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

The Exelon Invitational

Monday I will be attending the 11th Exelon Invitational hosted by Jim Furyk. The annual event, which benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, will be held at The Ace Club on Ridge Avenue in Lafayette Hill. The Ace Club is a Gary Player signature course, which was used for The Golf Channel's "Playing Lessons with the Pros" segment featuring The Black Knight. This year's Exelon Invitational features, in addition to Furyk, PGA Tour pros Kenny Perry, Anthony Kim and Paul Casey. They will play a two-man teams fourball match for a purse of $305,000, with the winning team splitting $120,000 and the runners-up $120,000. I attended last years event and had a great time! It is awesome to watch the pros in person. They swing so effortlessly, yet hit the ball a mile and very accurately. It is also an opportunity to peek into their bags and see firsthand what clubs they play. Tickets can be purchased at the gate for $40. Gates open at 11 a.m. and the match begins at 12:15 p.m.

A Reality Check at Juniata

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 4805, Par: 66
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 50/46 = 96
Date: June 3, 2008

A day after watching four of the top 20 golfers in the world play at The ACE Club, I took my game to the ever-improving Juniata Golf Club for a round. I should have payed better attention. While my game off the tee wasn't that bad, my ball striking with my irons was a mixed bag of inconsistency; some good shots, some thin shots and some fat shots. I also struggled with my touch around the greens, but that is to be expected by my lacking of playing. My putting was decent. It all added up to a disappointing 96, especially after I started 4-4 on the first two holes and had a wedge shot of just over 100 yards for my approach on the 390-yard, Par 4 3rd Hole. But it was fun to be hitting a golf ball on a golf course rather than on a driving range. And I did have a good time with my playing partner, Jerry, who I paired up with on the 1st Tee. Hopefully, I get in more rounds in the coming weeks, I'll knock the rust off my game, improve my ball striking and sharpen my touch around and on the greens.

As I have written in previous posts, Juniata Golf Club continues to get better and better. The Juniata Golf Foundation, the non-profit organization which took over management of the 81-year-old course on January 1 of this year, has been doing an outstanding job of transforming the course into a hidden gem among the Delaware's golf community. I took these pictures so you could see how the course is shaping up:

The downhill, Par 3 1st Hole, with the Tacony Creek behind. Just before I took this photo, a deer wandered behind the green and into the bushes.

The view from the green looking back at the 390-yard 3rd Hole.

One of the new benches that can be found on the many of the tee boxes.

The 4th Hole, a 380-yard Par 4. Notice the 200-yard (blue), 150-yard (white) and 100-yard (red) yardage markers lining the right side of the fairway.

The 7th fairway from the elevated tee box. The hole is a sharp dogleg left over wetlands.

The elevated 11th tee looks out over the Tacony Creek to a fairway that doglegs slightly to the right, then plays uphill to a small, elevated green.

The wide open 17th Hole requires a tee shot over the Tacony Creek and plays uphill to a long but narrow green that slopes severely towards the fairway in the front third.

The short Par 3 closing hole plays about a club longer to an elevated green guarded by two deep bunkers.

The 9th (back flag) and 18th (foreground) Holes share a double green.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

A Day with the Pros: The Exelon Invitational

I attended the 10th annual Exelon Invitational hosted by Jim Furyk at The ACE Club in Lafayette Hill, Pa. The fourball match featured host and Delaware Valley native Furyk teaming with Steve Stricker to take on Australia's Aaron Baddeley and South Korea's K. J. Choi. Baddeley and Choi defeated Furyk and Stricker 3 and 1, taking the $160,000 first prize. Furyk and Stricker split $120,000 for their runner-up finish. The event raised $300,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia. To see all of my photos from The Exelon Invitational hosted by Jim Furyk, click here.

Here is a recap of the match from The Sports Network:

Choi and Baddeley capture Exelon

Lafayette Hill, PA (Sports Network) - K.J. Choi and Aaron Baddeley won the Exelon Invitational on Monday, 3 & 1 over Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker.

The event, hosted by Furyk and held at the ACE Club in suburban Philadelphia, is a Ryder Cup-style fourball tournament.

Choi and Baddeley claimed $80,000 apiece for the victory and Furyk and Stricker earned $60,000 each in defeat, but the tournament's real beneficiaries were the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, which received a $300,000 donation.

The players kept the mood serious early while they squared each of the first five holes.

Choi and Baddeley finally moved 1-up when they both made birdie at the sixth hole. Choi then rolled in a nine-foot birdie putt at the seventh to make it a 2-up lead.

Furyk knocked his tee shot at the par-three eighth to about seven feet, but missed the birdie putt with a chance to halve the deficit. The world No. 8 struggled with his putting all day, even getting tips from his partner Stricker.

"My game is mediocre right now," Furyk said.

Baddeley and Choi played better from the outset, consistently outdriving their opponents on the longer holes. Stricker reached down and grabbed Choi's thigh on the No. 9 fairway, surprised by the diminutive South Korean's strength.

At the 10th, Choi knocked a sand wedge to nine feet and made the birdie putt for a 3-up lead.

"If we can win one more," Baddeley said, "I think we'll be good. But we need one more. These guys are good."

Furyk and Stricker finally picked up their first win at the 12th hole, where Stricker drained a six-foot birdie putt to trim their deficit to 2-down. But they needed to make up ground quickly.

"Jim called it on the tee," said Stricker. "We need to birdie the next three holes."

They got another birdie at the 13th when Furyk knocked his approach in tight, but Choi spoiled things by rolling in a 30-foot putt for birdie to keep his team 2-up.

At the 17th, the mood lighter, all four players agreed to hit driver despite a large bunker next to the fairway that was right in the landing zone. Furyk put his tee shot in the fairway, but Stricker sent his into the bunker.

Baddeley then stepped to the tee with a three-wood.

"No, no," Stricker laughed. "I was hitting driver because you were going to hit driver."

Stricker motioned to Baddeley's caddie, who handed the Australian his driver. But the joke was on Stricker: both Baddeley and Choi smashed their drives up the fairway, and Choi sealed the win when he knocked his approach inside two feet for a conceded birdie.

They played the 18th hole anyway for an additional $25,000 for charity, and all four players hit their drives at the same time. Furyk sent his into the gallery, sending spectators scrambling.

They dropped four balls onto the ground at the top of the fairway and hit wedges onto the green at the same time, all four balls landing within 12 feet of the hole.

Baddeley's was closest, tucked in about four feet away. Which is about how the whole day went for his side.

"It's one of those days when losing doesn't bother me," Furyk said.

It is truly amazing to watch the PGA Tour professionals play in person. Television does not do justice to how incredibly long they hit the ball. What is even more amazing is the way they are able to miss a fairway or green, yet still make par the majority of the time.

Their smooth putting strokes and the way they are able to read the subtle breaks and undulations in the greens.

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, which is the 3rd Hole. From the white tees, the course is 6702 yards, with a rating/slope of 72.7/137.

Photos by The Muni Golfer