Genesis “Shakes Up” Monday at the Riviera
After winning the trophy, some members of Team Tiger Woods chat (left to right) Kid Rock, Tiger Woods, Mark Wahlberg and Larry Fitzgerald .
Inaugural Celebrity Cup Held Today
At the Genesis Open, a new event was rolled out this afternoon: a celebrity tournament with professional golfers serving as captains.
Two teams of celebrities were assigned to either Team Tiger Woods or Team Fred Couples.
When the last ball dropped on 18 and scores were tallied, Team Woods emerged victorious 18.5 to 11.5. (The match involved a four-ball net, better ball match-play.)
Woods was standing next to the ropes, being interviewed, when Couples’ team member Chris Harrison (the television host known for “The Bachelor”) hit a ball right past Woods, who reached out to try and stop it.
Chris Harrison urged Tiger Woods and a reporter to move before he hit his ball.
Unfortunately, Woods couldn’t stop the ball and it flew into the rough beyond the hole. That meant Harrison would have to hit back over the two men to reach the flag. He urged the men to step to one side and quipped, “It would not be a good thing to kill Tiger.”
Also on Couples’ team were actor Chris Pratt (“Lego Movie 2” and “Parks and Recreation”), actor Oliver Hudson (“Rules of Engagement” and “Nashville”), Carson Daly (“Last Call with Carson Daly”), football running back and Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush and actor Luke Wilson (“Legally Blonde” and “Anchorman”)
The winning team included actor Mark Wahlberg; singer and actor Kid Rock; actor, singer Nick Jonas; former San Francisco 49ers receiver Jerry Rice; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and golfer and social media personality Paige Spiranac.
The crowds were super light, which meant that three teens that Circling the News spoke to managed to get great photos of all the celebrities, who were in great spirits.
Spiranac wrote on Twitter, “Today was such a great day. Thank you to Tiger, my team and TRFLiveEvents for putting on such a great event.”
Paige Spiranac watches her ball after putting on hole 18.
Kentucky’s Lukas Euler Wins Collegiate Showcase
The collegiate winner Lukas Euler thanked Tiger Woods for the opportunity to play.
In 2015, the Northern Trust Open hosted the collegiate showcase on a Monday, which is a precursor to the traditional Pro-Am on Wednesday and the tournament itself, held Thursday-Sunday at the Palisades Riviera Country Club.
When the Tiger Woods Foundation took over the tournament with sponsor Genesis, the one-day collegiate tournament remained and today Kentucky senior Lukas Euler came out on top. Euler shot a 4-under 67 and won an exemption to join the pros on Thursday.
Each collegiate player is paired with a pro and Euler, who is from Dieburg, Germany, drew J.B. Holmes.
According to Golfweek, “Euler made two holes-in-one on the front nine with a 6 and 7 iron. The odds of two aces in one round have been estimated at around 67 million-to-1, but two in nine holes? Euler looked it up but could not find a number, though the finance major is pretty sure the odds are astronomical.”
Euler waited until after the celebrity tournament to speak to Tiger Woods and thank him for the opportunity to play this year. Last year Euler was one of the collegiate golfers but did not win an exemption after tying for second behind Scottie Scheffler of Texas.