Coaches vs. Cancer golf auction tops $200,000

LEXINGTON, Ky. – In a one-of-a-kind auction that concluded on Black Friday, more than 100 college basketball coaches and national celebrities joined forces to raise more than $200,000 to assist Coaches vs. Cancer in its continuing battle against  cancer. The Coaches vs. Cancer “Member for a Day” Golf Auction, presented by MGM Resorts International, had each participating coach or celebrity donate a round of golf, with them, at the club of their choice.

The auction totaled $216,905 with the top bid of $22,100 going to the round with baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey, Jr., who offered up an outing at Michael Jordan’s new course, Grove XXIII, in Hobe Sound, Fla. North Carolina head coach Roy Williams led the way for the college coaches, donating a round of golf at Pinehurst #2 which sold for $17,600.

“We are extremely pleased with the response we received from this auction, especially given the fundraising challenges we are facing during the pandemic,” said Howard Byck, Senior Vice President at the American Cancer Society, which partners with the National Association of Basketball Coaches for the Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. “These coaches and celebrities donated their precious time to make sure we were successful in this effort. We are so thankful for their continued support in the fight against cancer.”

Other notable auction items included a round at Peachtree Golf Club in Atlanta for $14,602 with an undisclosed celebrity, an outing with Iona coach Rick Pitino at Winged Foot which sold for $9,300, a round with Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley at DC Ranch that netted $6,100 and 18 holes with broadcast analyst Clark Kellogg, at an undisclosed premium course in New Albany, Ohio, which brought in $4,600.

More than $20,000 was generated between two rounds of golf at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, both of which includes stays at an MGM Resorts property. PGA TOUR golfer Pat Perez donated a round that brought in $15,433 while an outing with Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger netted $5,750. Kruger also donated a round at Southern Hills in Tulsa, which netted $4,400. Kruger has long been a supporter of Coaches vs. Cancer, annually generating more than $1 million from his own golf tournament each May in Las Vegas.

Kruger said, “When bdG Sports paired Member for a Day with our Coaches vs Cancer initiative, we were hopeful we could get a handful of coaches to participate and generate a few dollars. We have been thrilled with the results, both in the number of coaches and celebrities choosing to participate and the dollars we were able to raise with the first-time auction. The bid winners are in for a unique experience, spending 18 holes with their coach or celebrity, and creating memories for a lifetime.”

For a complete list of auction items, visit https://cvc.memberforaday.co/coachesvscancer.

#2 Baylor makes most of last-minute trip to #VegasBubble with two wins

LAS VEGAS – #2 Baylor made the most of its last-minute trip to Las Vegas taking home two victories over Louisiana (112-82) and Washington (86-52) at T-Mobile Arena. The two games were the first for the season for the Bears after having to rearrange its schedule due to head coach Scott Drew testing positive for COVID-19. Seattle, Air Force and CSUN all went 1-1 against each other in their #VegasBubble pod. Additional games are expected to be played in Las Vegas in December.

 

 

FINAL RESULTS

NOV. 25

San Diego State 61  Washington 59 – Women

NOV. 28

Air Force 66  CSUN 61

Baylor 112  Louisiana 82

NOV. 29

Seattle 63  Air Force 45

Baylor 86  Washington 52

NOV. 30

CSUN 76  Seattle 65

DEC. 1

UC Riverside 57  Washington 42

Paiute Las Vegas Championship announced for April date on Korn Ferry Tour

LAS VEGAS – Professional golf returns to the Valley for the third time in six months as the Paiute Las Vegas Championship, a Korn Ferry Tour (www.kornferrytour.com) event, will be played April 12-18, 2021 at Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort (www.lvpaiutegolf.com), organizers announced today.

Local members of the Tour, who are competing as a part of a season-long points race to earn one of 25 PGA TOUR cards 2021, include Harry Hall, David Lipsky, Taylor Montgomery and John Oda. The tournament will have a full field of 156 players who will compete for a $600,000 purse.

“We are excited to bring the Korn Ferry Tour to Las Vegas and continue building on the tremendous history between this community and the PGA TOUR,” said Korn Ferry Tour President Alex Baldwin. “With bd Global, we have a vibrant partner with a great track record of building spectacular events across a number of sports platforms, and we know our debut next April will further that tradition. The Sun Mountain Course at the Paiute Resort is an ideal venue to host the next generation of PGA TOUR stars and will provide our players a world-class experience both on and off the course throughout the duration of tournament week.”

In October, the PGA TOUR’s Shriners Hospital’s for Children Open played its traditional week in the calendar at TPC Summerlin, and was followed by the relocated CJ Cup at Shadow Creek, which was moved from South Korea due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Likewise, several international events on the Korn Ferry Tour were canceled for the upcoming season, so bdG Sports, the organizer, went searching for a new location stateside.

“Given that we’re a 54-hole club, we had the flexibility to offer up our Sun Mountain course and the desire to showcase our resort to the professional golf world,” said Jeff Reid, General Manager at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort Golf Resort. “We are glad that we are in position to host the Korn Ferry Tour during these uncertain times while bringing much needed economic impact to Las Vegas, as well as to help continue to grow the game of golf. This will be a win-win for all involved.”

Montgomery, who earlier this month won the Nevada Open, has played all 18 events on the abbreviated 2020 Korn Ferry Tour season, and currently sits 23rd in the regular-season points standing. His former college teammate at UNLV, John Oda, finished T2 at the Tour’s first event of the season, the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay. Lipsky, who resides in Las Vegas after completing his collegiate career at Northwestern, is 11th in the points standings after winning the TPC San Antonio Challenge and finishing T2 at the WinCo Foods Portland Open. Harry Hall, another UNLV alum, earned Korn Ferry Tour status halfway through the 2020 season but capitalized with three top-10s in the first nine starts of his career. The top 25 at the end of next summer’s regular season earn PGA TOUR card for the 2021-22 season. An additional 25 cards will be awarded following the Korn Ferry Tour Finals events.

The field will be tested on the Sun Mountain Course, a 7,112-yard, par-72 desert course located just 25 minutes from the world-famous Las Vegas Strip. Paiute has played host to the World Series of Golf, the World Long Drive Championships and the ESPN Golf Challenge, but never a professional tour event.

“We have a short runway for planning and preparation and needed to find a course that could offer up a championship-ready challenge in a destination location, and the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort checked both boxes,” said Brooks Downing, CEO of bdG Sports (www.bdglobalsports.com), a global sports management firm which has been operating events in Las Vegas for the past decade. “And to have a community that boasts such outstanding local professionals, this may end up being one of the most popular stops on the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour schedule.”

The tournament’s official pro-am will be held on Wednesday, April 14, and the tournament action gets underway on Thursday, April 15 before a champion is crowned on Sunday, April 18. Parties interested in sponsorship or participating in the pro-am can contact Tournament Director Josh Franklin at 859.494.3932 or jf@bdglobalsports.com.

Complete tournament information can be found at www.paiutechampionship.com or on social media at @PaiuteLVChamp. The availability of any general spectator tickets will be determined at a later date in consultation with local health authorities.

No. 12 Maryland, Nov. 14 Arkansas stage thriller in final game of women’s #BeachBubble

ESTERO, FLA. – No. 12 Maryland and No. 14 Arkansas staged a thriller in the final game of the women’s #BeachBubble at Alico Arena. The Terps put up 41 points in the third quarter en route to a 115-96 win over the Razorbacks. Maryland, Arkansas, Missouri State and Wake Forest all finished 2-1 in the six-team field which was originally to be an eight-team tournament with the schedule being altered due to COVID-19.

 

 

FINAL RESULTS

Nov. 27

Arkansas 98  Wake Forest 82

Maryland 94  Davidson 72

Missouri State 74  FGCU 49

Nov. 28

Arkansas 86  FGCU 80

Wake Forest 85  Davidson 77

Missouri State 81  Maryland 72

Nov. 29

FGCU 84  Davidson 61

Maryland 115  Arkansas 96

Wake Forest 68  Missouri State 59

Abilene Christian crowned men’s champions of #BeachBubble

ESTERO, FLA. – Abilene Christian swept the men’s side of the #BeachBubble and were crowned champions of the event after going 3-0 in the event which featured a set schedule after several teams bowed out of the tournament due to COVID-19. ACU beat ETSU, Austin Peay and Omaha en route to the title.

 

 

FINAL RESULTS

Nov. 25

Austin Peay 67  Omaha 66

Abilene Christian 70  ETSU 47

Nov. 26

Austin Peay 67  ETSU 66

Omaha 60  Middle Tennessee 59

Nov. 27

ETSU 57  Middle Tennessee 43

Abilene Christian 80  Austin Peay 72

Nov. 28

Abilene Christian 70  Omaha 58

College basketball coaches and celebrities donate local rounds of golf in Coaches vs. Cancer auction

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Nearly 100 college basketball coaches and national celebrities have joined forces during the global pandemic to assist Coaches vs. Cancer in raising funds to fight cancer. The Coaches vs. Cancer “Member for a Day” Golf Auction, presented by MGM Resorts International, will be a virtual auction that tips off Wednesday, Nov. 18 and concludes on “Black Friday,” Nov. 27.

Auction participants will donate a round of golf at the club of their choice to be played before Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021. Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger offered up two rounds – one at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Okla., and one at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. Other notable coaches and courses include Iona’s Rick Pitino, who will host a group at Winged Foot, site of last month’s U.S. Open, Illinois’ Brad Underwood at Olympia Fields in Chicago, and North Carolina’s Roy Williams at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina. High bidders will bring a threesome to the course and play 18 holes with the coach or celebrity. Lunch and team apparel also will be included in select packages.

“We are excited to collaborate with our longtime partner bdG Sports along with Member for A Day and MGM Resorts International to raise funds through such a one-of-a-kind program,” said Howard Byck, senior vice president at the American Cancer Society. “Despite the pandemic, cancer has not stopped and neither have our extraordinary Coaches as we work together to save lives, celebrate lives, and lead the fight for a world without cancer.”

Coaches vs. Cancer is a partnership between the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the American Cancer Society. Annually, various coaches including Kruger stage golf tournaments and other fundraisers for cancer research and related efforts. bdG Sports, which plays host to a Coaches vs. Cancer college basketball event each year in Las Vegas, along with multiple men’s and women’s tournaments in other markets each season, coordinated the auction.

Brooks Downing, CEO of bdG Sports, said, “We have been overwhelmed by the interest from the coaches to participate in such a simplistic model. For those who will bid, they’ll have the chance to play golf with their favorite coach or celebrity. For others, it may be a chance to be a “Member for a Day” at a club they wouldn’t normally have an opportunity to play. I’m certain this will be one of the greatest experiential auctions ever conducted on such a significant scale.”

The auction is powered by Member for a Day, the world’s leading golf charity fundraising platform.

Eric Sedransk, Founder and CEO of Member for a Day, said, “Our focus is to build the most impactful charity golf program that allows participants to bid on memorable rounds of golf all while raising money for charity. Many thanks to bdG Sports and Coaches vs. Cancer for allowing us to tap into their respective networks to build such an impressive auction. We look forward to helping generate significant fundraising revenue through this unique initiative.”

Additional celebrities who have donated rounds include ESPN analyst Jay Bilas (Charlotte Country Club), Bill Raftery (Baltusrol), Clark Kellogg (an undisclosed exclusive club in Columbus, Ohio) and baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey, Jr. (Grove XXIII). Jeff Walz, the University of Louisville women’s coach, will donate a round of golf at Hurstbourne Country Club, while CBS Sports/ESPN analyst Debbie Antonelli has put forth a round of golf with her at Bulls Bay in Charleston, S.C.

MGM Resorts, owner of the exclusive Shadow Creek and sponsor of Coach Kruger’s Las Vegas Golf Classic each May, will sponsor the Member for a Day auction and has donated two foursomes.  One foursome will be for the winning bidder playing alongside Kruger while the second group will play with Pat Perez, an MGM Resorts golf ambassador and one of the most popular players on the PGA TOUR.

George Kliavkoff, President of Entertainment & Sports for MGM Resorts International, said, “We take great pride in working closely with Coaches Kruger, Williams and Pitino, Jay Bilas, our other Coaches vs. Cancer partners and the American Cancer Society in the fight to eliminate this deadly disease.  The Member for a Day auction will be a special event and another opportunity to raise money to fight cancer.”

For a complete list of auction items, visit https://cvc.memberforaday.co/coachesvscancer.

 

College basketball returns to Southwest Florida with the #BeachBubble on Thanksgiving weekend

ESTERO, Fla. – A college basketball season unlike any other tips off on Wednesday, Nov. 25, and will include a slate of games at Hertz Arena in bdG Sports’ #BeachBubble at the Gulf Coast Showcase. Over the course of Thanksgiving weekend, the Kentucky-based promoter will play host to eight men’s and six women’s teams in Southwest Florida and put on 21 games at Hertz Arena and FGCU’s Alico Arena.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA announced in mid-September that the start of the college basketball season would be delayed until Nov. 25. That change prompted a whirlwind of changes to existing team schedules and event fields across the country. Unlike most events, bdG Sports, which has managed the Gulf Coast Showcase men’s and women’s tournaments at Hertz Arena since 2013, was able to retain the majority of their participants to put forth an eight-team men’s tournament strictly for mid-major programs while also attracting six of the premier women’s teams in the country.

“We have built these men’s and women’s fields with the health and safety of our teams first and foremost in mind,” said Brooks Downing, President of bdG Sports. “We have instituted a comprehensive safety plan with the focus on our three pillars of the host resort, game venue and ground transportation. Our partners at Hertz Arena, FGCU, Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, Naples Tours and Transportation, Summit One Source, which provides our testing, and Loop Insights, which provides contact tracing, have all bought in from day one how important it is that we do this right and in a manner which protects the players and coaches as best we can.”

With a compressed window over Thanksgiving week – typically the men play each year on Monday through Wednesday, followed by the women’s tournament on Friday through Sunday – FGCU was in position to welcome the women’s event once it became evident that the two tournaments would overlap.

“The teams were insistent on keeping these events on Thanksgiving weekend, and Ken Kavanagh and Karl Smesko put us in position to keep both of these events in Fort Myers,” Downing said. “With Coach Smesko’s team already slated to play in this year’s field, it just made the most sense to utilize Alico Arena to play host to the women’s slate of games.”

The men’s tournament will get the action started first with a traditional eight-team tournament bracket at Hertz Arena. The first-round match-ups on Wednesday, Nov. 25 are:

  • ETSU (30-4 record in 2019-20) vs. Abilene Christian (20-11) – 11 a.m.
  • Akron (24-7) vs. Middle Tennessee (8-23) – 2 p.m.
  • Austin Peay (21-12) vs. Omaha (16-16) – 5 p.m.
  • Indiana State (18-12) vs. East Carolina (11-20) – 8 p.m.

Semifinal games will be played at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving night and Friday’s championship game will tip at 8 p.m. All 12 games will be streamed live and available on-demand on FloHoops.com.

The men’s tournament will be a homecoming for East Carolina coach Joe Dooley. Dooley led the Eagles to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2016 and 2017. But East Carolina will match up against some of the best “mid-majors” in the nation, including ETSU, the defending champions of the Southern Conference, which was one of only four teams in the country with 30 wins despite the season being cut short due to the pandemic. Akron won the Mid-American Conference regular season title while Abilene Christian (Southland), Austin Peay (OVC) and Indiana State (Missouri Valley) all finished in the top-four of their respective regular-season league standings.

The Gulf Coast Showcase has earned a reputation as one of the most competitive events in women’s college basketball. Past champions including UConn, Stanford, Baylor, Notre Dame, South Carolina and Texas.

While FGCU was one of just four women’s teams with 30 wins last season, Maryland (28-4 last season) won the Big Ten regular season title and Missouri State (26-4) was crowned champs of the Missouri Valley. Arkansas (24-8) is expected to once again be among the top scoring teams after finishing third in the country last year at 83.4 points per game, while Davidson returns 92 percent of its scoring and is expected to contend for an Atlantic 10 title.

Friday, Nov. 27

  • Arkansas vs. Wake Forest – 11:30 a.m.
  • Davidson vs. Maryland – 2:30 p.m.
  • Missouri State vs. FGCU – 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 28

  • Wake Forest vs. Davidson – 11:30 a.m.
  • FGCU vs. Arkansas – 2:30 p.m.
  • Maryland vs. Missouri State – 5:30 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 29

  • Davidson vs. FGCU – 11:30 a.m.
  • Missouri State vs. Wake Forest – 2:30 p.m.
  • Arkansas vs. Maryland – 5:30 p.m.

All nine games of the women’s field will be available live and on-demand on FloHoops.

“We have seen the best of women’s basketball at the Gulf Coast Showcase over the years but this year’s field may be the most exciting collection of offensive teams we’ve seen,” said ESPN college basketball analyst Debbie Antonelli. “Four of the six teams were ranked among the top-15 in the country in scoring last year. Arkansas could be the most potent team in the country with Chelsea Dungee and Oregon State transfer Destiny Slocum running the show. Missouri State and FGCU are once again tabbed to win their respective conferences while Maryland reloads with last season’s Big Ten Freshman of the Year in Ashley Owusu and the nation’s #2-ranked freshman Angel Reese.”

Health and Safety Plan

bdG Sports has implanted a comprehensive health and safety plan as part of the #BeachBubble. The plan includes:

  • COVID-19 testing antigen and antibody testing prior to arrival in Southwest Florida
  • Rapid antigen testing provided by Summit One Source upon arrival and throughout the stay
  • The availability of rapid PCR testing with a three-hour turnaround time to confirm any positive tests from the antigen testing
  • Daily medical screenings which include self-evaluations and temperature screenings
  • Implementation of Loop Insights’ contract tracing through he “wallet” feature on cell phones
  • Social distancing and mask requirements in public spaces at Hyatt Regency Coconut Point and the game venue
  • Enhanced cleaning protocols at the resort, game venues and on local ground transportation

Fan Information

There will be no general fan access for the Gulf Coast Showcase games and tickets will not be available to the general public. A limited number of “Spectator Credentials” will be supplied to each team. A requirement to receiving these team-issued credentials, all individuals will receive a COVID-19 rapid antigen test at the event’s medical center at Hyatt Regency Coconut Point.

Preferred hotel rates at the official tournament resort hotel – the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point – are available at www.GulfCoastShowcase.com.

Complete #BeachBubble event information can be found at www.GulfCoastShowcase.com and on social media at @GCShowcase.

bgG Sports partners with Summit One Source to provide COVID-19 testing for college basketball tournaments

LEXINGTON, Ky. – bdG Sports, LLC, one of the largest providers of college basketball content in the U.S., has secured Summit Services Inc., dba Summit One Source, to provide a comprehensive COVID-19 management solution for its numerous tournaments.

Summit will provide rapid mobile testing, integrated lab results, data management, and PPE that will ensure a safe return-to-play effort in bdG’s men’s and women’s “bubbles,” currently being planned in Southwest Florida and Las Vegas.

“With more than six tournament pods planned to start the season, having a comprehensive health and safety protocol plan is our No. 1 priority and we are confident that Summit One Source has delivered the foundation that will allow us to execute these events as scheduled,” said Brooks Downing, President of bdG Sports. “Summit is providing us the most accurate, most advanced rapid antigen and rapid PCR tests at an affordable cost.”

Summit also will integrate a data management system to track its testing utilizing both iStoc and XenonChex’s technology. iStoc, a global leader in immediate diagnostics and analytics of infectious diseases, has developed a real-time dashboard to leverage “big data” to enable comprehensive review and ensure a safer environment for all participants. XenonChex drives increased efficiencies and improved performance for event oversight. The integrated power of these technology partners will provide real-time results to drive real-time decisions. This platform, combined with Loop Insight’s contact tracing software that bdG had previously secured, will provide confidence for all participants.

“We are excited to bring our best-in-class service offering to college athletics,” said Summit’s Chief Operating Officer, Emily Jones. “With our rapid testing, mobile labs and data management capabilities, we have the tools and technology to help bdG Sports create the safe environment needed to play basketball.”

bdG Sports will manage men’s and women’s events in both Southwest Florida (Estero and Naples) and Las Vegas. The tournaments are set to begin with the revised start to the college basketball season on Nov. 25.

Final results from 2020 bdG Sports Las Vegas Pro-Am

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]LAS VEGAS – The team of Mason Spalding, Head Professional at TPC Las Vegas, David Ji, John Hahn and Brandon Braunlich shot a net 35-under to win the team competition of the 2020 bdG Sports Las Vegas Pro-Am. The winning team shot 133 at TPC Las Vegas on day one, 134 at Southern Highlands on day two and a tourney-low for all groups 128 at Shadow Creek on the final day of competition.

Derek Barron was the week’s low professional a 3-under after scoring 69-70-73–212 for the week.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

TEAM

Spalding/Ji/Hahn/Braunlich

Barron/Tweten/Wurst/Deyoe

Ousley/McKenna/Young/Thomas

Kartchner/Mayberry/Larson/Green

DeJordy/Bullock III/Madison/Duvernay

Brockman/McDonnell/Wenker/Leigeb

Abels/Rolig/Furioso/Silva

Griffey Jr./Johnson/Bland/Williams

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][vc_column_text]

TPC LAS VEGAS

133

133

137

138

137

144

138

143

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][vc_column_text]

SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS

134

132

133

141

141

133

137

145

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][vc_column_text]

SHADOW CREEK

128

134

136

130

144

148

152

143

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][vc_column_text]

TOTAL NET

395

399

406

409

422

425

427

431

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Chip McDaniel wins his second Unbridled Tour title at University Club of Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Chip McDaniel shot 10-under today to win his second Unbridled Tour title at University Club of Kentucky. The former UK star finished at 22-under (67-65-62—194) for the three-day tournament at his home course while at Kentucky. McDaniel won $9,500 for the week after previously winning the inaugural Unbridled Tour event at Boone’s Trace National Golf Club in May.

Trey Shirley finished second four shots back at 18-under (66-69-63—198) while current UK sophomore Cooper Parks was the Low Amateur for the tournament at 10-under (70-70-66—206). Other notables at the top of the leaderboard were Georgetown’s Kyle Wilshire (3rd), two-time Kentucky Open champion JB Williams (T-4th) and Georgetown’s Billy Tom Sargent (T-4th).

The Unbridled Tour completed its four-event run after tournaments at Boone’s Trace National Golf Club, Fleming Island Golf Club (Fleming Island, Fla.) and Hidden Hills Golf Club (Jacksonville, Fla.). The tour was launched by Lexington-based bdG Sports in response to the lack of playing opportunities for professional golfers this summer due to COVID-19 after the shutdown of professional tours. bdG Sports also manages the season-opening Bahamas Great Exuma Classic and Bahamas Great Abaco Classic tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour each January.