May 31, 2007–The Ultimate Game at Wynn Las Vegas is giving golfers the chance to play for golf's biggest top prize of two million dollars. And now three Las Vegas golfers–Chris Berry, Scott Piercy and Ken Jarner–have made the final 12 of the Ultimate Game and will compete June 7-8 at the Tom Fazio-designed Wynn Las Vegas golf course for a chance to cash the winner's check. And the good news is that they all have pocketed $100,000 for their efforts to this point. Berry was a member of the 1998 UNLV NCAA Championship team, and was the key factor in the Rebels win. He has bounced around the mini-tours and worked as a caddie since his UNLV days, and credits Shadow Creek Golf Club pro Monte Montgomery for helping him secure the entry fee needed ($50,000) to enter this event. "This event can be life changing," Berry told VegasGolfer Magazine editor Bill Bowman before the event. "I owe a lot of this to Monte Montgomery at Shadow Creek. I called him after I missed out at Q School last fall … it's amazing how things work out."
The three Las Vegas playersgolfers who survived the preliminary rounds at Reflection Bay Golf Club at Lake Las Vegas Resort now move on with the other golfers, including recent high school graduate Tony Finau and former major league pitcher Rick Rhoden. All players getting to the finals have won at least $50,000, and now the competition is winner take all.
Berry is married and has a new-born daughter named Hannah, so there are people pulling for him to pull off golf's biggest win. The dream was made possible by Scott Allen, who Berry caddied for at Shadow Creek earlier this year. The two inked a sponsor-player partnership, and a dream was on the way to being realized. To his credit, Berry has wiped the slate clean with the first $100,000, and now has eyes on the big prize.
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Piercy is a native Las Vegan who learned the game under longtime and respected Las Vegas golf professional Tom Carlson who operates the Summerlin Junior Golf Academy at Angel Park Golf Club. He has played the mini-tours for a long time, and spends a lot of time trying to qualify for PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour events. He recently played in the PGA Tour's Zurich Classic, but missed the cut. He is a former Nevada State Amateur champion and his best finish on the PGA Tour is a 15th-place tie at the 2006 FBR Open. He also was a member of the 1996 Bonanza High School state championship team.
Jarner is a longtime Las Vegas golfer who has spent time in the PGA apprentice program, played at least one event on the then NIKE Tour in addition to other mini-tour events, and has spent time as a caddie at Bear's Best Las Vegas, a Las Vegas golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus.