COUNTDOWN – 6 WEEKS

O’MEARA COMMITS TO AT&T CHAMPIONS CLASSIC:  Mark O’Meara, winner of 16 PGA Tournaments, has committed to play in the AT&T Champions Classic March 14-16.  In his rookie season on the Champions Tour last year, O’Meara, the 1998 winner of the Master’s Tournament and British Open, had four second-place finishes in 16 events, including the Senior British Open.  A former Southern California resident and All-American at Long Beach State, O’Meara finished T-10 in last year’s event at Valencia Country Club.  O’Meara joins a formidable field of players including first-timers John Cook, Bernhard Langer, Jeff Sluman and Fulton Allem.  Other notable names on the list of players expected to play (but not mentioned in this space yet), include:  Hale Irwin, Craig Stadler, Fuzzy Zoeller, Scott Simpson and Peter Jacobsen, to name a few.

PATE PREVAILS AT TURTLE BAY CHAMPIONSHIP:  Jerry Pate held steady on a windy day in Hawaii to capture his second career Champions Tour victory over the weekend.  Pate’s win helps validate his return from right shoulder surgery in 2006, which shortened his season.  That same year was the only other time he scored a win on the tour, claiming the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am crown before being sidelined.  Entering Sunday’s final round, Pate was four shots behind second-round leader Gil Morgan (-7), but everyone was struggling to make pars on the Palmer Course at Kahuku, Hawaii.  Pate took advantage of the leaders going backwards as he strung together birdies on Nos. 8-10 to move to the top of the leaderboard.  The 1976 U.S. Open winner could have been the lone golfer to shoot in the 60s if not for a bogey on the 54th hole, but his 2-under 70 was enough to top Fulton Allem and Jim Thorpe, who tied for second at 3-under 213, two strokes behind Pate.  Wayne Grady (70), Loren Roberts (71), Robert Thompson (72) and Morgan (77) finished tied for fourth at 214 in the first full-field event of the season.  Last year’s Turtle Bay champion Fred Funk closed with an 81 to sink from fourth place after two rounds to T-32 overall.

UP NEXT ON THE CHAMPIONS TOUR:

The Champions Tour will take a one-week break as the golfers cross the U.S. from Hawaii en route to Florida, for the third of 29 Charles Schwab Cup events.  The Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, Fla., kicks off back-to-back tourneys in the Sunshine state, Feb. 4-10.  Mark James won last year’s inaugural event, shooting a 15-under on the Old Course at Broken Sound Club.  It was the Englishman’s third career win on the Champions Tour.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:

Tournament officials are putting out the call for local volunteer assistance for the upcoming event.  Community members interested in aiding the operation of this year’s tournament can check out the event website at www.attchampionsclassic.com and hit the volunteer link for more information or call the tournament headquarters at 661-254-9750.  Hundreds of volunteers are needed to staff this year’s event.

TICKET SALES:

Tickets for this year’s 54-hole stroke play event are available for purchase online at www.attchampionsclassic.com.  Tickets, which start as low as $15, can be purchased  through one of the event’s Champions for Charity partners, including the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital Foundation, Special Olympics Southern California/Santa Clarita Chapter, SCV Youth Project, Boys and Girls Club of Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita Valley Optimist Club, Los Angeles Junior Golf Foundation, Girl Scouts:  Joshua Tree Council and the following High School Golf Teams:  Canyon Girls Golf, Valencia Boys Golf, Hart Girls Golf, Chaminade Golf Team, West Ranch Golf Team, College of the Canyons Foundation and Total Golf Adventures. 

TEE IT UP WITH THE PROS:

Pro-Am spots are available for Wednesday, March 12, and Thursday, March 13, at Valencia Country Club.  The price per foursome is $9,000 per day, which in addition to the round of golf on one of the Champions Tour’s toughest courses, includes a VIP gift package; two tickets per Pro-Am participant for Tuesday night’s pairing party, the Wednesday evening Gala and Awards Party and the Thursday Reception and Awards Party; and two general admission tickets.  Contact the tournament office at 661-260-1897 for information.