Golf Great Michael Putnam to Tee Off at Tacoma Open
Pros line up to play the first annual Tacoma Open
When the 2014 Tacoma Open tees off, Meadow Park Golf Course will play host to golf professionals with local roots and national titles—serving up championship golf in a home-course setting.
Pro golfer Michael Putnam will return to his hometown at the Tacoma Open on September 19-21. Putnam was named the 2013 Web.com Tour Player of the Year and was the Web.com Tour's regular season leading money winner.
He is a current PGA Tour player, and will be shooting for an $8,000,000 purse at the Tour Championship by Coca Cola the week prior to the Tacoma Open.
Andrew Yun, Stanford golf standout and 1st Team All American, grew up at Meadow Park Golf Course learning to play the game. The 23-year-old attended Bellarmine Prep before moving to Arizona where he could fine-tune his game year-round. Yun earned a scholarship to Stanford University, where he produced the third-lowest career scoring average in the program’s history – trailing only Tiger Woods and Patrick Rodgers.
Putnam will tee up alongside Yun and other pros including John Cassidy, PGA, current Washington Open champion;
Derek Barron, current Oregon Open champion; Mark Wurtz, former PGA Tour player; Corey Prugh, PGA, from Spokane; TJ Bordeaux, from Tacoma and current member of PGA Tour-Canada, and Shane Prante, 2013 Northwest Open champion.
For amateurs—from casual golfers to more experienced club players—the thrill of playing a 54-hole tournament alongside these and other pros is as easy as clicking a button on the website. Tournament registration for both amateurs and professionals closes Thursday, September 11 at TacomaOpen.com.
Professionals are invited to join the tournament and shoot for one of the largest prize purses in the region. Pros have the option of either choosing the amateurs they want in their group, or letting tournament organizers create the groups.
The entire purse is $35,000. The top professional wins $10,000, top amateur $750. And for everyone, the entire weekend is a golfing dream come true.
Capitalizing on the excitement surrounding the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, the Tacoma Open at Meadow Park Golf Course will be expanded in the future to include:
- 2014, 2015, and 2016 Tacoma Open Pro-Am Tournaments
- 2015 Tacoma Open Skins Game
- 2015 U.S. Open Viewing Party and Community Jamboree.
The Tacoma Open supports youth access to the game of golf along with its character building values. Proceeds from the event will benefit Meadow Park Golf Course’s education and golf access programs to make golf affordable and to help develop a community golf learning center.
Meadow Park is a 100-year old public community-orientated golf facility, hosting the largest Special Olympics program and tournament in the state; creating the state’s first FootGolf course; supporting seven different high school golf teams and a six‐team junior golf league; and partnering with The First Tee of South Puget Sound to offer learning and playing opportunities. Together, these experiences at Meadow Park provide over 6,000 youth and special needs golf experiences each year. Meadow Park Golf Course is a facility of Metro Parks Tacoma and is located at 7108 Lakewood Dr. W., Tacoma.
Visit TacomaOpen.com for complete tournament details, online registration and sponsorship opportunities.
Schedule of Events:
Friday, September 19
Round One – AM or PM Tee Times off #1 & #10
Box Lunch – Foley’s on the Green
Saturday, September 20
Round Two – AM or PM Tee Times off #1 & #10
Field Cut to Low 30 Professionals and 90 Amateurs
Box Lunch – Foley’s on the Green
Sunday, September 21
Final Round – AM Tee Times off #1 – Leaders off last
Amateur and Professional Divisions:
Amateur Net Division:
- A valid GHIN handicap is required for participation in the Amateur Net Division.
- Golfers will play in one of three net divisions, and will be playing from a different tee than the professional and open amateurs.
- The September 15, 2014 revision will be used for this event. Entry fee is $250.
Amateur Open Division:
- Players with or without a GHIN handicap can compete in this division. Entry fee is $250.
- Players with a GHIN compete in this division against the pros for prizes. These golfers play a gross ball score, from the pro tee.
- Casual players who do not have an established GHIN handicap should also sign up in this division and will play alongside the pros for fun (prizes not awarded).
Professional Division:
- Professionals will play in the gross, no-handicap professional division of the 2014 Tacoma Open.
- Professionals are invited to choose 3 amateurs for their group or have 3 assigned by tournament organizers. Entry fee is $350.