As we await the scheduled return of the PGA Tour in June, there are two golf tournaments this week involving pros, one in Texas to raise money for caddies and another in Arizona with real prize money on the line.
The Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton, Texas, is hosting the Maridoe Samaritan Fund Invitational, which includes heavy-hitters such as Viktor Hovland, Harry Higgs and Scottie Scheffler, as well as former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who, by the way, is making $17 million a year from CBS, in case you hadn’t heard.
A $27,000 purse will be available for the winners, and the event is a fundraiser for the club’s full-time caddies, who have been out of work because of the coronavirus pandemic. The event runs Tuesday to Thursday and will be divided into flights with top-flight groups playing from about 7,900 yards.
Maridoe is scheduled to host the 2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship, an event that was canceled this year.
Meanwhile in Arizona, the GCU Championship is a 54-hole mini-tour event on the Golden State Tour. It’s being played Tuesday-Thursday at Grand Canyon University Golf Course in Phoenix. J.J. Spaun, Dylan Wu and Steven Kupcho – Jennifer Kupcho’s brother – are in the field.
You can find live scoring as well as multiple live streams, provided by the Outlaw Tour.
There will be a cut after 36 holes for the top 43 and ties. And yes, you can even bet on this event. Prize money is $50,000 with $10,000 going to the winner.
About the course
Five years ago the GCU course underwent a $10 million renovation that lasted about a year as part of a partnership between the university and the city. The former Maryvale Golf Course was a City of Phoenix course, and the overhaul included the demolition of the old clubhouse, which was replaced with one that’s 22,000 square feet. Amenities include team meeting rooms, a pro shop and an onsite restaurant with patio seating. The course is open for public play.
