Challenge hits a 'home run'

LEHI — The Champions Challenge started out six years ago mainly as a father-and-son celebrity golf tournament.

"It's always been pretty much a senior event," tournament spokesman and host Johnny Miller said.

However, the annual best-ball match has evolved into a much bigger event and now not only showcases some of the game's legends but current PGA Tour stars and the two reigning champions of this year's majors.

At a press conference Monday, Miller announced that Draper resident and current Masters champion Mike Weir and U.S. Open winner Jim Furyk will lead a field of seven current PGA stars and five senior legends who will tee it up Aug. 4-5 at Thanksgiving Point in the Trend Micro Champions Challenge.

Tournament organizers had both Weir and Furyk committed to the event long before their major wins. Weir's storybook Masters win and Furyk's steady U.S. Open victory were simply a fortunate jackpot for the Champions Challenge. The only other thing that would make the event better is if one of the other five PGA Tour players scheduled to play won the British Open later this month.

"We sort of hit a home run with the players we have this year," tournament director Ken Leister said.

The event has drawn as many as 25,000 fans in years past. But with Weir and Furyk in the field of 24, organizers believe they could get double that many golf fans this year.

Weir will partner with good friend Dean Wilson, also a former BYU golfer who is having good success in his first year as a PGA Tour regular. Leister originally tried to get Weir to invite former PGA Championship winner David Toms, but Toms didn't think the trip to Utah was financially worthwhile.

Furyk almost begged to play just so he could compete with his father, Mike Furyk, as his partner. The Furyks are committed for two years.

"You've got to be motivated to play here for sentimental reasons," Miller said.

The purse for this year's tournament will be $400,000, with the winning team splitting $100,000. Tournament officials are negotiating with the Golf Channel to televise the 2004 event.

Defending champs John Daley and up-and-coming PGA Tour star Pat Perez will return to defend the title they won last year. Jack Nicklaus, one of golf's greatest ever, will come back to team with son Mike. His other two sons, Gary Nicklaus and Jack Nicklaus Jr., will also team up. Miller, who will team with son Todd, said getting the Nicklaus family to come back to Utah is not too difficult.