2005 Tournament News
BANK OF AMERICA CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATES
25TH ANNIVERSARY WITH LIST OF 25 MEMORABLE MOMENTS
CONCORD, Mass - The Bank of America Championship is celebrating its
twenty-fifth anniversary during 2005. "I think golf fans would agree
that many, many great golfing memories have been made over the past
quarter century," said tournament director Tracy West, "so part of our
celebration has been to compile a list of 25 memorable moments during
the tournament’s history."
Here's a sampling of some memorable Bank of America Championship moments:
- 2004, Craig Stadler shoots a final round 64 to win. After his round, “The Walrus” watches his son Kevin on TV earn his first win on the Nationwide Tour, making Craig and Kevin only the second father/son ever to win PGA TOUR events on the same day.
- 2002, Arnold Palmer, at age 73, records two eagles in the same round, including a 40-yard eagle chip on the 10th hole.
- 2001, Tom Kite, near the top of the leader board as he stood on the tee at the par-3 17th hole, hits a purple martin bird in flight, dropping his ball in the hazard and grounding his victory hopes.
- 1997, Hale Irwin's nearly 50-foot-long, triple-breaking snake of a putt from the back of 17th green prompts cheers from the gallery loud enough to be heard on the 18th green where Bob Wynn and Jerry McGee were about to two-putt for pars and second place to Irwin's 13-under 203 for the first of his two consecutive championships. He took home $150,000.
- 1991, Rocky Thompson wins by driving from the 5th tee over the 6th fairway to land on the 5th fairway to improve his birdie chances. Before the next tournament, a tree, called the Rocky Thompson Tree, has been planted between the 6th fairway and the dogleg in the 5th fairway to prevent future players from doing the same thing.
- 1988, Chi Chi Rodriguez bests Bob Charles by one stroke, scoring a 14-under 202 to become the first and only player (as of the 25th Anniversary) to win three consecutive tournaments. First prize was $45,000.
- 1984, Tournament moves to Nashawtuc Country Club, as Don January becomes the first of five repeat champions. January is the only player to win titles on different courses - Marlboro Country Club, then Nashawtuc Country Club.
- 1982, upon winning the second annual Bank of America
Championship, Arnold Palmer accepted a trophy, check, cigar and
rocking chair during 18th green ceremonies and promptly sat down and
began rocking - a great photo opportunity, but the chair was ruining
the green.
The full list of memorable moments can be found on the Bank of America Championship's web site by clicking here.
The twenty-fifth anniversary celebration also will include a
ceremony on Saturday, June 25, featuring military color guards
saluting many of the tournament's past champions, a video
presentation commemorating the tournament’s history and the
unveiling of the new Concord Minuteman Bank of America Championship
trophy.
Also, all active duty military, guard and reserve receive free
grounds admission to the tournament that day.
Lest the championship golf offering at this year's Bank of America Championship get lost in all the celebrating, here is another sampling, this time of some of the most popular and highest money winners on the Champions Tour who have committed to play this year: defending champ Craig Stadler, Allen Doyle, Keith Fergus, Bruce Fleisher, Morris Hatalsky, Tom Jenkins, Wayne Levi, Mark McNulty, Don Pooley, Dana Quigley, Des Smyth, Jim Thorpe, Tom Wargo, D.A. Weibring, Gary Player, Bruce Lietzke, Lanny Wadkins and Ben Crenshaw, as well as Brad Bryant, Pat McGowan, Tom McKnight, Dan Pohl, Mike Sullivan, Mark Johnson and Mike Reid in their first Champions Tour season.
The twenty-fifth anniversary Bank of America Championship takes
place June 20-26 at Nashawtuc Country Club in Concord. For
up-to-date information, visit
www.bankofamericachampionship.com .
