Greg McLaughlin, President PGA TOUR Champions talks about the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai returning to the Big Island of Hawaii for the 22nd year.
It's the season opening event for the PGA TOUR Champions with official event champions of the 2016 and 2017 seasons, winners of the majors from recent years and professionals by invitation with a minimum of five or more career victories, including one major.
Played on the beautiful Hualalai Golf Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka’upulehu, the Pro-Am is on Tuesday January 16 and Wednesday January 17
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday January 18-19-20 is the 54 hole stroke play event broadcast on NBC Golf Channel. It's a 1.8 million purse. Bernhard Langer defends.
Advance tickets are available at pgatour.com/mec $20 One Day Pass / $40 Tournament Pass (purchase on website) or at the Gate tournament week for $25 Tournament Day and $ 45 Tournament Week Pass .
I think one of the best aspects of this Mitsubishi Electric Championship is monies raised for our local charities. The Rotary Club of Kona organizes the 300+ volunteers with Kris Hazard and Larry Webb continuing as volunteer co-chairs and in return the tournament donates to the Rotary Club of Kona Community Foundation. Big Island Junior Golf and the Daniel R Sayre Foundation are also recipients.
2018 Eligible Player Field: Michael Allen, Stephen Ames, Woody Austin, Paul Broadhurst, Fred Couples, John Daly, Marco Dawson, Joe Durant, Carlos Franco, David Frost, Doug Garwood, Paul Goydos, Jay Haas, Kohki Idoki, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Brandt Jobe, Jerry Kelly, Bernhard Langer, Tom Lehman, Jeff Maggert, Scott McCarron, Rocco Mediate, Colin Montgomerie, Jesper Parnevik, Tom Pernice,Jr., Kenny Perry, Gene Sauers, Vijay Singh, Esteban Toledo, Kirk Triplett, Duffy Waldorf, Mark Wiebe
Sponsor Exemptions: Olin Browne, Mark Calcavecchia, Fred Funk, Peter Jacobsen, Corey Pavin, Loren Roberts, Jeff Sluman, David Toms
Hall of Fame Eligible: Hale Irwin, Tom Kite, Sandy Lyle, Larry Nelson, Mark O’Meara, Jose Maria Olazabal, Tom Watson, Ian Woosnam
I think it is significant that Greg McLaughlin was involved with many of the current PGA TOUR Champions players as they were coming up and making strides on the PGA TOUR.
Before he joined the PGA TOUR as Senior VP of PGA TOUR Championship Management, Greg was Tournament Director of the PGA Northern Trust Open (formerly Nissan Open), Honda classic, BMW Championship and Director of the Tiger Woods Foundation for 14 years. At the Nissan Open in 1992 at Rivera Country Club in LA Greg was responsible for providing Tiger Woods with his first exemption to compete in a PGA TOUR.
Fred Couples won the Nissan Open that year. I was at that 1992 Nissan Open and it was the first time I met Greg McLaughlin and it was the first time I ever saw Tiger Woods. He was around 16 years old. I was just venturing to other venues to cover golf and I'll always remember how helpful and friendly Greg was to me when I got press credentials for the Nissan Open over several years.
I appreciate having worked with and been very involved with the PGA TOUR Champions and Kelly Fliear, Tournament Manager for 22 years now. It's been fun to weave so many relationships in the world of golf in my hometown Detroit and Hawaii into my life.
For instance Brian Goin. Brian had been Tournament Director of the Ford Seniors in Detroit for many years and then as Director of PGA Tour Championship Management we worked together on the Mitsubishic Electric Championship at Hualalai. We have mutual friends in the Detroit Media and handful of my friends from Detroiters have for years played in the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai Pro-AM and we have a few spots open for this year.
Greg and I mention Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc, Michigan being the site in September 2018 for the PGA TOUR Champions Ally Challenge. Warwick Hills hosted the Buick Open for 45 years through 2009. As a junior golfer aspiring to play professional golf in the 1960's, attending the Buick Open was very special.
So grateful for the game of golf and the relationships in my life through golf professionally and personally. Thanks for listening to the Emily T Gail Talk Story Show emilytgailtalkstory.podomatic.com.
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