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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
QUALIFYING, PRO-JUNIOR AND MAGIC MOUNTAIN HIGHLIGHT TUESDAY ACTION AT AT&T CHAMPIONS CLASSIC
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Santa Clarita, CA (March 13, 2007) – Eight professionals played their way into the AT&T Champions Classic today during qualifying at TPC Valencia, while Chip Beck teamed with three Junior partners to win the five-hole Pro-Junior Challenge. In addition, Mark McCumber and Andy Bean showed their shotmaking skills while hitting balls at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
Kirk Hanefeld and Tim Conley each shot 4-under 68 at TPC Valencia to lead the way. Hanefeld’s round featured a 33 on the back nine. Fifty-nine players attempted to qualify for this weekend’s AT&T Champions Classic at Valencia Country Club.
In the Pro-Junior, Beck’s team carded a 3-under 17 to win top honors among the five teams, which featured three Junior players and one professional. Playing holes 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18, Beck’s group of Nick Thomas, Lauren Diaz-Yi and Lori Harper birdied the par-3 16th, the par-5 18th and the par-4 11th. The juniors were all qualifiers from the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation Junior Golf Program.
“Our whole team contributed,” said Beck. “These young players are very talented and good students of the game. They are also very disciplined and have a good spirit for the game, which I think is important. The Champions Tour is junior friendly, and doing something like this helps bring more people into the game.”
Beck stated this was the first time he’s done something like this on the Champions Tour, and he certainly impressed one of his young playing partners.
“It was a great honor to play with him, and we had a great time,” Thomas said. “I didn’t know who he was until today, but I’ll be paying attention now and watching him. He gave us some good advice and talked to us about not only excelling in golf but in life.”
Shotmaking skills are ultra-important at the difficult Valencia Country Club layout, so McCumber and Bean got an early start on their competition. Joining Magic Mountain characters Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Sylvester, the Champions Tour professionals hit balls 75 feet high to the top of Lost Temple at Hurricane Harbor. That shot was followed by a difficult left to right cut shot around a building and through the loop of the park’s famous Revolution rollercoaster. The players then took matters into their own hands taking aim at other parts of the park, including its newest rollercoaster Tatsu, trying to reach one of its highest peaks.
Wednesday’s schedule features the first of back-to-back Pro-Am days, starting at 7:30 a.m. with groups going off the 1st and 10th tees. The second session of the Wednesday Pro-Am starts at 11:45 a.m., again with the professionals and their playing partners teeing off on the 1st and 10th tees.
Tickets are available to purchase for Wednesday-Sunday play onsite at the Main Gate of the course for $15.
Below are the eight qualifiers from today’s qualifying tournament:
T1 Kirk Hanefeld Acton, MA 35-33--68 -4
T1 Tim Conley Braselton, GA 34-34--68 -4
3 Terry Dill Austin, TX 34-35--69 -3
T4 James Chancey Altamante Springs, FL 35-35--70 -2
T4 Hugh Baiocchi Orlando, FL 36-34--70 -2
T4 Jon Fiedler Camarillo, Ca 34-36--70 -2
T4 Tom McKnight Bluffton, SC 35-35--70 -2
T4 Patrick McGowan Southern Pines, NC 35-35--70 -2
Below are the Pro-Junior Results:
Team Chip Beck 3-under 17
Nick Thomas Westlake Village
Lauren Diaz-Yi Thousand Oaks
Lori Harper Manhattan Beach
Team Joe Inman 2-under 18
Alton Anderson Thousand Oaks
Chia Jocelyn La Crescenta
Bobby Lange Sherman Oaks
Team David Eger 2-under 18
Daniel Inocencio Baldwin Park
Henry Sue South Pasadena
Samantha Martin Los Angeles
Team Vance Heafner 1-under 19
Demi Runas Torrance
KaLong Lai Arcadia
Troix Tonkham Arleta
Team Bill Rogers 1-under 19
T.J. Kliebphipat Panorama City
Jessica Vasilic Anaheim Hills
Rito Armenta San Juan Capistrano
Contact: Dennis Bickmeier
714-488-0112
dbickmeier@hotmail.com
dennis@attchampionsclassic.com
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