29th Annual PGA Coors Light Tournament of Charities

Southwest Florida golf professionals raised $71,515, Monday, April 6, 2009, to help youngsters with substance abuse problems at The Vince Smith Center of Southwest Florida Addiction Services, as well as the PGA Art Soderholm Scholarship Fund, Junior Golf, Florida Gulf Coast University Professional Golf Management Program, and Florida Gulf Coast University Men’s & Women’s Golf Teams.

Altogether, 34 teams from various clubs throughout Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties played in the 29th Annual Coors Light Tournament of Charities, the area’s largest pro-amateur golf tourney, hosted this year by Pelican Preserve Golf Club in Fort Myers.

John Oyler, Director of Golf at Bonita Bay Club, won first place in the fund-raising competition by raising $8,552.00 for charity.

The Club at Olde Cypress won the Southwest Florida Club Championship. Tom Vilardo and his team took top honors by shooting 115 on the Pelican Preserve course. Other members of the winning team were Debbie Metz, Joe Rizzoto and Joe Consolo.

Each amateur member of the team received a trophy and $150 gift certificate to Pelican Preserve.

The PGA-Coors Light Tournament of Charities, sponsored by the Southwest Florida Chapter of the Professional Golfers’ Association, Coors Light, Blue Results and Pelican Preserve Golf Club, is among the areas most successful. To date this event has raised over $1,548,515 for charity. Other winners were: second place (scored 121), Bonita Bay team of Pro John Oyler, Colin Watson, Joe Zednik and Philip Milhomme; third place (scored 121), Vasari team of Pro Tim Harris, Mike Harris, Mark Drons and Sam Mueller; fourth place (scored 122), The Dunes (Sanibel) team of Pro Dan Hoffacker, Marv Seibold, Jim Fjelstadt and Vinnie Chiaramonte.

Fund raising totals announced Monday were: Bonita Bay Golf Club ($8552); Moorings Country Club ($8092.59), Verandah Golf Club ($6800); The Vineyards Country Club ($6300); Olde Florida Golf Club ($5200); Grandezza Golf Club ($4004); Cypress Lake Country Club ($4000); Quail Creek ($3150); The Club at Olde Cypress ($3000); Royal Palm Country Club ($2861); Fiddlesticks Country Club ($2500); Quail West ($2500); Gateway ($2187.50); Vasari Country Club ($1315); Spanish Wells ($1225); Del Webb ($1202); The Dunes on Sanibel ($1166); Arrowhead Golf Club ($1000); Foxfire Golf Club ($1000); Cop-perleaf ($256); Magnolia Landing ($204).

The event highlighted more than three months of fund-raising by area golf professionals to benefit the PGA Scholarship Fund, Junior Golf, The Vince Smith Center of Southwest Florida Addiction Services (SWFAS), Florida Gulf Coast University Professional Golf Management Program and FGCU Men’s and Women’s Golf Teams. Congratulations to all the professionals and their generous members.