Columnist Peter Benton: Founders Club participating in annual Charity Cup

Peter Benton

Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2001 | noon

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

The Las Vegas Founders Club is once again participating in the Bank of American Charity Cup, a fantasy-style competition among PGA Tour and Senior PGA Tour tournaments that benefits each tourney's charities.

Each tournament on those respective tours chooses one golfer whose dollar earnings become points in the competition. Each participating tournament must choose a different golfer at each event.

At the conclusion of the season, the PGA Tour tournament with the highest point total receives a $100,000 donation to its charities, the second-place tournament will receive a $60,000 check and third place will receive a $40,000 donation. All other tournaments are guaranteed to receive $24,000.

The top three Senior Tour places pay $50,000, $40,000 and $30,000, while all other tournaments are guaranteed a donation of $18,000.

Since the inception of the Charity Cup is 1986, the Las Vegas Founders Club has raised more than $800,000 for its various charities. Because the Founders Club presents a tournament on both tours, it participates in both Charity Cup competitions.

Before last week's events our Invensys Classic was in 30th spot, (among 35 participating tournaments) and our Las Vegas Senior Classic was 19th out of 34. But as the season is young, there is no cause for worry at this stage.

Local charities that benefit from the Founders Club participation in the competition include Opportunity Village, Big Brothers and Big Sisters and Candle Lighters.

There are six or so talented players who turn 50 this year who will join their tour and most likely give them some serious competition.

The list includes: Mac O'Grady, who is eligible to join the tour on April 26; Danny Edwards, June 14; Roger Maltbie, June 30; Bruce Lietzke, July 18; Bobby Wadkins, July 26; Don Pooley, Aug. 27; Mark McCumber Sept. 7; Fuzzy Zoeller, Nov. 11, and sweet-swinging Tom Purtzer, Dec. 5.

Mickelson was born in San Diego while 1999 champion Tiger Woods was raised in Cypress, Calif., and played collegiately at Stanford in Palo Alto. Scott Simpson, the 1998 winner, was also reared in San Diego and still lives in the area. Mark O'Meara, who was raised in Mission Viejo, captured the 1997 title.

In all, 14 players with Californian connections have won 18 Buick Invitational titles, dating to 1954, when Gene Littler won the-then San Diego Open as an amateur.

Mickelson became the second back-to-back champion at Torrey Pines Golf Course, joining J.C. Snead in 1975-76. It also made Mickelson the only three-time winner of this event.

Last year's win in this tournament proved to be the springboard to a career year for this left-hander. The 30-year old later won the BellSouth Classic, MasterCard Colonial and the Tour Championship.

Also, while increasing his Tour victory total to 17 (now 18), Mickelson earned $4,746,457, second only to Woods on the final official money list.