Houston, TX
HOUSTON, TX (April 18, 2009)--The 42nd annual Champions Cup Invitational golf tournament had to be shortened to 36 holes because of a two-day deluge.
But no golf on Friday and Saturday didn’t keep a pair of Houston-area amateurs from celebrating their first Champions Cup Invitational title.
Missouri City’s Buzz Baker and The Woodlands’ Mike Booker shot rounds of 67 and 66 for a 9-under-par 133 to tie Las Vegas linksters Brad Exber and Kevin Marsh for the rain-shortened 4-ball title.
“I guess a win is a win,” said the 47-year-old Baker. “We would have loved to have finished (all 72 holes). But it is always fun to win. My partner played great. It was a fun two days.”
Booker, 54, won this 4-ball tournament in 1991.
“I may have the biggest gap in between wins,” Booker said with a laugh. “But that makes me feel good. We started hitting the ball good and got some putts to go in. It is really fun to play well.”
Booker’s home club is Carlton Woods in The Woodlands.
“This is one of the premier 4-ball events in the country,” Booker said. “The Champions staff makes you feel real special. Plus, it always has a very strong field.”
Exber, 53, has won this tournament three times. He also took home the championship with different partners in 1995 and 2005.
“This was definitely the worst weather I have ever played in here,” he said.
Marsh, 36, and Exber have come to this event as a team for three straight years.
“We played solid on Wednesday, but we didn’t make a lot of putts,” said Marsh. “We really played solid on Thursday. We were feeling good about our chances.”
Champions Golf Club was founded by Jack Burke, Jr. and the late Jimmy Demaret in 1957. From its origin, Champions has consistently carved its place in golf history hosting such prestigious events as the Ryder Cup Matches in 1967, the United States Open in 1969 and the PGA Tour Championship (five times, most recently in 2003).
The Champions Cup is the flagship amateur event of Champions Golf Club, and one of the premier four-ball events in the U.S.
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ABOUT THE Champions Cup Invitational
Champions is Jack Burke's club, and the
Champions Cup is his
invitational tournament. This is a special
place, full of history and
worthy of the championships it has hosted,
which include the Ryder
Cup, U.S. Open, U.S Amateur, U.S. Mid-
Amateur and multiple Tour
Championships. The Champions Cup is a 72-hole
four-ball event with
no cut. It is a very popular tournament that
attracts a very strong,
competitive national field. To be considered
for entry, players must
maintain a maximum USGA handicap of 3, be
at least 25 years old
and submit playing accomplishments to be
considered. Walking is
required but long pants are no longer
mandatory. Contestants are
urged to stay at the homes of Champions
members (at no cost), but
can arrange their own accommodations if
desiring to do so. The tournament formerly
required both contestants
to be from the same state but has since
waived that requirement.
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