The seventh annual $400,000 Isuzu Celebrity Golf
Championship begins play Friday on ESPN and continues Saturday
and Sunday on NBC. The tournament takes place at Edgewood Tahoe
Golf Course in South Lake Tahoe, NV, and is for current and
former pro athletes and entertainers who play to a USGA
registered handicap of 10 or less. Former 49ers QB and Senior
PGA Tour golfer John Brodie will play this year -- the first time
a PGA Tour pro will compete. Others involved include Michael
Jordan, John Elway, Mike Schmidt, Mario Lemieux, and Dan Marino.
American Isuzu Motors is entering its fifth year sponsoring the
event and has picked up the option on next year. Isuzu receives
signage, vehicles on-site, and 60 of the 304 spots open for the
Celeb-Am tournament played today. Other sponsors include Coca-
Cola; Coppertone Sports; Dallas, TX-based First Plus Financial
and Taylor Made. All the integrated sponsor deals include time
on NBC's telecast. New to the tournament will be the Isuzu Cup,
limited to 25 active athletes among the 81-player field. The
athlete with the lowest score is awarded the Cup as well as an
Isuzu donation of $10,000 to their favorite charity. Isuzu also
sponsors a golf clinic before the tournament for children (THE
DAILY).
MORE PLUGS: During coverage, NBC will begin direct marketing
of the "Johnny Miller Golf Clinic," a three-video instruction
tape, also in CD-Rom, produced by NBC Sports, Johnny Miller
Designs, and HPG Home Video. NBC will also use this weekend to
start marketing its "Official Commemorative Video of the Atlanta
Games" (THE DAILY).
SI IS IN THE HOUSE: Sports Illustrated Senior Writer Jaime
Diaz is competing as a celebrity this weekend as research for an
SI piece on the event (Isuzu Championship).
PUSHY PETE? Pete Sampras agreed to play on two conditions,
according to Earl Gustkey of the L.A. TIMES. NBC had to
interview him about "his favorite charity," the Tim Gullikson
Foundation, and he had to be paired with his favorite NFL player,
Dan Marino (L.A. TIMES, 7/10).
