There's fantasy golf and then there's the chance to make real money.
Amateur golfers can earn a paycheck like the pros when the Toyota/Kraft Nabisco Championship $1 Million Hole-in-One Contest returns this Saturday to the desert. Daily qualifying rounds for the 14th annual competition start on Saturday, March 22, and run through Sunday, March 30. The semi-finals will be held on Sunday, March 30, with the finals competition set for Monday, March 31, at 4 p.m. at Mission Hills Country Club.
Daily qualifying rounds will be held at College Golf Center in Palm Desert and Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort in Palm Springs, with prizes going to the amateurs closest to the pin (a 90-yard shot) each qualifying day. This year, prizes include airline tickets, golf certificates, restaurant certificates and other items. The top two qualifiers from each site each day of the competition will move on to the semi-finals on Sunday, March 30, at 4 p.m. at College Golf Center.
The top 10 golfers closest to the pin at the semi-finals advance to the finals competition on March 31, scheduled for 4 p.m. at the 18th hole of the Arnold Palmer Course at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage. During the finals, each amateur will be paired with an LPGA Tour professional to compete as a team for the $1 million prize. If either member of the team shoots a hole-in-one, the amateur and the professional will split $1 million. In addition, the amateur who shoots closest to the hole on that day will win a 2008 Toyota Corolla.
Prior to the finals competition, celebrities from the Kraft Nabisco Championship's Celebrity Pro-Am roster will play for the top charity prize in the annual Celebrity Hole-in-One Contest for Charity. Both the finals and the celebrity contest are free to the public.
According to Tamra Borson, marketing, advertising and promotions director for the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the annual competition is one of the tournament's biggest events leading up to Tournament Week and championship play.
"As fun as it is, the real point of the competition is that it raises thousands of dollars for United Way of the Desert, one of the tournament's major charities," Borson said.
"This event is an important partnership between the Kraft Nabisco Championship and United Way of the Desert, which provides numerous volunteers for the daily qualifying events. We are grateful for their assistance with this event, and proud of our longstanding tradition of supporting United Way of the Desert and its agencies."
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each golf ball package is donated to the non-profit organization. In addition, United Way receives an additional $100,000 if anyone makes a hole-in-one during the finals competition. Golf balls will be on sale at College Golf Center and Tahquitz Creek for $8 for five balls, $15 for 10 balls, $20 for 15 balls or $45 for 50 balls.
The official rules of the contest will be available at both qualifying locations and on the tournament's official Web site at www.KNCGOLF.com.
The finals competition for the Toyota/Kraft Nabisco Championship $1 Million Hole-in-One Contest is the first event scheduled for the 2008 Kraft Nabisco Championship Tournament Week, March 31 through April 6. For more information on the tournament or to purchase tickets, visit the Web site or call 760/324-4546.
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