Golf
Celebs, Sports Legends Golf for Military Veterans at Valspar Championship
PALM HARBOR, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – The Valspar Championship brings the world’s top ranked golfers to sunny Palm Harbor, Florida this week. Monday morning celebrities from the NFL, Major League Baseball, tour pros, and amateurs linked up on the famous Copperhead Course for the Carol Martin Salute to Our Veterans Monday Pro-Am presented by AmeriLife.
“I’ve learned to love this because it’s not so much a labor as much as it is an opportunity to be around the game I love, have a great impact on the community, and put on a heck of event,” said NFL veteran Ronde Barber, who is in his first year as the Chairman of Copperhead Charities, the non-profit organization responsible for putting on the event each year.
Barber went on to say that this is probably one of the few things he has done in life that he can see the fruits of his labor and the big reward from it all, as it’s going on.
“47 million dollars over 45 years given back to charity and a lot of that are military veterans,” he added. “This Monday Pro-Am is in honor of Carol Martin Salute To Service and we’ve done that in partnership with her family and her foundation for the last five to six years. There are a lot of things that are rewarding in life, but when you get to appreciate the people that fight for this country, it’s even better.”
The rest of the field for this weekend’s tournament hit the practice links on Tuesday with the Tampa General Hospital Championship Pro-Am on Wednesday.
First round action begins Thursday morning and concludes with the championship round on Sunday.
Golf champions will vie for the Valspar Championship trophy and one of the largest prize purses in the world. Photo: Todd Grasley/Florida National News.
“First off, fans are going to see the world’s finest PGA Tour golf professionals,” said Tracy West, Director of PGA Tour Valspar Championship. “We have over 20 of the top 50 golfers in the world here, including fan favorites like Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka. We have some new faces to the Copperhead course like Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, and world number three Viktor Hovland who finished last year tied for third.”
Throughout the week there will be plenty of events for both golf fans and those looking for an enjoyable way to spend their weekend. From the Valspar® BLOCK PARTY & Tampa General Hospital Courtyard to the Publix® Chillounge, which offers the exclusive Birdie Publix Sub and the Copperberry drink, and fun interactive events throughout the course.
“With Valspar being a paint company, our tagline is the most colorful PGA Tour tournament in the world,” West added. “We try to live up to that with not only all the signage and fun things to do around here, but we encourage fans to get involved and come dressed colorfully. We have 20 ‘color scouts’ looking for people dressed up colorfully and even handing them prizes.”
The Valspar Championship aims to be the most colorful tournament in the world in honor of its title sponsor, Valspar, and it shows throughout the course. Photo: Todd Grasley/Florida National News.
The Valspar Championship aims to be the most colorful tournament in the world, and that includes the showcase of previous champions. Photo: Todd Grasley/Florida National News.
Country music lovers can enjoy the incredible duo Big & Rich and superstar Chris Young as part of the Valspar LIVE concert presented by Chick-Fil-A. The event will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 19, 2022 on the Osprey Driving Range and is included with your Valspar ticket.
For more information including a schedule of events, results, and ticket information go to https://valsparchampionship.com.
Stay tuned to Florida National News for photos, videos, interviews, and a complete recap of all the action from the Valspar Championship.
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Todd Grasley is a sports reporter for Florida National News Tampa. | sports@floridanationalnews.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Russell Henley wins his first red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. This is Henley’s fifth win on the PGA Tour.
Russell Henley is greeted by his family on the 18th green after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)
Henley finished at 11 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 70 today. Collin Morikawa finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, finished today at 4 under par, tied for 11th place.
Scottie Scheffler tees off at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)
This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.
Celebrity
LPGA Pros Shutout Celebs at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions “Break The Glass” Challenge
BELLEAIR, Fla. (FNN) – The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair tees off Wednesday, 11/13 with a Pro-Am featuring WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark. The tournament runs Thursday through Sunday, as the LPGA golfers compete for their share of a $3.25 million purse, while also trying to secure their spot in the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. It’s the fifth year of competition for this tournament, named after Annika Sorenstam, who is one of just two players to currently have a tournament named after her on the PGA Tour. Proceeds from this tournament benefit the ANNIKA Foundation, which aims to develop, empower, and advance young women around the world through golf and in life.
The ANNIKA Award (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)
The field of 120 includes Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu, Lydia Ko, Brittany Lincicome, and many more top golfers. Annika Sorenstam will particpate in the Pro-Am, but the appearance of Caitlin Clark has certainly boosted ticket sales, and helped to sell out tickets for the Women’s Leadership Summit, where Clark spoke Tuesday.
Back-to-back hurricanes knocked down 40 trees and left twenty inches of rain on the fairways and greens for days. But the course is ready for this weekend’s tournament.
If you’d like to check out the tournament, visit www.theannika.com for tickets and additional information. Be sure to follow www.FloridaSportsChannel.com and www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.
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