RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. (March 16, 2006) – One of the biggest amateur golfing events of the year gets under way this Saturday, March 18, with the first day of qualifying for the Toyota/Kraft Nabisco $1 Million Hole-in-One Contest.
According to Tamra Borson, marketing and advertising manager for the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the $1 Million Hole-in-One Contest is one of the valley’s biggest fundraisers of the year for United Way of the Desert.
Daily qualifying rounds for the contest will be held March 18 through Sunday, March 26, at Buckets (formerly College Golf Center) in Palm Desert and Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort in Palm Springs. The top two qualifiers from each site each day will move on to the semi-finals on March 26 at 4 p.m. at Buckets. Contestants also have the chance to win golf equipment, airline tickets, gift certificates and other prizes. Prizes will be awarded to the amateurs closest to the pin (a 90-yard shot) each qualifying day.
The top 10 golfers closest to the pin in the semi-finals will advance to the finals competition on Monday, March 27, scheduled for 4 p.m. at the 18th hole of the Arnold Palmer Course at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage. Each finalist will be paired with an LPGA Tour professional to compete as a team for the
$1 million prize. This year, the amateur who shoots closest to the pin during the contest finals will win a new Toyota RAV4.
The Kraft Nabisco Championship’s annual Celebrity Hole-in-One Contest for Charity featuring five celebrities who will also play in the tournament’s Celebrity Pro-Am will tee off just prior to the amateur/pro contest. The celebrity contest and the $1 Million Hole-in-One Contest finals are both free to the public.
Golf balls will be on sale at Buckets and Tahquitz Creek during the daily qualifying rounds at $8 for five balls, $15 for 10 balls, $20 for 15 balls or $45 for 50 balls. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of golf balls are donated each year to the charity. In addition, the United Way will receive $100,000 if anyone makes a hole-in-one during the finals. The official rules for the contest will be available at both qualifying locations and on the Kraft Nabisco Championship Web site at www.KNCGOLF.com.
The finals competition for the Toyota/Kraft Nabisco $1 Million Hole-in-One Contest kicks off the 35th annual Kraft Nabisco Championship, set for March 27 – April 2. Tickets for the first LPGA "major" tournament of the year are available at the gate. Daily grounds tickets and clubhouse badges are also available at Lumpy’s in Cathedral City and La Quinta, and will be sold through Tournament Week. Additionally, tickets can be purchased online through TicketMaster by accessing the Kraft Nabisco Championship Web site.
2006 TOYOTA/KRAFT NABISCO $1 MILLION HOLE-IN-ONE CONTEST
Qualifying Rounds: March 18-26
Buckets, Palm Desert: Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort:
March 18-25: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. March 18-25: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
March 26: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. March 26: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Semi-Finals:
March 26, 4 p.m. Buckets, Palm Desert
Finals Competition: March 27, 4 p.m.
18th Hole, Arnold Palmer Course at Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage, Calif. Celebrity Hole-in-One Contest for Charity tees off before the Finals Competition. All events on March 27 are free to the public.
Contact:
Donna Hahn
Hahn Communications
949/458-3983
donna@hahnmarketing.com
Larry Baumann
Kraft Foods Global Inc.
914/425-3890
larry.baumann@kraft.com
