April 28, 2009

The University of South Carolina team represented by head coach Steve Spurrier and Sterling Sharpe carded a 12-under-par 60 and then outlasted Virginia Tech in a playoff to win the Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge golf tournament and the $120,000 first-place scholarship donation. This is team South Carolina's second straight championship in the Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge.

"It was a fun day today. Sterling made a bunch of crucial putts down the stretch and I pitched in a little," Spurrier said after the victory. "I think this was the first playoff I've ever won, and I've been in a few."

In regulation play, Sharpe holed a dramatic 10-foot putt on 18 to force the playoff with Frank Beamer and Dell Curry from Virginia Tech. After repeating the 18th hole, the teams were still tied and a four-shot closest-to-the-pin competition decided the championship. From 150 yards, Beamer's approach finished 23' from the cup. Sharpe then stroked his approach to 18' to win by five feet.

Team Alabama and team Georgia Tech tied for third with a 10-under-par 62 at the third annual event hosted at Reynolds Plantation on Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Ga.

"This was just an incredible day on the golf course," said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO. "Everywhere you looked there was great golf action. These teams really delivered the level of play we've come to expect in this tournament. To cap everything off with a playoff victory put the perfect finishing touch on a fantastic three-day event."

The complete order of finish with scholarship winnings follows:

TEAM: SCORE: WINNINGS:

South Carolina (Steve Spurrier / Sterling Sharpe) -12 (playoff) $120,000

Virginia Tech (Frank Beamer / Dell Curry) -12 $60,000

Alabama (Nick Saban / Johnny Musso) -10 $37,500

Georgia Tech (Paul Johnson / Jon Barry) -10 $37,500

Minnesota (Tubby Smith / Jim Petersen) -9 $25,000

Wake Forest (Jim Grobe / Billy Packer) -8 $17,500

Kentucky (Rich Brooks / Jared Lorenzen) -4 $15,000

Vanderbilt (Bobby Johnson / Will Perdue) -2 $10,000

Maryland (Ralph Friedgen / Neil O'Donnell) -1 $10,000

A total scholarship purse of $350,000 was awarded to the teams by the Chick-fil-A Bowl and an additional $150,000 was raised for other charities bringing the total charitable purse to $500,000. The Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge is a significant contributor to the Chick-fil-A Bowl's annual charitable giving platform. The Bowl will contribute approximately $1.3 million to organizations in need this year.

Last year's tournament was won by the University of South Carolina team (-12) and the 2007 event saw the Virginia Tech take home first-place honors.