The Tucson Conquistadores and title sponsor Cologuard announced Hall-of-Fame pitcher John Smoltz will receive a sponsor exemption to play in the 2019 Cologuard Classic, to be played February 27-March 3, 2019 at Omni Tucson National’s Catalina Course. The 51-year-old, 1996 NL Cy Young Award winner will make his PGA TOUR Champions debut in Tucson and then will play in two other events on TOUR during the 2019 season, including the Mitsubishi Electric Classic (April 19-21) in Atlanta, and the American Family Insurance Championship (June 21-23) in Madison, Wis.
“We are excited to have John Smoltz play in the 2019 Cologuard Classic,” said Judy McDermott, Executive Director, Cologuard Classic. “He’s an outstanding golfer, a true gentleman and a baseball icon. I know golf and baseball fans alike will enjoy seeing John play in this year’s tournament.”
On the golf course, Smoltz most recently won the 2019 Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, where he defeated another former pitcher, Mark Mulder, in the 72-hole event in Orlando, Fla. He qualified for the 2018 U.S. Senior Open and carded rounds of 85-77 at The Broadmoor Golf Club, and his resume also includes two top-10s at the American Century Championship (10th/2018, T9/2017).
In 22 MLB seasons, Smoltz was an eight-time All-Star and won the 1995 World Series with the Atlanta Braves. He is the Braves’ all-time leader in strikeouts (3,011) and games pitched (708), and he tallied a 15–4 record with a 2.67 ERA in 41 career postseason games. Smoltz is the only pitcher in MLB history to record 200 wins and 150 saves, and he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015, his first year of eligibility.
Smoltz joined MLB Network in 2010 and is a game and studio analyst. He appears across MLB Network’s studio programming, including MLB Tonight and the live game series MLB Network Showcase. Smoltz also serves as lead game analyst for FOX.
In addition to Smoltz, many of the top names on the PGA TOUR Champions have committed to play in the Cologuard Classic, including: Miguel Angel Jiménez, Jerry Kelly, Bernhard Langer, Scott McCarron, José María Olazábal and Darren Clarke.
The 2019 Cologuard Classic will be played February 27 – March 3 at Omni Tucson National Resort and features a 78-player field competing for a $1.7 million purse with $255,000 and 255 Charles Schwab Cup points for the winner. The no-cut format includes three days of competition (Friday-Sunday) with players participating in pro-am events on Wednesday and Thursday. Tournament proceeds benefit youth athletic programs in Southern Arizona and colorectal cancer research and advocacy. For more information or tournament tickets, visit www.cologuardclassic.com.
Information for this story was provided by RPMRgroup
