Lake Tahoe celebrity golfers to play in Diamond Resorts Tournament in Florida

Sports and entertainment stars, including many of the current and future Hall of Famers, MVPs and stars who golf in South Lake Tahoe's annual celebrity tournament, will be teeing it up in the inaugural Diamond Resorts Invitational celebrity golf tournament at the Golden Bear Golf Club in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 14-16, 2016.

Jerry Rice, Reggie Jackson, Roger Clemens and Larry the Cable Guy are among the early sign-ups for a tournament boasting a $500,000 purse with a $100,000 first prize, three days of live coverage on Golf Channel, and a goal to raise $1 million for Florida Hospital for Children.

At a press conference announcing the tournament today at Florida Hospital for Children, celebrity participants Mark Rypien, the former Super Bowl winning Washington Redskins quarterback; Johnny Damon, the former Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees World Series champion; and Brian Gay, a PGA TOUR player and Orlando resident, voiced their enthusiasm for the multi-year event.

“The commitment from Diamond Resorts International and Golf Channel are the foundation for years of success,” said Rypien, a two-time winner of the American Century Championship at Lake Tahoe. “The celebrity field, the competition and the venue will become a major attraction for the Orlando area.”

“I live here in Orlando and know how important the Florida Hospital for Children is for this community,” said Damon. “The charity fundraising aspect is critical.”

“The Florida Hospital for Children is thrilled and honored to be part of this event. We’re looking forward to working once again with Diamond Resorts International to help the area’s children,” said Marla Silliman, Senior Executive Officer at the Florida Hospital for Children.

Major League Baseball elite will be represented by Jackson, Clemens, and Hall of Fame pitchers Gaylord Perry and the Atlanta Braves rotation of John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux. The National Football League will feature Hall of Famers and Super Bowl MVPs Rice, Marcus Allen, Richard Dent, and Rypien among the 70 personalities competing in the 54-hole, modified Stableford competition.

Entertainers in the field joining Larry the Cable Guy include Willie Robertson of Duck Dynasty, Joe Don Rooney of Rascal Flatts, country music artists Colt Ford and Jake Owen, comedian Rob Riggle, and Golf Channel broadcaster Lisa Cornwell.

“We plan to make this celebrity golf tournament a world-class event,” said Michael Flaskey, executive vice president, chief sales and marketing officer, Diamond Resorts International®, during the press conference. “Diamond Resorts International hosts 1,500 events of a lifetime annually (special events for owners with various sports and entertainment personalities). This tournament reflects what we do best.”

Diamond Resorts International® has a network of more than 330 vacation destinations worldwide. Its philosophy to offer families memorable and meaningful experiences to “Stay Vacationed.™” is reflected at resorts in desirable locations with impeccable accommodations, activities, entertainment and attractions. With global headquarters in Las Vegas, Diamond Resorts International® has a significant presence in the Orlando area with nine resorts and more than 2,000 team members.

Tournament week begins Wednesday, Jan. 13 with the third-annual Brian Gay Invitational, presented by Diamond Resorts International®. Over the past two years, the Brian Gay Invitational has raised $1.2 million for Florida Hospital for Children. Brian Gay, PGA TOUR golfer and resident at nearby Windermere, will host an 18-hole celebrity-amateur competition featuring foursomes comprised of three amateurs and one celebrity. An evening gala and headliner concert at Mystic Dunes Resort and Golf Club, a Diamond Resorts flagship resort in Orlando, will complement the action.

The top ten amateurs (five each from gross and net divisions) will advance to play alongside the celebrities the next three days in the Diamond Resorts Invitational. The Amateur Grand Prize includes a Platinum membership in THE CLUB® at Diamond Resorts International®. In addition to providing access to loyalty member benefits including unlimited accommodation upgrades, complimentary Reservation Protection Plan, Luggage Forward and airline companion discounts, Platinum membership affords more than 50,000 points to be used toward travel and vacation at any destination in the global Diamond Resorts International® network portfolio including the Diamond Luxury Selection.
The tournament will utilize a modified Stableford scoring system with players receiving six points for eagle, three for birdie, one for par, zero for bogey and minus-two for double bogey and higher.

Jackson, known as Mr. October for his World Series heroics, is the Hall of Famer who played for the New York Yankees and Oakland A’s. Perry, the Hall of Fame pitcher for the Cleveland Indians and San Francisco Giants famous for allegedly applying foreign substances to the ball, was the first to win the Cy Young Award in both the National and American Leagues. Rypien was the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 1991 Super Bowl for the Washington Redskins and is a two-time champion in the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe. All three are Diamond Resorts Celebrity Ambassadors.

Military veteran Chad Pfeifer, who has pursued a pro golf career despite losing his left leg to an IED explosion in Iraq, is also playing. Pfeifer, a three-time winner of President George W. Bush’s Warrior Open and the 2011 National Amputee Tournament champion, is the first U.S. Army veteran amputee to compete on the Web.com Tour and is a Diamond Resorts Celebrity Ambassador. He finished fifth at Lake Tahoe in 2014, leading after the opening round. He recently starred in Golf Channel’s Big Break The Palm Beaches, Fla. and won the 2015 National Amputee Tournament.

Also in the field is popular baseball commentator Kevin Millar, a member of the 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox; Orlando native Johnny Damon, who won World Series titles with both the Yankees and Red Sox; and Bode Miller, Olympic Gold medalist.

The enthusiasm for the event is evident with more than 100 requests for the approximately 30 remaining playing spots. “Over the next few months we’ll be finalizing the field with major entertainers, active stars from baseball, football and other sports, along with popular area personalities,” said Flaskey. “Our players will be approachable celebrities for fans, sponsors and media.”

Information on sponsorship opportunities that combine tournament celebrity-am playing spots with a chance to advance to the three-day tournament, client entertainment options, extravagant pairings and award parties, marketing exposure, gallery tickets and other special offers is available at: http://www.diamondresortsinvitational.com/sponsorship.

Current sponsor participants include Florida Hospital for Children, MasterCard, and Integrity Golf Company, LLC.

Florida Hospital for Children (https://www.floridahospital.com/children) is one of the premier children’s hospitals in the nation, setting standards for innovation, quality and comprehensive care. The child-centric healing environment designed to keep kids comfortable is complemented by a staff of world-class doctors, specialists, nurses and healthcare professionals utilizing advanced technologies, therapies and treatments.

The Golden Bear Golf Club is a signature Jack Nicklaus golf course at Keene’s Pointe in Windermere, Fla. The par 72, 6,827-yard layout is surrounded by sparkling lakes, majestic oaks and provides the challenging design elements of a Nicklaus design.

A limited number of gallery tickets for the Brian Gay Invitational on Wednesday and the Diamond Resorts Invitational, Thursday-Saturday will be available.

The Diamond Resorts Invitational is also conducting a Golf Sweepstakes awarding a winner a six day/five night vacation for two to Orlando including accommodations at Mystic Dunes Resort and Golf Club and two rounds of golf for two. To enter: www.diamondresorts.com/golf-sweepstakes.

The American Century Golf Championship will be held in South Lake Tahoe, July 19-24, 2016.