESPN Announces 2008 National Golf Challenge Winners; Callaway Golf Extends its Support through 2009
LAS VEGAS – The winners of the ESPN National Golf Challenge presented by Callaway Golf were announced Sunday, Oct. 26, at the Paiute Golf Resort. In the Club Pro Division, the Finals came down to the wire, with Eric Cobb of Ingleside Resort in Virginia carding a final-round 67 to claim first place. Phil Schmitt of the Bluffs Country Club in Louisiana and Tyler Sweet of Sunland Golf CC in Washington rounded out the top three finishers. Complete scores and payouts for the Pro Division can be found below as well as on the event’s Web site: espngolf.com.
“We are very pleased with the growth and success of the ESPN National Golf Challenge,” said Chris Turner, senior director, programming and events, ESPN Regional Television. “We are especially thrilled to have the continued support of a premier brand like Callaway Golf.”
The team of Spencer Page and Tobin Scott from Granite Bay Golf Club in California earned first-place honors in the Gross Division, recording a combined score of 131 and the title of “America's Best 2-Some.” Bill Brown and John Mallonee from Sandridge Golf Club in Florida earned the “America's Best 2-Some” prize in the Net Division.
Created in 2002, ESPN’s National Golf Challenge presented by Callaway Golf started with more than 120 golf facilities registered as inaugural host sites. Winning teams representing each site were invited to the first National Finals at Lost Canyons GC in Simi Valley, Calif. The success of the initial effort resulted in the restructuring of the event to include about 500 golf courses across the United States.
Because of the success at the local level, the ESPN National Golf Challenge Club Pro Tournament was created in 2006.
“The excitement of Las Vegas provides a wonderful backdrop for the National Finals,” Turner said, “and Treasure Island and the Paiute Golf Resort are first-class venues to play host to the 250 participants in the Gross, Net and Club Pro Divisions.”
Local courses can begin registering today for next year’s event.
For more information on the ESPN National Golf Challenge, visit
espngolf.com or
espnplus.com
ESPN’s National Golf Challenge presented by Callaway Golf:
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Club Pro Division
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Amateur Gross Division
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Amateur Net Division
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Eric Cobb
Ingleside Resort Verona, VA
$10,000
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Spencer Page/Tobin Scott
Granite Bay GC
Granite Bay, CA
65-66/131
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Bill Brown/John Mallonee
Sandridge GC
Vero Beach, FL
64-63/127
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Phil Schmidt
The Bluffs CC
Baton Rouge, LA
$7,500
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Michael Moore/Brad Sondecker
Diamond Valley GC
Hemet, CA
67-66/133
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Chris Von Der Linden/Matt Curtis
Governors Run GC
Carlyle, IL
65-63/128
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Tyler Sweet 70-70/140
Sunland Golf CC Sequim, WA
$6,000
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Bryan Hoops/Tim Duffey
Trilogy Golf Club at Vistancia Peoria, CO
66-68/134
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Jeff Vine/Tim Neuberger
The Oaks GC
Cottage Grove, WI
65-67/132
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ESPN Regional Television/Event Ownership
The nation’s largest syndicator of collegiate sports programming, ESPN Regional Television (ERT) annually produces more than 900 sporting events. Programming includes football, basketball, NCAA events, golf and NHRA events accounting for more than 2,200 live and/or original hours of programming. In addition to event ownership, ERT is the production headquarters for ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network; syndication rights-holder and producer of national, regional and local shows for college conferences (e.g. – BIG EAST, Big 12, Mid-American, Sun Belt, WAC).
ESPN Regional Television markets and/or owns several other sporting events, including collegiate football events: the St. Petersburg Bowl; the Papajohns.com Bowl; the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl; the Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl; the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl, the New Mexico Bowl; the MEAC/SWAC Challenge; and The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards; collegiate basketball events: the 76 Classic (Anaheim, Calif.); the Charleston Classic (S.C.); the O’Reilly Auto Parts All-College Classic (Oklahoma City); the Old Spice Classic (Orlando, Fla.); the SEC/BIG EAST Invitational; the O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan); and the O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters; as well as the ESPN National Golf Challenge presented by Callaway. For more information, visit www.espnplus.com.
ESPN contact: Jenny Zimmerman, at (407) 566-2213 or jennifer.j.zimmerman@espn.com
