Some of the world’s best golfers – plus a slew of celebrity athletes – are descending upon Walt Disney World Resort again for the last event of the PGA Tour season – the 41st Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic.
The event tees off Thursday at Disney’s Palm and Magnolia golf courses with the celebrity athletes playing with the Tour pros. And this year’s field is one of the best in recent years with leading Tour money winners Luke Donald and Webb Simpson battling for the year-end top spot and celebrity pro-am players such as former Steelers star Jerome “The Bus’’ Bettis, Celtics coach Doc Rivers, ex-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young, Celtics star Ray Allen, former Miami Heat star Alonzo Mourning and Tampa Bay Rays star Johnny Damon, among others. Word is a couple of more celebs might jump into the field before Thursday.
But this is for sure – one lucky pro is going to leave Disney with a million dollars. That’s because the Kodak Challenge, which tracks every players’ performance at designated holes during the season, will be decided this week at Disney. Bill Lunde is leading, but we’ll see if he can hang on and walk away with the money.
If you’re coming out to watch the action, here’s a tip: Be sure to stop by the Wine & Dine area near the putting green. That’s where (for a nominal price) you’ll find a little slice of the food and beverages from the popular Epcot International Food & Wine Festival as well as large screen TVs where you can watch the golf action and even NFL games during Sunday’s final round.
Daily tickets ($10) and week-long passes ($20) to the tournament are among the best values on the PGA Tour and can be purchased at the tournament site or all Ticketmaster outlets. And you can follow @DisneySports on Twitter (#CMNHclassic) for news and updates throughout tournament week.
© Stan Badz/PGA TOUR
