September 24, 2010–Las Vegas PGA Tour star Charley Hoffman headed into the PGA Tour's Tour Championship Presented by Coca Cola at number three in the FedEx Cup standings, and with a legit shot at earning the $10 million prize that goes along with winning the FedEx Cup. That's a lot of zeroes, and obviously Hoffman has thought a bit about where he stands. But there are at least three other big events going on in his life that are garnering his attention. Hoffman is scheduled to throw out the first pitch of a Padres game next Wednesday, he is organizing a benefit Las Vegas golf pro-am for his foundation to be played October 18, and he and his wife, Stacey, are expecting a child in November. —By Brian Hurlburt.
"Next week I'm going to be pretty busy," Hoffman told the media following his first round of the Tour Championship. "I'm going to be in Vegas setting up a baby room in our house because we've got another one coming and hopefully going to throw out the first pitch at the Padres game on Wednesday." Hoffman now lives in Las Vegas but grew up in San Diego. He was a member of the 1998 UNLV NCAA Championship team and is a 2-time winner on the PGA Tour, including his recent win at the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second of four FedEx Cup tournaments. Click now for the article from this website about Charley Hoffman's Deutsche Bank victory.
Hoffman is taking throwing out the first pitch seriously, and has hit up a fellow Las Vegas golfer and 4-time Cy Young award winner for advice. "I talked to Greg Maddux last week, and he goes, just make sure you don't bounce it, and that's pretty much the consensus of everybody," said Hoffman. "I think I'm going to hit the backstop before it hits the ground in front of the plate." Maddux is a Las Vegas native and an avid golfer. He fits right in a large golfing community that features at least 30 golfers out on the major tours who have strong ties to Las Vegas golf courses. Hoffman is just one of several PGA Tour pros that play and practices at TPC Las Vegas, a PGA Tour-owned resort Las Vegas golf course.
Hoffman says he will practice the throw in the days leading up to the game, and thinks that playing golf is nothing compared to stepping up to the mound and delivering a strike. "Golf I practice, and throwing out the first pitch, (I've) never practiced before," said Hoffman. "… Golf is easy. I practice all week to play golf. Playing golf is easy … I think I might throw a few balls probably before the game, maybe the day before or something, find somebody to play catch with. I'll throw a few balls, for sure."
Hoffman is one of 30 golfers playing at Eastlake, hoping to win the tournament and cash a big FedEx Cup check. "I definitely have nothing to lose this week," said Hoffman. "It's all — just make it to the final — to the TOUR Championship, it's all gravy now. Obviously I go into every week trying to win, but this week, for sure, if I finish 30th, I finish 30th. If I finish 1st, I finish 1st. I'm going to go out and give it my best shot and hopefully I finish near the top."
Hoffman is very involved with Las Vegas' PGA Tour event, the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, and is holding a Monday Pro-Am during tournament week. The event is open to all golfers, and you can click now to learn how you can become more involved in this Las Vegas Golf Pro-Am. Hoffman says that every dollar raised will benefit Las Vegas kids' charities, and that many of his fellow Las Vegas PGA Tour pros and other PGA Tour players have committed to play and help him out the cause.