PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. – PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., provided the stage for three days of spirited competition, renewed friendships and one Special Olympics golfer’s record fifth gold medal performance at the 8th Annual Special Olympics Golf National Invitational Tournament, Sept. 14-17, 2007.
Nearly 200 golfers with intellectual disabilities from 26 U.S. states competed in one of five levels of competition on the club’s Ryder and Wanamaker Courses. The national tournament returned to PGA Golf Club for the fourth time in the history of the event. PGA Golf Professional and General Manager of PGA Golf Club Bob Baldassari welcomed more than 500 athletes, playing partners, family members, staff and volunteers when he said, "There are four majors in golf, but to The PGA and PGA Golf Club there is a fifth major and we are hosting it here this weekend."
Kevin Erickson, age 24, from Green Bay, Wis., shot 84-83-79â?”246 for his record fifth first-place finish and gold medal in the 18-hole individual stroke play event. Erickson is one of only three Special Olympics golfers to record a hole-in-one at the national tournament when he scored his first ace during the second round of the 2003 tournament on the 16th hole of the Wanamaker Course at PGA Golf Club. Erickson also holds the Special Olympics low-round record for his 75 shot during the final gold medal round of the 2005 national tournament at Ames (Iowa) Golf & Country Club.
Kevin credits the brief rain delay and a conversation with host PGA Golf Professional Bob Baldassari for helping him win his fifth national tournament gold medal, "Last night Bob and I had a chance to talk and he really helped me focus going into today, then when we had the short rain delay at 16, that helped me finish strong."
Jason Wright, age 34, of Ozark, Mo. Finished second in the 18-hole individual stroke play with an 82-87-89â?”258. In the nine-hole individual stroke play event, Mitch Hern, age 20, of Alexandria, Va., finished in first place for his division with a 44-45-41â?”130. The father-son team of Scott and Jeffrey Rohrer from York, S.C., finished first in the Level 3 18-hole Unified Sports team play event with an 81-76-80â?”237.
Steven Jr. & Steven Sr. Binggeli of Jeffersonville, Ind., won a gold medal for their play in the nine-hole alternate shot team play event when they scored 47-48-43â?”138. "I learned everything about golf from my Dad," said Steven Jr., age 26. "We always play together. We live on Jeffersonville Golf Club and I work at the golf course cutting grass. My Dad and I get lots of practice and we play about 4 – 5 times a week."
The individual skills competition of the tournament tests six basic golf skills. Annie Bassford, age 14, of St. Inigoes, Md., scored 171 points over three days for the gold medal in her division while Alan Jenkins, age 21, of Goldsboro, N.C., scored 190 points during the competition to win first place in the men’s division seven.
The tournament teed off on Friday, Sept. 14, with Opening Ceremonies similar in style to the Olympics with competitors marching in by state delegation, a presentation of colors, the national anthem, the Special Olympics athletes’ oath; lighting of the cauldron and remarks by special guests including PGA of America Chief Executive Officer Joe Steranka. "To know Special Olympics is to know what the founding principles of golf are all about," said Steranka. "It is about sportsmanship, celebrating a good shot, yours and your playing partner’s. It is about enjoying a game that embraces players of all abilities, age, and gender, and sharing that experience with family and friends throughout your lifetime. We are so glad you have chosen to play golf and wish you good luck this week in your national tournament."
After Opening Ceremonies, Special Olympics golfers, partner players, volunteers, coaches, staff and family members enjoyed a special Play Golf America Clinic at the PGA Learning Center. Designed to showcase the game of golf in a fun and relaxed atmosphere, the Special Olympics Play Golf America Clinic was hosted by the South Florida PGA Section Professionals and offered clinics and tune-up lessons to help athletes with their competition and their enjoyment in the game of golf.
The golf industry joined to support Special Olympics golf with The PGA of America, USGA and PGA TOUR as presenting sponsors, the LPGA and GCSAA as supporting sponsors and The PGA Golf Club as event sponsor. The Special Olympics Global Partners include adidas, Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Mattel and Starwood Hotels and Resorts.
Special Olympics is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition. Since The PGA first introduced golf to Special Olympics in 1988, the game has become an official Special Olympics sport with some 13,000 athletes competing in 17 countries. Full results are available at www.pgamediacenter.com. To find out more about Special Olympics golf, visit www.PlayGolfAmerica.com or www.SpecialOlympics.org.
Contact:
Sherry Major, 724.841.0703 or
305.318.5208; smajor@reedexpo.com