Golf legend Annika Sörenstam (r) plays as a celebrity participant with LPGA superstar Nelly Korda, ... [+]
Golf may be the one sport that consistently draws both skilled players and hopeful wannabes to the course, whether conditions are sunny and beautiful or windy and wet. But pairing golf pros with celebrity players on the greens and fairways has made for a successful business model and must-see television.
The Hilton Grand Vacations HGV Tournament of Champions (HGV TOC) has the most-watched season-opening tournament in the history of the LPGA.
The tournament, which kicked off the LPGA season on Thursday, brings together entertainment, music, and sports celebrities to compete alongside top LPGA Tour winners, all in the name of raising money for charity.
Played at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club’s prestigious championship golf course in Orlando, Florida, play is televised nationally on NBC and Golf Channel.
Going into Day 3 of the HGV TOC, on Saturday, Jan. 20, World Golf Hall of Famer Annika Sörenstam—who shot a 40 and a 35, using the Stableford scoring method—topped the celebrity leaderboard, fending off tough challenges from ex-MLB pitchers Derek Lowe and John Smoltz. Hot on Sorenstam’s tail Friday was ex-NHL star Jeremy Roenick, who shot a 39.
LPGA Tour winners from the previous two seasons will compete for $1.5 million in official prize money while celebrities compete for a separate purse of $500,000.
But it’s not all golf gods and team sports legends clawing their way up the leaderboard at Lake Nona. Also in the Top 10 at the beginning of Saturday’s play was renowned actor Michael Peña, with an aggregate two-day score of 87, sitting at 10th place.
The actor, known for his roles both on television and in such major motion pictures as World Trade Center, the Marvel Ant-Man movies, and 2006 Best Picture Crash, says that rubbing elbows with pro golfers and team sports legends “is always a big shock.”
While Peña and I are talking in the clubhouse at Lake Nona, Baseball Hall of Famer Albert Pujols walks by.
“I got to play with this guy, Albert Pujols, and he just destroyed me. But I love it, man, because golf is so specific,” Peña said. “I miss competing in sports. It’s something you don’t get to do when your career is based in the arts.”
Peña, who played sports growing up and was captain of his high school wrestling and track teams, said that he loves golf banter but is also in awe of the athleticism on display.
“I’m a fan of all these guys, and they say they’ve seen my movies.” Peña points to perennial participants such as Roenick and football legends Brian Urlacher, Marcus Allen, and Charles Woodson. “They're much bigger than me; they've got ridiculous hand-eye coordination. It’s unreal.”
The HGV Tournament of Champions features LPGA competitors who have won at least one tour event in the previous two seasons. Each year, the HGV TOC groups players with actors, comics, and athletes from a variety of sports.
Previous winners of the pro competition were Canada’s Brooke Henderson (2023) and American players Danielle King (2022) and Jessica Korda (2021).
Actor Michael Peña plays from the 9th tee during R3 of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of ... [+]
Aaron Stewart, Hilton Grand Vacations’ Vice President of Sports Marketing, said that the number of LPGA participants has grown.
“We began partnering with the LPGA six years ago, and before that, they had not had a winners-only event,” Stewart said during the first round of play on Thursday. “This year we have the most LPGA Tour players that we’ve ever had, with 35 players in the field.”
He thinks that pairing the LPGA’s best performers with famous names outside golf raises the profile of LPGA golf while providing excellent television viewing during winter doldrums.
Stewart hints that the combination of pros and celebs attracts attention in a way similar to the NBA All-Star game or NFL Pro Bowl might to sports enthusiasts.
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“With the LPGA, HGV talked about—How do we widen the audience? A lot of the fans who come here are golf fans, but many are not necessarily golf fans first,” Stewart said. “They might be huge football fans and want to see Charles Woodson, or they love basketball and want to see Vince Carter.”
Stewart, an avid golfer himself, who also played college golf at Southern Methodist University, added the production as a whole has helped change attitudes about the sport.
“We think that now there're a lot of fans thinking, ‘OK, maybe golf isn’t just this nerdy sport that’s just for the country club.’”
Mike Flaskey was the original founder of the Tournament of Champions, prior to its rebranding as the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Flaskey, who was previously CEO of Diamond Resorts, said that the first years of the TOC $5 million was raised for charitable causes.
“The celebrity golf model truly moves the needle, driving charitable impact, TV ratings, and fan engagement,” Flaskey said. “The HGV Tournament of Champions continues to set the standard in leveraging the powerful appeal of celebrities to fundraise and make a significant impact for charitable causes for the Orlando community.”
