Results Announced for 2011 ESPN National Golf Challenge National Finals Winners Determined in Las Vegas; Event Began with 12,000 Local Entrants
ESPN Regional Television (ERT), a subsidiary of ESPN, announced the results of the tenth annual ESPN National Golf Challenge. The national finals for the amateur Gross, Net and Senior Net divisions as well as the Club Pros were held Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 13-15 at the Paiute Resort in Las Vegas.
A total field of approximately12,000 local entrants from approximately 300 courses around the United States began the competition in January 2011. The top twosomes advanced to 22 regional sites over the summer before the final fields of 208 amateurs and 130 club professionals were determined for the National Finals.
The Pro Division featured 102 participants.
- First place: Ryan Polzin from Houston and of the Royal Oaks Country Club, with a 135 (70-65) and cash prize of $10,000.
- Three-way tie for second place with a score of 136 and a prize of $5,333 per winner: Dave Carr from Sacramento, and of the Teal Bend Golf Club (70-66); Dave Fusco from Pomona, N.Y., and of Patriot Hills Golf Club (71-65) and Casey Carnes from New Braunfels, Texas, and of Woodlake Golf Club (68-68).
The amateur competition is played in twosomes, separated into Gross, Net and Senior Net divisions.
The Gross division featured 40 competing teams and a four-way tie for first place, which was decided with a four hole playoff.
- First place: Mike Frias and Daniel Medina from El Paso, Texas, and of Santa Teresa Country Club, with a score of 127 (63-64).
- Additional first-place finishers with a score of 127 were: Dan Becker and Jon Peterson from Granite Bay, Calif., and of Granite Bay Country Club (65-62); Doug Ritter and Russell Olson from Weston, Fla., and of Weston Hills Country Club (63-64) and Richard Smith and Craig Siddon from Massena, N.Y., and of Massena Country Club (63-64).
The Net division featured 32 teams and a two-way tie for second place, which was decided with a scorecard playoff.
- First place: Michael Mahoney and Nick Hunsaker from Antelope, Calif., and of Teal Bend Golf Club with a score of 126 (67-59).
- Two-way tie for second place with a score of 127: Vohn Hoop and Jerry Edwards from Burlington, Wash., and Avalon Golf Links (65-62); Darick Brewer and Ron Winch from Peebles, Ohio, and Snow Hill Country Club (65-62).
The senior division featured 31 competing teams.
- First place: Frank Kerby and Eddie Williams from Fresno, Calif., and Diablo Grande Golf and Country Club with a score of 119 (59-60).
- Second place: Patrick Vincent and Frank Carini from Cedarburg, Wis., and Oakwood Park Golf Course with a score of 123 (60-63).
- Third Place: Mark Reed and Herb Reither from Placentia, Calif., and The Golf Club at Rancho California with a score of 126 (62-64).
The Palms Casino served as the host hotel for the ESPN National Golf Challenge. The Palms hosted the welcome reception on Wednesday, Oct. 12, a dinner for all participants on Thursday and the Club Pro Awards Dinner on Friday.
For more information, including registration for the 2012 ESPN National Golf Challenge, visit www.ESPNGolf.com.
ESPN Regional Television/Event Ownership
The nation’s largest syndicator of collegiate sports programming, ESPN Regional Television (ERT) annually produces more than 1,200 sporting events. Content includes action from NCAA football, basketball and Olympic sports, NHRA and professional and amateur golf, accounting for more than 3,400 live and/or original hours of programming. ERT’s owned and operated events reach over a million fans a year and provides more than 200 additional hours of programming.
In addition to event ownership, ERT is the production headquarters for ESPNU; syndication rights-holder and producer of national, regional and local shows for college conferences (SEC, BIG EAST, Big 12, Mid-American, WAC) and manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program.
ESPN Regional Television markets and/or owns several sporting events:
Collegiate Football
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl St. Petersburg; Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); BBVA Compass Bowl (Birmingham, Ala.); MAACO Bowl Las Vegas; Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas (Houston); MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney (Orlando, Fla.) and The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards
Collegiate Basketball
76 Classic (Anaheim, Calif.); State Farm Champions Classic (Madison Square Garden; debuts 2011); DIRECTV Charleston Classic presented by Foster Grant (S.C.); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Old Spice Classic (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); 5-hour ENERGY® Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan); All-College Basketball Classic (Oklahoma City) and Sears BracketBusters
Collegiate Lacrosse
ESPNU Warrior Classic
Additional Events
Hawaiian Islands Invitational (Soccer) and ESPN National Golf Challenge
For more information, visit ESPNPlus.com.
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