One of the most prestigious celebrity golf tournaments of the year, the Invitational Celebrity Classic, will be held this week at Las Colinas Country Club in Irving, Texas.
More than 40 of the biggest names in sports and entertainment will be in attendance, along with 78 PGA Tour Champion pros, including John Smoltz, Annika Sorenstam, Greg Maddux, Tony Romo, Larry the Cable Guy and more To do.
These celebrities not only add to the notoriety of the PGA Tour Champions, they also help raise more than $250,000 for local charities, similar to the LPGA Tour’s Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. Masu.
The Momentous Institute, one of the beneficiaries of this event, supports the development of young children by providing educational opportunities and support for people with emotional issues and mental health disorders. The tournament also helps support the First Tee of Greater Dallas.
But the Invitational Celebrity Classic extends far beyond North Texas. Amateur athletes from all over the country compete in regional and national competitions for a chance to be one of his 10 athletes competing against the star athletes this event offers.
“That’s the great thing about golf. You can play with anyone in this game,” two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goossen said in an interview with Playing Through.
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“Everyone has a handicap, everyone plays. Golf is a very egalitarian sport, and having celebrities from different sports come play golf and come play with us is great. It’s great. It’s a big draw for people who come to the event to see other people competing against us pros on the golf course.”
john smoltz golf course
One of the celebrities to watch this week is Smoltz, a former Atlanta Braves pitcher who currently broadcasts MLB games on FOX Sports.
A great player in his own right, Smoltz came close to earning a PGA Tour Champions membership card this fall. However, they narrowly fell short in the second qualifying round. Still, the Invited Celebrity Classic gives Smoltz a new opportunity to play alongside the world’s best players over 50.
“[Smoltz] He’s someone I see a lot on tour here,” Goossen added.
“He’s played in a few events and he’s a nice guy.”
During a call with media members on April 2, Smoltz revealed that he has two new hips after recent surgery, but that it has not affected his desire to compete.
“I feel great and I can walk on the golf course,” Smoltz said.
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“I’m excited about the opportunity that’s been given to me, but at the end of the day, what’s important to me is making the putt.”
During the qualifying stage, Smoltz had no round with more than 25 putts in the first phase. However, the second stage required at least 38 putts in each round, which explains why he was unable to make it past the second qualifying round.
“We have a problem,” Smoltz said.
“I’d rather play 54 holes in a day than go out and chip and putt. I love golf. I love competition.”
Another aspect that the Hall of Fame pitcher struggles with is rhythm.
“I wish I had the ability to hit my shots the way I want to throw my pitches. One of the good things about pitching is being able to dictate the tempo. The only bad thing about golf is the control. You can’t do that,” Smoltz explained.
“While I’m out on the course, I have so much time that my mind wanders, but when it comes to pitching, I like the tunnel effect of throwing downhill to the catcher. But golf is a beautiful thing, and it can humble someone very quickly.”
Thankfully for celebrities, the Invited Celebrity Classic uses a modified Stableford format based on the handicaps of the amateur players in the field. Therefore, Smoltz doesn’t have to worry about chasing his champion players on the PGA Tour, unlike his experience at Q School.
Annika Sorenstam aims for breakthrough
Still, competition between Smoltz and other celebrities remains fierce.
Look no further than Sorenstam, a 10-time major champion on the LPGA Tour. She has eight top-10 finishes, including two runner-up finishes and a sixth-place finish, at last summer’s American Century Championship, where Stephen Curry had an epic victory I hope we can finally make a breakthrough.
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“I’m determined to get them at least once. That’s the main reason. But it’s also fun. It’s a lot of fun. You know, I haven’t been playing much lately, but it’s helped me a little bit. I’m able to practice and still try to stay in the game,” Sorenstam said.
“I’m competitive, I enjoy playing, and I’m still determined, so I’m going to keep trying.”
In 2023, Sorenstam finished third at the Invitational Celebrity Classic, six points behind Romo. Mardy Fish, who won in 2022, took second place.
Interestingly, Sorenstam also placed third in 2022, the first year of the tournament.
“It’s always fun to see the players I’ve played with in the past and the players I try to beat every time. Tony Romo, Mardy Fish, Mark Mulder, to name a few, of course,” Sorenstam added. Ta.
“They’re fun to watch and fun to play with. But when you’re paired with someone new, that’s fun too.”
Now in its third year, the Invited Celebrity Classic offers a $2.7 million purse, with $2.2 million going to experts and $500,000 to celebrities.
Coverage of the first round will be broadcast on Golf Channel as an encore presentation Friday night from 9-11 p.m. ET.
Golf Channel will broadcast live coverage of the second and third rounds on Saturday and Sunday from 5:00pm to 7:00pm ET.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through.Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.
