Elite runners and golfers to compete for 2013 Speedgolf World Championship, October 26-27 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
BANDON, Ore. – In just its second year of existence, the Speedgolf World Championship has assembled an elite field of 55 speed golfers from six different countries who will vie for the 2013 title at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort on October 26-27.
The field has several marquee competitors, including two Olympic track and field athletes. Nick Willis, New Zealand, won the silver medal in the 1,500 meters at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Bernard Lagat, Tucson, Ariz., won the 2007 world championship in the 1,500 and 5,000 meters.
Defending Speedgolf world champion Christopher Walker, Woodlands, Tex., returns to defend his title. The former Notre Dame golf team captain is pursuing a professional golf career through the mini-tour circuit.
The format of Speedgolf is simple: Total strokes plus the total minutes and seconds it takes the player to complete his or her round. At last year’s world championship Walker shot 77 in 53:29 in Round 1, and 76 in 56:59 in Round 2 for a two-day total of 263.28.
The Speedgolf world record for a single round is 109.06 (65 in 44:06), set by Christopher Smith, Portland, Ore., at the 2005 Chicago Speedgolf Classic. Smith is also in this year’s field.
“We are incredibly excited for this year's championship,” said Timothy Scott, executive director of Speedgolf International. “The quality and depth of the field this year is unprecedented in Speedgolf history. And where else would you rather contest this championship than at Bandon Dunes?”
The field is divided into two divisions: Pro/Elite (30 players, 36 holes) and Age-Groupers (25 players, 18 holes). The Pro/Elite group plays Round 1 on Saturday, October 26 on the Old Macdonald course, with Round 2 on Sunday, October 27 on the Bandon Dunes course. The Age-Groupers field plays Sunday only, on the Bandon Dunes course.
Saturday tee times are 7:55 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. PDT; Sunday tee times are 7:55 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. PDT.
The championship is webcast live on Oomba.tv at 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. PDT both days. The same coverage can also be seen on BandonDunesGolf.com.
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About Bandon Dunes Founded in 1999 by Chicago businessman and philanthropist Mike Keiser, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is home to four 18-hole courses and a 13-hole par-3 course. The foursome of Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails and Old Macdonald gives the resort the distinction of being the only property with four courses ranked in the top half of Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Courses in America. Bandon Preserve is one of the most highly-acclaimed par-3 courses in America, and 100% of its net proceeds benefit the Wild Rivers Coast Alliance, an organization that funds projects on the southern coast of Oregon that are committed to conservation, community and economy.
Media Contact:
Erik Peterson
Director of Communications
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
541-347-5688
erikpeterson@bandondunesgolf.com
