Chick-fil-A Challenge Airs Aug. 3 on ESPN2
ATLANTA – The Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament will be televised Saturday in a one-hour special on ESPN2 beginning at 1 p.m.
The event features the nation’s top coaches from around the nation partnered with former athletes and current celebrities in two-man teams competing for a scholarship purse of $520,000. ESPN college football play-by-play announcer Dave Neal and analyst Andre Ware serve as commentators for the golf action.
Miami Hurricanes head football coach Al Golden and 1992 Heisman Trophy winner Gino Torretta held off a back-nine charge from South Carolina to win the 2013 Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge.
Miami’s 11-under round was one better than the Gamecocks duo of Steve Spurrier and Sterling Sharpe. With the victory in the 14-team field, the Hurricanes took home the first-place scholarship prize of $125,000.
Team Miami finished the front nine with five straight birdies to make the turn at 8-under, one stroke ahead of two-time defending champion Georgia Tech and two shots clear of South Carolina.
The Hurricanes and Yellow Jackets played stroke-for-stroke on the back nine until Miami pulled ahead with birdies on 16 and 17. The Gamecocks went birdie-eagle-birdie over the final three holes to make a run at Miami, but fell just short when Al Golden holed a five-foot putt for par on 18.
“Many of the coaches will wear microphones to allow viewers to listen in to their conversations on the course,” said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO. “It really gives an inside look into these coaches’ personalities and how competitive this tournament really is. It should be a very entertaining afternoon of golf.”
The show will also feature exclusive interviews with the participating coaches and highlights from the long drive and putting competitions that took place prior to the golf tournament.
The nation’s premier head coach and celebrity golf event was held at the beautiful Reynolds Plantation resort on Lake Oconee outside Atlanta. Over the past seven years, the Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge has provided more than $4.03 million in scholarship and charity to its participating universities. In all, 15 teams hit the links in the featured event, all vying for the $125,000 first-place scholarship prize.
In addition to the $520,000 scholarship purse, an additional $262,000 was donated to other charitable organizations. The Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge is a significant contributor to the Chick-fil-A Bowl’s overall annual charitable and scholarship donations. The Chick-fil-A Bowl leads all bowls in the country in charitable giving, including gifts of more than $15.7 million since 2002.
The 2013 Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge will air again on ESPN on December 29, two days before the 2012 Chick-fil-A Bowl.
For more information on the event, visit www.Chick-fil-ABowlChallenge.com.
