VERONA — Tiger Woods is officially coming to play at Turning Stone Resort and Casino, but those who want to see him up close and personal will need to reach down deep in their pockets.
Woods, who has 14 major championships and holds 68 PGA Tour victories, will play in Notah Begay’s $500,000 Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge on Aug. 24 at the Atunyote Golf Club.
Woods will join Begay, Camilo Villegas and Mike Weir in the Challenge, and the four will play in a skins game format.
Tickets went on sale on Monday at noon for the Challenge, with package prices starting at $330 per person.
Individual tickets to last year’s event were sold for $35.
Ticket buyers can choose from one of three packages:
¿ The "Hole-In-One Package" costs $330 per person and will include not only tickets to the Challenge, but also a $20 merchandise gift certificate, a lunch voucher, VIP transportation from the casino to the course, and access to a cocktail reception at the Lava Dance Club.
¿ The "Golfer’s Package" includes everything in the "Hole-In-One Package" along with an overnight stay at the Turning Stone’s Hotel or Tower for Sunday night, as well as a round of golf at Shenendoah or Kaluhyat for Aug. 23. The costs are $569 for a single occupancy for the Turning Stone Hotel and $879 for a double room, while staying at the Tower will cost $599 for a single and $920 for a double.
¿ The "Challenge Package" includes everything in the Golfer’s Package except for the round of golf at Shenendoah or Kaluhyat.
The costs are $469 for a single occupancy at the Hotel and $679 for a double, while staying at the Tower costs $499 for a single and $720 for a double.
Turning Stone Resort and Casino director of media relations Mark Emery said the prices are comparable to other PGA Tour prices.
"It’s a very high-end event that will feature the four of the best golfers in the world," he said. "These packages will be able to give viewers an up-close and personal experience with the golfers. It would be comparable for instance like going to a Yankee game or like the Olympics."
The tickets are available through the package deals only on a first-come, first-served basis. Only 3,000 tickets will be sold.
Tickets were still available as of this morning. Tickets can be purchased at the Turning Stone box office by calling 361-SHOW or at Ticketmaster by contacting 800-745-3000 or through the web at www.ticketmaster.com.
Emery said that if the three announced packages don’t sell out by July 15, there is a possibility that any remaining tickets could be sold at a reduced rate.
All proceeds from the tournament will go directly to benefit the Notah Begay III Foundation.
The foundation’s goal is to reduce the disproportionately high incidence of obesity and diabetes among Native American youth that was started in 2005 by Begay, who is the only full-blooded Native American on the PGA Tour.
The foundation already has developed golf and soccer programs and aims to promote physical fitness, wellness and leadership development for American Indian youth.
For more information on the NB3 Challenge, log on to the Challenge’s web site at: www.nb3challenge.com.
