VICTORIA – Two-time major champion John Daly and 2014 winner Paul Goydos have committed to the 2016 Pacific Links Championship, tournament officials announced at a press conference held at host site Bear Mountain Resort. The 2016 Pacific Links Championship will be contested on the Resort’s Mountain Course the week of September 19-25.
The long-hitting Daly shocked the golf world in 1991 when he went from ninth alternate to tournament winner at the PGA Championship at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Indiana. The unknown former Arkansas Razorback brought drives in excess of 300 yards and a fanatical fan base to golf on his way to securing PGA TOUR “Rookie of the Year” honors that season.
Daly collected five PGA TOUR champion titles throughout his career, including the 1995 Open Championship at St. Andrews, where he defeated Italy’s Constantino Rocca in a playoff, after Rocca made a 60-foot putt from the famed Valley of Sin on the final hole of regulation to force extra holes.
On April 28, 2016, Daly turned 50 and began competing on PGA TOUR Champions, where he has already recorded two Top-20 finishes in his first six starts.
Daly is one of a handful of major champions to commit to the US$2.5 million event over the past week, including Mark Calcavecchia, Jeff Sluman, Larry Mize and Bob Tway.
Goydos won twice during a 22-year PGA TOUR career, claiming the 1996 Arnold Palmer Invitational and the 2007 Sony Open in Hawaii. After winning in Hawaii, the Long Beach, CA native famously battled Sergio Garcia down the stretch at THE PLAYERS Championship, only to finish runner-up after a playoff loss which ended on the iconic island green par-3 17th.
In 2010, the affable Goydos again made headlines when he recorded a first-round 59 at the John Deere Classic, becoming the fourth player to post golf’s magic number in PGA TOUR history, as well as the oldest to do so at the age of 46 years and 18 days.
At the 2014 Pacific Links Championship, Goydos notched the first of his two career PGA TOUR Champions titles, posting a 19-under 197 total for a one-shot victory over Fred Funk and Scott Dunlap.
The tournament also announced that tickets for the 2016 Pacific Links Championship are now on sale. Fans can visit www.selectyourtickets.com to purchase tickets and choose from the following options:
- Weekly Pass – Wednesday through Sunday: $99 (includes parking / Official Program)
- Daily Pass – Friday, Saturday or Sunday: $40
- Pro-Am Daily Pass – Wednesday or Thursday: $25
- Champions Club VIP Pass – Friday through Sunday: $200
The Pacific Links Championship is now accepting volunteer submissions for the tournament. With less than four months remaining until tournament week, fans are encouraged to be a part of the action by becoming a volunteer. The Pacific Links Championship team of volunteers consist of avid golfers, fans of the game and people looking for a fun and exciting inside the ropes experience. To register as a volunteer simply visit the tournament website at www.PacificLinksChampionship.com and click the “Volunteer” icon.
