CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Hundreds of spectators gathered for the 8th annual Golf Week at Sand Hollow Resort last week, which featured multiple tournaments including the University Cup, the Charity Cup and the Friendship Cup, creating memories for participants and attendees alike.
Byron Linford, head of production for Golf Week brand development, told St. George News that the event turned out to be a huge success from start to finish. And not even a little rain could disrupt the play schedule.
Golf Week kicked off Sept. 13 with the Zion’s Bank Friendship Cup. Two teams, one from St. Andrews, Scotland, and the other from Southern Utah, competed in the second leg (or US portion) of a “home and home” match. The other match took place in June in Scotland, the ancestral home of golf.
“New guys are added to this tournament every year, and some guys come back year after year,” Linford said. “We’ve created this type of Friendship Cup alumni. There’s a real exclusivity to it because it’s such a privilege to play on those courses in Scotland.”
The golfers from Scotland were equally as impressed with Sand Hollow Resort as the American players were when they visited St. Andrews, Linford said, adding that the natural beauty of the terrain with the green grass against the red rock and sand is the complete opposite of what they’re used to playing on back at home. They seemed to have “brought the rain with them,” he said, and were gifted the unique experience of playing golf in the desert rain.
On Sept. 13, a one-day University Cup tournament took place, made up of universities throughout the state of Utah. Alumni and sponsors all joined in the competitive tournament for a chance to win a purse full of money. Winning a total of $40,000, this year’s University Cup grand prize went to the University of Utah. Southern Utah University came in second with a prize of $25,000. For each consecutive place after, each team brought home a lesser amount, and every team took home some monetary compensation to benefit their school’s athletic program.
That evening, Golf Week’s exclusive charity gala took place. Originally planned as a “stars under the stars” outdoor event, the gala was moved to the clubhouse due to rainy weather. Linford said moving the gala indoors worked out perfectly, and there were a total of 260 attendees.
“It was amazing how it came together,” he added. “It was a great space, a beautiful evening. We had people on the balcony indoors and out. We honored our sponsors, we presented the check for the University Cup, awards for the Friendship Cup and $100,000 to our charity sponsor, the DDx Foundation.”
The DDx Foundation is a groundbreaking cancer imaging and data sharing system that was started in St. George by former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt’s brother, pathologist Dr. Matthew O. Leavitt. The foundation is a physician-run nonprofit that seeks to accelerate progress in cancer treatments by making the sharing of clinical specimens and data seamless.
“So many people are affected by cancer. We all know someone, and some of us have had it,” Linford said. “I love this charity so much. It’s a new foundation, barely a year old, but I can see where they’re really getting traction.”
On the final day, the Leavitt Charity Cup took place, which consisted of two teams – one sponsored by the Utah Jazz and the other by the Las Vegas Raiders. The Utah Jazz sponsored the event through their 5 for the Fight campaign, a crowdfunding initiative that gets its name from the invitation to donate $5 toward the fight against cancer.
Linford said he received an outpouring of positive feedback at the end of Golf Week and was touched by and appreciative of the many local sponsors that participated.
“I feel like we came out of this event with really great energy.”
Written by JESSI BANG for St. George News.
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Resources
- Sand Hollow Resort | Address: 5662 W. Clubhouse Drive, Hurricane | Telephone: 435-656-4653 | Website.
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