KEY Magazine Fort Worth

Gathering On The Greens
by Don Patterson

You don't have to be a golf fan or pro to enjoy the MasterCard Colonial Golf Tournament held annually at Fort Worth's prestigious Colonial Country Club. Avid golfers and spectators alike can enjoy the excitement and suspense as the golfing world's greatest celebrities trade swings with upcoming challengers in the tournament scheduled for May 13-19. As one of four invitation-only PGA Tour events, the MasterCard Colonial rates as one of the tour's most important tournaments. MasterCard and the Colonial Tournament, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1996, annually showcases the tour's best players competing on one of the top courses in the country. MasterCard sponsorship has helped make the event a continuing success, raising funds for Fort Worth's Cook Children's Medical Center and other local charities.

The Colonial Country Club golf course is rated as Texas' best, and is listed on "America's best" golf course rankings. The course is the site of two U.S. Opens and the Tournament Players Championship, and is the oldest event on the PGA TOUR still played at its original site. The tournament's popularity dates back to 1946 when golf legend Ben Hogan won the inaugural event. Since then, a host of other golf superstars have stormed the course to win championships. Julius Boros, Ben Crenshaw, Bruce Devlin, Cary Middlecoff, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, and Tom Weiskopf are just a few of the famous winners who appeared throughout the tour's colorful history.

This year, defending champion Sergio Garcia will face an anticipated field of at least 114 of the world's best golfers competing for a record purse of $4.3 million. Garcia, who sought his initial PGA title last year, became the youngest player ever to capture the PGA Championship. He is one of 10 PGA 2002 Tour winners on the current MasterCard Colonial commitment list. Challengers who have also promised to mount the greens include 2001 PGA Champion David Toms, 2001 British Open Champion David Duval, and a host of past Colonial champs.

Although CBS television will again cover the tournament, potential spectators can earn a close-up view by calling the MasterCard Colonial ticket office at 817.927.4280. Watching in person from aside the greens will put you in the midst of another history-making edition of this famed golfing event.

Return to Table of Contents

This website designed, hosted and maintained for KEY Magazine Fort Worth by

...when it's time to establish an Internet presence.