NICKLAUS, TEBOW, TAYLOR JOIN HOST KENNY G AT GOLD PRO-AM
Golfing great Jack Nicklaus, about to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his triumphant victory at age 46 at The Masters, Denver Broncos quarterback and former Florida Gator and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and New York Jets defensive end Jason Taylor will join Host Kenny G in the feature foursome of the Kenny G Gold Pro Am Wednesday March 2 at the 2011 Honda Classic.
The group will tee off at 12:40 p.m. on the first tee of the Champion course at PGA National Resort & Spa.
A second celebrity foursome which will tee off at approximately 8:50 a.m. will feature former baseball great Gary Carter, former football star and current television broadcaster Joe Theismann, Arizona Cardinals kicker Jay Feely and former Miami Dolphin great Nat Moore.
Only 5,000 additional general admission tickets for Wednesday are being made available to guarantee a quality spectator experience for those who will follow the feature foursome. Tickets are $25 in advance ($30 at the gate) and can be purchased in advance at thehondaclassic.com or by calling 1-866-8HONDA8 (866-846-6328). Kids under the age of 15 are admitted free every day at The Honda Classic.
"We are again thrilled to be able to present such a wonderful group for our fans to enjoy on Pro-Am day," Honda Classic Executive Director Kenneth R. Kennerly said. "Our feature group provided a great deal of fun for everyone last year and shapes up as the perfect prelude to what we expect will be another great Honda Classic."
Nicklaus, now 71, has been named "Golfer of the Century" or "Golfer of the Millennium" by almost every major golf publication in the world. He was also named Individual Male Athlete of the Century by Sports Illustrated, and one of the 10 Greatest Athletes of the Century by ESPN. His competitive career spanned five decades, and his legend has been built with 118 professional tournament victories worldwide and a record 18 major-championship titles. He is the only player in history to have won each of the game's majors at least three times (six Masters, five PGA Championships, four U.S. Opens, three British Opens), and is the only player to have completed the career "Grand Slam" on both the regular and senior tours. Nicklaus has also been involved in the design of 280 courses open for play worldwide. Nicklaus Design courses are represented in 34 countries and 39 states, including a redesign of PGA National's Champion Course which plays host to The Honda Classic.
Tebow won two National Championships and the 2007 Heisman Trophy at the University of Florida before being drafted in the first round by the Denver Broncos last year. He iwas immediately widely popular, setting an NFL Draft record for jersey sales. On October 17, 2010, Tebow scored his first NFL touchdown, which was a five-yard running play against the New York Jets. On November 14, 2010, Tebow threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Larsen on his first career NFL pass attempt as part of a 49-29 home victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. He also added a one-yard rushing touchdown in the game. Tebow started his first NFL game on December 19, 2010, which was a 39-23 road loss to the Oakland Raiders. He completed eight of 16 passes for 138 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown pass. He also rushed for 78 yards, 40 of which came on a touchdown run in the first quarter of the game. It was the longest touchdown run for a quarterback in Broncos history and the longest touchdown run in NFL history for a quarterback in his first start. Tebow became just the third quarterback in NFL history to throw for a touchdown of 30 or more yards and run for a touchdown of 40 or more yards in the same game. Tebow's first career victory came in his second start on December 26, 2010. The Broncos defeated the Houston Texans, 24-23, in Denver. Tebow helped rally the Broncos from a 17-0 deficit at halftime, as he finished the game with 308 passing yards and one touchdown pass. He also added a fourth quarter rushing touchdown, which capped the comeback. Tebow finished his rookie season with a total of 654 yards passing with five touchdowns and three interceptions. He also rushed for 227 yards and six touchdowns. Tebow became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for a touchdown in each of his first three career starts.
Taylor has been one of the most feared pass rushers in the National Football League since entering the league in 1997. He presently plays for the New York Jets after spending most of his career with the Miami Dolphins and also making a one-year stop in Washington. Taylor's athletic accomplishments are seemingly endless. He was named the 2006 Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year, the highest honor bestowed on a defensive performer. In addition, he has received All-Pro honors on four occasions, been selected to six Pro Bowls, appeared on numerous All-NFL Defensive Teams and has been named the NFL Alumni Association's Defensive Lineman of the Year in consecutive seasons (2005-06). He is the Miami Dolphins all-time career sack leader with 117 and counting, was the NFL's sack champion in 2002 with 18.5 and with 100.5 sacks since the 2000 season, is the NFL's most prolific pass rusher this decade. In 2009, he gained wide notoriety through his participation with the Dancing With The Stars television show. Over the course of his career, Taylor has worked with numerous charitable organizations through the Jason Taylor Foundation, including the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, United Way, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, First Book, Habitat for Humanity, the Urban League of Broward County and the Holtz Children's Hospital in Miami, which officially renamed its learning center as "The Jason Taylor Children's Learning Center."
For the past two decades, Kenny G has established himself as the biggest-selling instrumental musician of the modern era, with global sales totaling more than 75 million albums. He has collaborated with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Natalie Cole, Toni Braxton and Frank Sinatra. His album Breathless was the biggest selling instrumental record in U.S. history with more than 12 million records sold in the U.S. alone. His 1994 holiday album Miracles is the best selling holiday album of all-time. In between making music, Kenny G often finds his way to the golf course. In December 2006, Kenny claimed the #1 ranking in Golf Digest's "Top 100 in Music" list, with an impressive +0.6 handicap.
The 2011 edition of The Honda Classic will be played February 28-March 6 at PGA National Resort & Spa. The tournament, Palm Beach County's largest sporting event, awarded more than $1 million to area children's charities in 2010.
Individual daily tickets can be purchased in advance for $15 (Tuesday), $25 (Wednesday), $30 (Thursday and Friday) or $40 (Saturday and Sunday). Tickets are $5 more at the gate. A Classic Value Pack good for the entire week is $95. All ticket proceeds go directly to South Florida Children's Charities through the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation
Call 1-866-8HONDA8 (866-846-6328) to order tickets or visit thehondaclassic.com.
Last Updated: 2/23/2011 10:56:01 AM / Generated at: 2/4/2012 10:39:18 PM