PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN A. ROBERTS
Ozzie Smith golf
The stars of the PGA Tour Champions circuit won’t be the only ones swinging clubs and hunting for birdies this weekend at the Ascension Charity Classic at Norwood Hills Country Club.
Golf icon Jack Nicklaus and National Baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith will team up against World Golf Hall of Famer Tom Watson and Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues coach Craig Berube on Saturday in a nine-hole scramble, dubbed the Legends Charity Challenge. The competition will get underway at hole No. 10 following the final pairing of the tournament’s second round.
A purse of $25,000 will be on the line for the foursome, with dollar values ranging between $1,000 and $10,000 placed on each hole. Nicklaus and Smith will be playing for PGA REACH Gateway, an organization that strives to improve access to the game for children and military veterans. Watson and Berube will represent First Tee of Greater St. Louis, which aims to introduce children to the sport. Whichever team accumulates the most money for its charity after nine holes will be declared the winner.
“We thought we had to get Tom Watson, who is a Missouri native, in the inaugural Legends Challenge,” Ascension executive vice president Nick Ragone says. “He immediately said yes and agreed to it. Jack is amazing and very dedicated to giving back. When we reached out to him and explained what we were trying to do, he happily agreed. Then Ozzie, of course, has a deep commitment to PGA Reach and is a great partner to so many charities in St. Louis and North County. Coach Berube, obviously, is a newly minted legend himself after bringing the Stanley Cup to St. Louis.”
Admission to the Legends Charity Challenge comes with the purchase of a Saturday ticket or a weekly grounds ticket.
“Ozzie and Coach Berube are excited and nervous,” Ragone says. “They’re great at their sports, but they’re going to be playing in front of a lot of people for a lot of money. It’s going to be really interesting.”
