Gentleman, start your golf carts!
Ladies, too.
Sports fans of all stripes have reason to get revved up this fall for Grid to Green, a star-studded charity golf tournament, featuring legends from the world of motorsport — with special guest appearances by PGA Tour players, including Jhonattan Vegas and 2002 PGA Championship champion Rich Beem.
Hosted by Formula 1 and GOLF, the tournament will take place Thursday, Oct. 31, in advance of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix 2019 in Austin, Texas. Proceeds will go to Susan G. Komen, the largest breast cancer organization in the United States.
The tournament venue is one of Austin’s marquee layouts — the Tom Fazio-designed Canyons Course at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa. And, no, pace of play should not be an issue, given the speed demons in the field.
Every celebrity-am group in the competition will be led by a motorsports luminary, including McLaren Formula 1 team driver Carlos Sainz Jr.; former Formula 1 driver (and 1985 Indianapolis 500 winner) Danny Sullivan; and two-time Formula 1 World Champion Mika Hakkinen, also known as The Flying Finn.
The goal of this “fan-first approach” is to “unite sports fans from across the worlds of motorsport and golf, all in aid of a truly worthy cause,” says Sean Bratches, managing director commercial operations at Formula 1. Adds Jason Adel, the CEO of GOLF, “There is such significant overlap between golf fans and motorsport fans, not to mention pro golfers and F1 drivers, that the alignment of F1 and GOLF immediately felt organic and unique.”
The green flag will go up on the event at noon, with check-in and a buffet lunch followed by a warmup session on the range with Vegas and Beem. There will also be a celebrity meet-and-greet, and a chipping challenge with prizes on the line.
Then it’s off to the course for a 2 p.m. shotgun start and an 18-hole scramble.
We know F1 stars can drive for show; we’ll soon find out how well they putt for charity.
For more information, including a current list of celebrity participants, and to purchase tickets, click here.
