11th Exelon Invitational is an Ace!

Today I attended the 11th Annual Exelon Invitational hosted by Jim Furyk at The Ace Club in Lafayette Hill, Pa. The event featured four members of the 2008 Ryder Cup--Delaware Valley native Furyk, Kenny Perry, Anthony Kim and Paul Casey--playing a two-team fourball match. The match was Furyk/Kim vs. Perry/Casey. Furyk and Kim won the match 3&2, thanks to an ace by Kim at the 212-yard Par 3 14th Hole. What was really cool about Kim's ace was, as per golf traditional, he bought all of the spectators a drink! At the 15th green, they were handing out free cans of beer and soda on Kim. Furyk and Kim split the first prize money of $160,000, while Perry and Casey split the runners-up share of $120,000. The event raised nearly $200,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, and in its 11 year history has donated almost $1.7 million. You can see all of my photos from the event by clicking here.

Furyk, Perry Casey and Kim

It was a gorgeous day with brilliant sunshine and high humidity. Thunder storms that predicted for the afternoon held off, but some gray skies did roll in late in the day and the winds began to gust. The sun and humidity had to take a small toll on the players, who had all just finished playing The Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio this past weekend except for Kim.

Anthony Kim makes an ace at the 14th Hole

Apart from Kim's ace, another interesting moment occurred at the Million Dollar Shootout. Prior to the start of the tournament, spectators can can take three swings to try hit a golf ball as close as possible to a pin 72 yards away. The four closest contestants are then given the opportunity to tee-off for a hole in one at the 8th Hole, prior to the pros. A Hole-in-one is worth $1 million. One of the contestants was a 13-year-old named Cole, who hit his tee shot about 20-feet above the pin. One the green, Paul Casey gave Cole his putter and the youngster two-putted for a par!

13-year-old Cole putts for birdie!

Here is a re-cap of the match from the Sports Network:

Kim's ace highlights Exelon win

Lafayette Hill, PA (Sports Network) - Anthony Kim made the first hole-in-one in the 11-year history of the Exelon Invitational on Monday, guiding himself and Jim Furyk to a 3 & 2 victory over Kenny Perry and Paul Casey.

Kim holed his 212-yard tee shot at No. 14 with a five-iron, giving his team a 3-up advantage with four holes to play. He said it was the ninth ace of his career.

"I didn't see it go in," said Kim. "I saw the reaction of the crowd and knew it was good."

The one-day event is hosted by Furyk and held -- fittingly for Kim -- at the Ace Club in suburban Philadelphia. The Ryder Cup-style fourball tournament raised nearly $200,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, Furyk said.

Kim's hole-in-one may also be the last in tournament history.

Exelon, which has sponsored the event since it began in 1999, is cutting back expenses in the difficult economy, Furyk said. He said the tournament, which draws top players every year, won't be held in 2010.

"We're hoping to come back in the future," said Furyk.

The players kept the mood light while birdies were made at 11 of the first 13 holes.

Furyk and Casey were especially hot, combining for seven birdies on the first nine holes. Furyk's fourth birdie putt on the front side, a five-footer at No. 9, gave himself and Kim a 2-up lead.

Perry didn't make birdie until the 10th, when he holed an 18-foot putt to cut his and Casey's deficit to 1-down. They also made birdie at the next hole to square the match.

Kim put his team ahead again with a 10-footer for birdie at the 12th, set up by a soft six-iron into the green.

After rolling a birdie putt well past the hole on 13, Kim played to the supportive gallery, which was reacting to a loud noise coming from the greenside pond.

"That frog is laughing at me," he said.

Furyk rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt on the hole to give his team its second 2-up advantage of the day. They moved a commanding 3-up on Kim's ace at the 14th.

"Hey everybody, drinks are on Anthony!" Perry called out -- and sure enough, beer and soda were brought out on a cart several holes later.

The players -- all ranked in the top 15 in the world -- halved the next two holes to give Furyk and Kim the victory.

Furyk, Kim and Casey then played the final two holes using only one club -- Furyk a five-iron, Casey a four-iron and Kim a three-wood. Furyk thrilled the gallery by holing a 40-footer for birdie with his five-iron on the 17th green.

The ACE Club is a beautiful Gary Player-designed course, built over the rolling, hilly landscape of northwestern Philadelphia and southwestern Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. From the tips, it plays at 7,471 yards, with a rating of 76.1 and a slope of 146. It also features a 610-yard Par 5. From the white tees, the course is 6702 yards, with a rating/slope of 72.7/137.

Photos by The Muni Golfer