World Series of Golf
Encyclopedia
The World Series of Golf is an annual golf
competition. The competition differs from traditional golf tournaments in that the winner is decided not by the lowest stroke-play score or by winning a bracket-style elimination in match play, but by winning wagers bet on each hole in a betting scheme similar to poker
.
The first event was held May 13–16, 2007, and was televised by NBC
June 23–24, 2007. The second event was played May 12–15, 2008, and was televised by CBS on June 28–29.
The event takes its name from the World Series of Poker
, and has no relationship to the original World Series of Golf tournament played at the Firestone Country Club
in Akron, Ohio
from 1962 to 1998.
. Each player begins the round with a stake, and a playing group consists of three to six players. In the inaugural tournament, the buy-in for each player was $10,000, just like the WSOP main event.
Before teeing off for each hole, each player bets an ante
. The ante starts out at 1% of the opening stake for the round, i.e., $100 on the first hole of the opening round, and doubles every three holes. After the tee shots, players then check, raise or call bets, or fold and do not play the rest of that hole. Betting follows a prescribed order that rotates on each hole, just like "the button" in Hold 'Em, and playing of shots follows the same order, unlike traditional golf where the player whose ball is furthest from the hole shoots first on each shot. The pot is won by the player with the lowest score on each hole, or by the remaining player if all others have folded. A tie score on a hole ("halved" in match-play parlance) results in a split pot, much like a tie hand in poker.
If a player does not have enough money remaining in his or her stake to cover the ante for the next hole, he or she is eliminated and the remaining stake goes into the pot for the next hole.
The round ends when one player has won all the money from the others in his group, which may take more than 18 holes.
Aside from rule variations involving betting and the order in which players take their shots, the event is played under standard United States Golf Association
rules.
The inaugural event was open to amateur golfers only. Players were paired with those of similar ability for the first round, which was played without handicaps. Handicap scoring was used for second and third rounds.
. A field of 60 participants played three rounds.
Others in final group: Phil Ivey
, professional poker player, Las Vegas; Rhett Butler, professional poker player, Rockville, Maryland
; Paul Schuller, electrician
, Seattle, Washington
; and Ken Tanner, retired railroad conductor, Penrose, Colorado
.
Ewing won the event of the 16th hole of the final round by sinking a three-foot putt.
Other notable entrants: actress Tanya Roberts
; poker players Phil Gordon
, Steve Dannenmann
, Ken Einiger and Blair Rodman
; professional blackjack
player/author Max Rubin
; former Denver Broncos
quarterback
Dave Kyle; and former Major League Baseball
player Dusty Allen.
Paiute Golf Resort. The event drew 80 contestants.
Others in final group: Allen Cunningham
, Erick Lindgren
and Dee Tiller, all professional poker players, and Bill Spencer, a semi-retired builder. All but Johnson are from Las Vegas.
Johnson defeated Lindgren on the first playoff hole. Johnson won $250,000, and Lindgren won $60,000.
Other notable entrants:
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
competition. The competition differs from traditional golf tournaments in that the winner is decided not by the lowest stroke-play score or by winning a bracket-style elimination in match play, but by winning wagers bet on each hole in a betting scheme similar to poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
.
The first event was held May 13–16, 2007, and was televised by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
June 23–24, 2007. The second event was played May 12–15, 2008, and was televised by CBS on June 28–29.
The event takes its name from the World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
, and has no relationship to the original World Series of Golf tournament played at the Firestone Country Club
Firestone Country Club
The Firestone Country Club is a private golf club located in Akron, Ohio, United States.The Club comprises three courses—those of the North, South, and West—each of which hosted a televised golf event, respectively the American Golf Classic, the CBS Golf Classic and the World Series of Golf, in...
in Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
from 1962 to 1998.
Format
Each hole is conducted in a manner similar to a hand of Texas Hold 'EmTexas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...
. Each player begins the round with a stake, and a playing group consists of three to six players. In the inaugural tournament, the buy-in for each player was $10,000, just like the WSOP main event.
Before teeing off for each hole, each player bets an ante
Ante
Ante refers to:* Ante, a forced bet in the game of poker* Ante , Croatian form of the given name Anthony*The Latin word Ante, meaning "before", which is used in many Latin phrases...
. The ante starts out at 1% of the opening stake for the round, i.e., $100 on the first hole of the opening round, and doubles every three holes. After the tee shots, players then check, raise or call bets, or fold and do not play the rest of that hole. Betting follows a prescribed order that rotates on each hole, just like "the button" in Hold 'Em, and playing of shots follows the same order, unlike traditional golf where the player whose ball is furthest from the hole shoots first on each shot. The pot is won by the player with the lowest score on each hole, or by the remaining player if all others have folded. A tie score on a hole ("halved" in match-play parlance) results in a split pot, much like a tie hand in poker.
If a player does not have enough money remaining in his or her stake to cover the ante for the next hole, he or she is eliminated and the remaining stake goes into the pot for the next hole.
The round ends when one player has won all the money from the others in his group, which may take more than 18 holes.
Aside from rule variations involving betting and the order in which players take their shots, the event is played under standard United States Golf Association
United States Golf Association
The United States Golf Association is the United States' national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the Rules of Golf. The USGA also provides a national handicap system...
rules.
The inaugural event was open to amateur golfers only. Players were paired with those of similar ability for the first round, which was played without handicaps. Handicap scoring was used for second and third rounds.
2007 World Series of Golf
The inaugural event was held at the Primm Valley Golf Club near Primm, NevadaPrimm, Nevada
Primm is a tiny community in Clark County, Nevada, United States, primarily notable for its position straddling Interstate 15 where it crosses the border between California and Nevada...
. A field of 60 participants played three rounds.
Results
Winner: Mark Ewing, day trader, Newport Beach, CaliforniaNewport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
Others in final group: Phil Ivey
Phil Ivey
Phillip Dennis "Phil" Ivey Jr. is an American professional poker player who has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets, one World Poker Tour title and appeared at nine World Poker Tour final tables...
, professional poker player, Las Vegas; Rhett Butler, professional poker player, Rockville, Maryland
Rockville, Maryland
Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...
; Paul Schuller, electrician
Electrician
An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...
, Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
; and Ken Tanner, retired railroad conductor, Penrose, Colorado
Penrose, Colorado
Penrose is a census-designated place in Fremont County, Colorado, United States. The population was 4,070 at the 2000 census. The Penrose Post Office has the ZIP Code 81240.-Geography:Penrose is located at ....
.
Ewing won the event of the 16th hole of the final round by sinking a three-foot putt.
Other notable entrants: actress Tanya Roberts
Tanya Roberts
Tanya Roberts is an American actress best known for her roles in Charlie's Angels, The Beastmaster, A View to a Kill, Sheena and That '70s Show. Roberts was groomed as a Hollywood sex symbol during the early 1980s.- Early life :Blum was born in The Bronx, New York City, of Irish and Jewish descent...
; poker players Phil Gordon
Phil Gordon
Philip Stewart Gordon is an American professional poker player, commentator and author.-Personal life:Gordon was born in El Paso, Texas. He spent his formative years in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Gordon began attending Georgia Tech at the age of 15 while still attending high school...
, Steve Dannenmann
Steve Dannenmann
Steven Paul "Steve" Dannenmann is a CPA from Severn, Maryland who gained attention in the poker world for his success in the 2005 World Series of Poker, finishing runner-up to Joe Hachem in the Main Event in his first attempt...
, Ken Einiger and Blair Rodman
Blair Rodman
Blair Rodman is an American professional poker player, based in Las Vegas, Nevada.Rodman has been playing poker professionally since 1985, when he quit his job dealing craps....
; professional blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
player/author Max Rubin
Max Rubin
Max Rubin is a gambling expert and author best known for his book Comp City: A Guide to Free Gambling Vacations. The book teaches players how to maximize casino perks with little actual wagering. Rubin is also a gambling analyst for television...
; former Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Dave Kyle; and former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player Dusty Allen.
2008 World Series of Golf
The 2008 event was played May 12–15, 2008, at the Las VegasLas Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
Paiute Golf Resort. The event drew 80 contestants.
Results
Winner: Andrew "A.J." Johnson, automobile salesman, Davison, MichiganDavison, Michigan
Davison is a city in Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan and a suburb of Flint. The population was 5,536 at the 2000 census. Davison is located within Davison Township, but is administratively autonomous....
Others in final group: Allen Cunningham
Allen Cunningham
Allen Cunningham is an American professional poker player.Cunningham studied civil engineering at UCLA before dropping out of school to play poker professionally. At the age of 18, he began playing at in Indian casinos...
, Erick Lindgren
Erick Lindgren
Erick A. Lindgren is an American professional poker player. He has won two World Poker Tour titles, one World Series of Poker bracelet, and more than seven million dollars in tournament earnings during his poker career.-Poker career:He won his first major tournament at the Bellagio in 2002 and...
and Dee Tiller, all professional poker players, and Bill Spencer, a semi-retired builder. All but Johnson are from Las Vegas.
Johnson defeated Lindgren on the first playoff hole. Johnson won $250,000, and Lindgren won $60,000.
Other notable entrants:
- Comedian Ray RomanoRay RomanoRaymond Albert "Ray" Romano is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian, best known for his roles on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond and in the Ice Age film series. He recently starred in the TNT comedy-drama Men of a Certain Age.-Early life:Romano was born in Queens, New York to Italian...
- Emily Jilette, wife of magician Penn Jilette of Penn and Teller
- Phil GordonPhil GordonPhilip Stewart Gordon is an American professional poker player, commentator and author.-Personal life:Gordon was born in El Paso, Texas. He spent his formative years in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Gordon began attending Georgia Tech at the age of 15 while still attending high school...
, Phil IveyPhil IveyPhillip Dennis "Phil" Ivey Jr. is an American professional poker player who has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets, one World Poker Tour title and appeared at nine World Poker Tour final tables...
, Tom SchneiderTom SchneiderTom Schneider is a professional poker player from Phoenix, Arizona. Schneider was a certified public accountant and former president and chief financial officer for three Arizona companies before beginning his poker career in 2002...
, Daniel NegreanuDaniel NegreanuDaniel Negreanu is a Canadian professional poker player. He has won four World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour Championship titles. He is currently ranked second in the all-time career earnings list and is the star of poker game show Million Dollar Challenge. He plays a big...
and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, professional poker players