May 12, 2009–The FullTiltPoker.net World Series of Golf, an event that combines two of Las Vegas’ favorite hobbies–poker and golf–tees off this week at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort, the home of three Las Vegas golf courses designed by the legendary Pete Dye. The World Series of Golf is a patented format that combines the skills and luck of both poker and golf, and is being held for the second-straight year at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort.
The winner of the tournament will win the first prize of $300,000. Several celebrities and poker stars have played in this Las Vegas golf tournament in the past including Phil Ivey and Ray Romano. Word is that this year future Major League Baseball Hall-of-Famer and Las Vegas resident Greg Maddux is in the field for the first time. Also, the World Series of Golf recently signed a deal with WGN America, a network that will be airing the results of this made-for-television event to a potential 71 million homes over a series of 13 episodes.
The new broadcast package will bolster the presence of the third annual amateur hit-and-bet tournament in more than 71 million homes nationwide. Under the terms of the deal, WGN America will carry 26 hours of World Series of Golf coverage via 13 original one-hour episodes and replay of each episode. Television coverage of the World Series of Golf, which features a $10,000 entry fee and a top prize of $300,000, has increased from a total of two hours in each of the tournament’s first two years to up to a total of 26 hours and potential additional replays for the 2009 tournament.
The Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort is annually listed with 4.5 stars by Golf Digest, and is a Las Vegas resort golf facility that features Snow Mountain, Sun Mountain, and the WOLF Las Vegas golf courses, all designed by Dye, one of the world’s most prolific golf course designers.
“This agreement is a cornerstone of our long-range strategic plan to build the World Series of Golf brand, increase value for our shareholders and partners, and maximize our visibility among new audiences,” said World Series of Golf President Terry Leiweke. “The enhanced broadcast platform we have established with WGN America will introduce our high-stakes format combining the best of golf and no-limit hold’em poker to millions of potential event participants nationwide.”
The World Series of Golf is open to all amateur golfers age 21 and older. The proprietary method of play incorporates a $10,000 entry fee. Players ante at each tee box; after teeing off in a pre-determined order, they have the option to call or raise the bets of competitors in their pairing, or to fold the hole. Players who fold lose any bets they have committed to the pot and rejoin play on the next tee. Players who remain in the action continue to bet prior to each subsequent shot, building the pot as they move from the tee to the green. The player who wins the hole – either by stroke count or by forcing his or her competitors to fold – wins the pot.
Players are eliminated when their $10,000 purse is exhausted or so depleted they cannot pay the ante on the next tee. Players who win their initial pairing advance to the tournament’s second round and recoup their $10,000 buy-in. Players who win their second-round pairing advance to the final round and are guaranteed a cash prize of at least $30,000. The winner of the event receives a cash prize of $300,000.
About WGN America: WGN America is everywhere America calls home. A broad entertainment network and destination for audiences across America, WGN America (also available in HD) is part of Tribune Broadcasting Company, and is nationally distributed via cable, satellite and Telco with entertainment programming consisting of cable exclusives, first-run programs, blockbuster movies and live sports. GolfLasVegasNow.com was unaware of the official television schedule as of this posting, but the event is said to begin airing in July.