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Eight vie for Million Dollar Shootout
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Posted on Aug 07 2005
After all of the golfers finished up their second round of action in the 10th Annual Tournament of Champions, a select group of eight duffers stuck around the links at LaoLao Bay Golf Resort to test their skill in the Million Dollar Shootout.
Spectators roared, clapped, and leaned as Mark Blas, Yasuhito Irinaka, Nakamura, David Tydingco, Chiong Alsree, Joon Hyung Seo, Tom Villagomez, and John Cepeda each took a swing from 175 yards away from the hole.
While few came close to the pin, all entered the tee box in hopes of taking a leap into securing their financial futures. Though the hole is relatively close by golfing standards, the shot is much harder than it looks.
“Of course it’s very nervous. Obviously I thinned my shots, but it’s very exciting. The odds are about just as much as the money is—a million to one. I still haven’t made a hole-in-one in my 12 years of golfing,” said Blas.
He said that he drove with a seven, but that he should have dug a little deeper into his bag and pulled out his six iron to make the shot.
“A smooth six, or I think you have to hit a perfect seven to get it and the wind was knocking it down,” said Blas
While none of the strikers found the bottom of the cup, they were surrounded by a sea of onlookers who cheered them on when the ball left the tees. They would have had the opportunity to root for a couple more underdogs, but missed out as two of the winning ticket numbers went unclaimed by their owners.
Following the event, all of the participants went home for a little relaxation before returning to the TOC activities at the Saipan Grand Hotel for the awards banquet.
