Former world champion boxer and current boxing promoter Oscar De La Hoya and actor and comedian Alfonso Ribeiro will play in the Cologuard Classic “Celebrity Challenge” on Saturday, March 2nd on Omni Tucson National’s Catalina Course.
Played during the second round of the PGA TOUR Champions event, the celebrity group will tee off prior to the first professional group of the day at 9:30 a.m. and play 9 holes. After a short break to allow the PGA TOUR Champions professionals to play through, the group will tee off on the back nine at approximately 2:30 p.m. The celebrities will compete for far more than pride and bragging rights, as a donation will be made to charity in the name of the winner.
De La Hoya, also known as “The Golden Boy,” won a gold medal at the 1992 Olympics at the age of 19 and went on to win 10 world titles in six different weight classes. De La Hoya was one of the most popular boxers in the history of the sport, generating hundreds of millions of dollars from his pay-per-view fights before his retirement in 2009. In 2002, De La Hoya founded Golden Boy Promotions, and in 2018, he became a mixed martial arts promoter. On the golf course, De La Hoya plays to a 10-handicap.
Best known for his role as Carlton Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Alfonso Ribeiro has enjoyed a prosperous acting career appearing in numerous television shows, including Silver Spoons and In the House. He is the host of ABC’s America’s Funniest Home Videos and won season 19 of Dancing with the Stars with professional partner Witney Carson. A self-proclaimed golf fanatic, Ribeiro is a scratch golfer and serves as a brand ambassador for PGA TOUR Champions.
“The Celebrity Challenge is a unique fundraising event that places celebrities in the heat of the action during the second round of competition of the Cologuard Classic,” said Judy McDermott, Executive Director, Cologuard Classic. “The celebrities will be competing against each other on the same course the pros are playing. This will be fun for fans to follow.”
Many of the top names on the PGA TOUR Champions will be playing in the Cologuard Classic, including defending tournament champion Steve Stricker, Fred Couples, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Tom Lehman, Jerry Kelly, Bernhard Langer, Scott McCarron, José María Olazábal and Darren Clarke. Hall-of-fame pitcher John Smoltz and two-time Major champion, John Daly have both received sponsor exemptions and will play in the tournament.
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.
2019 marks the second year of the Cologuard Classic, named after Wisconsin-based Exact Sciences’ noninvasive at-home colon cancer screening test for average-risk individuals 50 years or older, and the fifth year the Conquistadores have partnered with the PGA TOUR Champions. To coincide with the kickoff of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, tournament week will feature numerous events to raise awareness for the disease.
