Columnist Peter Benton: Bard Challenge to be held in Las Vegas

Peter Benton

Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2005 | 9:33 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

The PGA tour has announced that the Bard Capital Challenge will be a new Challenge Season event this year. As an officially sanctioned tournament, the "Challenge" offers qualifying amateurs from 250 local American Cancer Society charity events throughout the country the opportunity to experience what it's like to be a professional for a day and compete with top tour stars.

The finals of the Bard Capital Challenge, featuring a purse of $750,000 -- of which $150,000 will be donated to the American Cancer Society -- will be held at the Tournament Players Club at The Canyons in Las Vegas from Dec. 1-4. (It will be taped for telecast Dec. 15 on The Golf Channel and will re-air on Christmas Day.)

The amateur-based qualifying competition, which runs through Oct. 15, is expected to generate 30,000 participants. Qualifying amateurs will compete in the national tournament here in town, with the eight winning two-player teams being partnered with eight PGA tour stars in the finals.

The participating PGA tour players will be announced after the World Golf Championships-NEC Invitational, which is scheduled for Aug. 15-21. However, the rumor is that big John Daly will be here as one of the professional contestants.

Gil Cohen and Alan Andrews, with a score of 334, narrowly won the Las Vegas Country Club's Member-Member golf tournament Masters Flight over the pairing of Bob Frusco and Ray Demman (335.5). The Frank Larsen/Gary Amick duo finished third (339.5).

U.S. Open Flight winners were Todd Terry and Jason Earnest (353.5). Howard Woolard and Steve Olson followed (362.5) just ahead of Paul Nelson and Benet Hudson (364.5).

Playing brilliantly together and surprising many with their victory were David Bradley and Jack Tuls, who waltzed away with the British Open Flight by shooting a 329. Bob Winner and John Hunt were a distant second at 347.5, followed by George and B.J. Balaban (355).

For the fairer sex, Halina Vergiels and Pat Corona won the PGA Flight quite handily with their 354. Larren Buckley and Tammy Gephardt placed second at 361.

A recent All-American publication of Golf Digest stated that PGA Touring professional Robert Gamez had been selected as our state's all-time best male golfer with the best female golfer being the diminutive Nicole Dutt.

Honorable mentions were given to Bruce Ashworth, Brady Exber, Mark Gilmartin, David Nelson and Stephanie Keaver Louden.