Packed pro-am field headlined by Jerome “The Bus” Bettis, Alonzo Mourning, Johnny Damon and Derrick Brooks; TOUR veteran Ogilvie accepts sponsor exemption
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Sept. 27, 2011) – A host of sports and entertainment celebrities, along with PGA TOUR veteran Joe Ogilvie, are among the latest entries into the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic, Oct. 20-23, at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.
Former Super Bowl star Jerome “The Bus” Bettis (Pittsburgh Steelers), ex-NBA player Alonzo Mourning (Miami Heat), Tampa Bay Rays star Johnny Damon, future NFL Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks (Tampa Bay Bucs), actor Anthony Anderson (Law & Order) and popular MLB player Brian Wilson (SF Giants) headline the pro-am played during the first two official rounds of the Classic on Disney’s Palm and Magnolia courses.
Other notable pro-am entries include Steve Young (ex-49ers QB), James Shields (Tampa Bay Rays), David Price (Tampa Bay Rays) and Carlos Pena (Chicago Cubs).
Ogilvie received the first of four sponsor exemptions into the season-ending PGA TOUR Fall Series event. Ogilvie has had a solid year, posting three Top 25 finishes, including a third-place performance at the HP Byron Nelson Championship in late May. It was his best finish since winning the 2007 U.S. Bank Championships. He is currently 107th on the TOUR money list with $715,749.
‘We once again expect to have one of the strongest Fall Series fields with a mixture of marquee players and fierce competitors battling to finish the season among the Top 125 on the money list. With the increased number of celebrities joining the field, the fan experience will be better than it has ever been.’
— Tournament Chairman Kevin Weickel
The defending champion of the 128-player event is TOUR veteran Robert Garrigus. He joins a marquee group of former winners at Disney that includes Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Jack Nicklaus, Payne Stewart and Raymond Floyd.
This year’s Classic takes place nearly a month earlier. The Golf Channel will televise the tournament for the fifth consecutive year. The Golf Channel is scheduled to air live coverage each day.
Tickets for individual rounds ($10), badges for Classic week ($20) and one-day Wine & Dine tickets are available at www.ChildrensMiracleNetworkHospitalsClassic.com or through www.ticketmaster.com. The Wine & Dine ticket is good for five entrees and one beverage near the putting green. Net proceeds go to Children’s Miracle Network hospitals, including the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies in Orlando, and Shands Children’s Hospital in Gainesville.