Jeff Haney on a new golf tournament for those who enjoy a good game of poker but also want to get outside

Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006 | 7:12 a.m.

The Comedy Cares Celebrity Poker Tournament benefiting Childrens Hospital Los Angeles will take place from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at Pure nightclub at Caesars Palace. It will be hosted by HBO chairman Chris Albrecht, actor Mark Wahlberg and comedians Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams. Poker pros Daniel Negreanu and Joe Navarro will join a roster of celebrity players. The buy-in is $15,000. Prizes include a trip to the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colo., and a walk-on part in the HBO series "Entourage." Players who want to participate should call Harvin Rogas at (310) 559-9334.

The format sounded intriguing: Texas hold 'em poker meets a golf tournament.

Terry Leiweke, who has developed a keen eye for spotting such alchemy in his three decades in the sports marketing business, thought the concept showed promise.

After a test run on the golf course, he knew for sure.

"I absolutely fell in love with it," Leiweke said. "You get the point immediately - this is not just a golf tournament, it's a game of strategy. Bingo. We made a deal."

And so the World Series of Golf, Leiweke's concrete realization of that high-concept dream, will tee off in May at Primm Valley Golf Club.

The $10,000 buy-in event, using a patent-pending wagering method based on the format of a poker tournament, will feature 180 amateur golfers competing for a top prize of $250,000.

The tournament, which takes place from May 13 to 17, is scheduled to be televised nationally by NBC Sports on June 23 and 24.

Leiweke, president and CEO of the World Series of Golf, who runs Leiweke Holding Co. with his brother Tracey, sees the event becoming an international phenomenon, complete with satellite qualifying tournaments at far-flung locations.

(His other brothers are also prominent sports executives. Tim Leiweke runs AEG Worldwide, the sports and entertainment management powerhouse; and Tod Leiweke is CEO of the Seattle Seahawks.)

"We're not running a golf tournament in Las Vegas - we're building a business here," Leiweke said. "And this business is really interesting because the format is applicable globally.

"Probably the most important thing to me is that this is a Las Vegas event. We will always play our finals here."

The World Series of Golf has a three-year partnership deal with the Mirage to host the event, Leiweke said. Invitations to apply for a spot in the inaugural field were sent to thousands of the Mirage's regular customers who are golfers.

The World Series is designed for golfers with medium to high handicaps, Leiweke said, and players will go through an extensive screening process before they are accepted.

Octagon, the international sports marketing company, will play a big role in determining which players are admitted to the competition. Each player will be required to provide an affidavit from his local pro certifying the handicapping process.

Once the field is decided, players will compete for the cash prizes by making wagers in the style of a poker tournament. Each player will begin with a hypothetical bankroll of $10,000 and ante $100 before the first hole. Antes double every three holes to spur wagering as the tournament proceeds.

Bets are made after each shot according to a predetermined order. After the first player bets, the second player can call, raise or fold, as in a poker hand. The winner of the hole takes the pot.

The goal is to advance to the next round by winning all the money from the other players in a particular group of three to six golfers, rather than the entire field.

Because it's technically a prize tournament, the World Series of Golf is not subject to gaming laws.

Tournament director Dan Baker of Octagon, who has served as tournament director for the Walker Cup and the Ryder Cup, was attracted to the World Series of Golf by the innovative wagering format.

"I've seen all sorts of money games in golf," Baker said. "There's 'Skins,' 'Wolf' all these betting games, but no one had ever come up with anything like this, something that combines poker strategy with a golf tournament. It really is a unique competition."

Instead of a traditional caddie, each player will be permitted to bring a "financial adviser" with him on the course to analyze bankroll and betting patterns and offer wagering advice.

"The financial adviser, to me, is the kick-ass of this tournament," Leiweke said. "The financial adviser is going to be analyzing betting strategies, the other players do you have this shot in your bag? It becomes this huge game of strategy, and golf is just the mechanism for it. It really is a thinking man's game."

Leiweke considers it a stroke of good luck that the PGA Tour - which used to conduct a World Series in Akron, Ohio - let its rights to the name lapse.

"The name is an absolute killer," he said. "We've got a great format; we've got a track record of success.

"We're Vegas guys. I live here. This event is going to live here. We're going to turn this tournament into a monster."