Shell Houston Open at Redstone Golf Club
April 5, 2009 – Despite the infamous difficulty of the Kodak Challenge hole at Redstone GC, two players, Chad Campbell and Michael Letzig, managed to birdie 18 and grab a share of the Kodak Challenge lead. With windy conditions, the 18th hole was even more difficult this week, but the incumbent Kodak Challenge leaders who played the Shell Houston Open – J.B. Holmes and Kevin Sutherland – were able to save par in at least one round and stay on pace to win the $1 million dollar prize. Holmes, who lost to Paul Casey in a playoff on 18, is the only leader who has played eight of the possible ten Kodak Challenge holes. The Kodak Challenge will resume at the Verizon Heritage on April 16th.
What’s New For Fans
This week Kodak continued to offer fans a unique way to participate in the Kodak Challenge with the KODAK “Make A Splash” Sweepstakes. Over 500 fans visited the Houston Chronicle online at www.chron.com and submitted their guess for how many balls would find water on the 18th hole during the Shell Houston Open. The winner of the KODAK “Make A Splash” Sweepstakes, Merri Stinnett from La Porte, TX, will receive a free KODAK Zi6 Pocket Video Camera.
Current Kodak Challenge Leaderboard (Year-to-date)
Name Score Holes
J.B. Holmes -5 8
Ryuji Imada -5 7
Steve Lowery -5 7
D.J. Trahan -5 7
Kevin Sutherland -5 6
Michael Letzig -5 6
Chad Campbell -5 6
Chris DiMarco -5 6
Will MacKenzie -5 6
About the Kodak Challenge Hole: #18
A challenging and dramatic finishing hole, the 18th hole at Redstone was designed by Kodak Challenge Advisory Board member Rees Jones and is one of the 30 Kodak Challenge holes this season. With a lake bordering the entire left side of the hole, the tee shot challenges the golfer to carry as much water as possible, while also avoiding the large sculptured bunker along the left of the fairway landing area. Over the past three years, 153 balls have been hit into the water – an average of 51 per tournament. The full schedule of Kodak Challenge holes is available at www.kodakchallenge.com.
About the Kodak Challenge
The Kodak Challenge is a first-of-its-kind competition for PGA TOUR players and fans and celebrates beautiful holes and memorable moments on the PGA TOUR. All players can compete, and all they have to do is play. Players must play at least 18 of the 20 Kodak Challenge holes to be eligible to win. A player’s lowest score relative to par on his best 18 Kodak Challenge holes will be counted. The player with the lowest cumulative score relative to par wins $1 million and the Kodak Challenge trophy. For more, go to www.kodakchallenge.com.
Contact:
Jonathan Connor,