COURSE REVIEWS

Golf Legends Tee It Up For Charity

By Ray Brewer,
Senior Staff Writer

HENDERSON, Nev - Eric Anderson and Casey Mersch feel like they experienced golf history this past Tuesday.

The two high school seniors were on hand at the Wendy's Three-Tour Challenge played on the stunning Reflection Bay Golf Club at the Lake Las Vegas Resort.

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It's not that anything out of the ordinary happened at this golf charity tournament played for Wendy's restaurant founder Dave Thomas' Foundation for Adoption.

The event pitted three-players team from the PGA, LPGA and Senior PGA Tours, battling head-to-head on the 18-hole course in an event that was free to the public.

Both teens had undescribable smiles when talking about the legends.

"I invited him," Mersch, a prep golfer, said. "I knew it was going to be a beautiful day and we came to see the legends - especially Jack [Nicklaus]...I am here for Jack."

Fans followed the nine golfer field from tee-to-tee in the event, which will be aired on ABC Dec. 18-19.

The field of golfers was second to none.

	Lee Janzen

Justin Leonard, Lee Janzen and Tom Lehman represented the PGA Tour while Nicklaus, Hale Irwin and Tom Watson played on the Senior PGA team. Karrie Webb, Dottie Pepper and Juli Inkster represented the LPGA Tour.

Mersch, who has also attended The Masters and the Las Vegas Invitational, says he learns a lot about the game from watching the professionals at work.

"The main thing is that they make every shot count and stay focused," Mersch said. "They understand how to stay calm and manage their game."

The two students agreed, there is nothing like watching a sporting event life.

"They are a lot better in person than I thought they would be," Mersch said. "I like to watch their drives and putts."

Even if you weren't a golf enthusiast - like Anderson - you could still appreciate the benefits of the day.

"The first seven hole over the revere are really beautiful," Anderson said. "This is just an immaculate course...I like the water and the aesthetic part of it."

Watson, who just turned 50 years of age, and the Senior Tour put on a clinic ‹ edging the PGA Tour 63.5-50 for a victory in the made for television event.

Watson led all players with 25 points, Irwin added 20 points and Nicklaus finished with 18 points.

Leonard led the PGA with 18 points, Janzen had 16.5 points and Lehman rounded out the scoring with 15.5 points.

For the LPGA Tour, Webb and Inkster had 17.5 points in leading their team to 48.5 points. Pepper finished with 13.5 in adding to the total.

Each member of the winning team got $100,000, while $67,000 was awarded to members of the second place team and $50,000 went to players on the third place team.

Rather, it was the once in a lifetime opportunity to watch some of golf's greates performers that made the day so unique.