Star-studded field set to take on Coeur d’Alene Resort golf course at the Showcase celebrity tournament
The most valuable player of the Showcase celebrity golf tournament has been the money – over $13 million raised for the Community Cancer Fund.
Other MVPs have helped the sixth annual fundraiser at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course grow – ones from the Super Bowl, World Series and Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The list of famous athletes and entertainers at the Showcase – teeing off Saturday at 8 a.m. – is impressive.
From NFL legends Marcus Allen, Eric Dickerson and Marshall Faulk, to MLB All-Stars Roger Clemens, Fred McGriff and David Justice, to NHL great Wayne Gretzky, there’s expected to be around 30 celebrities swinging their clubs this weekend.
Participants were paired up with representatives of corporate sponsors on Friday for 18 holes. They’ll complete their 36 holes by golfing solo during Saturday’s event.
Spectator tickets for Saturday’s celebrity golf can be purchased for $20 each at showcasegolf.com. The event will also feature three bands performing on the course, a beer garden, food trucks and yard games.
“It’s a lot more than watching celebrities play golf,” said Showcase director Jerid Keefer of the Community Cancer Fund. “It’s a fun way to enjoy the day in a beautiful setting while helping local cancer patients.”
The event has helped raise money for many of Community Cancer Fund’s local pursuits, including a $3 million endowment fund for Camp Goodtimes, a free summer camp for children affected by cancer.
Ex-NHL players have come away victorious from the Showcase the last three years, with Brenden Morrow winning back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017 and Ray Whitney winning last summer.
The addition of former two-time MLB All-Star pitcher Mark Mulder – now a scratch golfer who often dominates celebrity golf events – should strengthen the Showcase field.
Locally, Central Valley graduate and current Tampa Bay Lightning standout Tyler Johnson and ex-Gonzaga star Adam Morrison are also slated to golf this weekend.
Keefer said that Gonzaga coach Mark Few, Fox Sports personality and EWU graduate Colin Cowherd and ESPN sports commentator and Spokane native Neil Everett will participate in the event but won’t golf.
Former NFL kicker Ryan Longwell is the only celebrity to compete in all six Showcase events, Keefer said.
Kevin Dillon of “Entourage” fame and Janet Gretzky are the lone actors in the field.
Other golfers in the Showcase include ex-NBA figures Bruce Bowen, Craig Ehlo and Desmond Mason; the NFL’s Jim McMahon, Richard Dent, Roy Green, Seth Joyner, Roy Brown, Neil Lomax, Sidney Rice and Bryan Walters; and MLB’s Jermaine Dye and Shane Victorino.
The NHL has the most Showcase representation, including Morrow, Whitney, Johnson, Valeri Bure, Guy Carbonneau, Kelly Chase, Russ Courtnall, Grant Fuhr, Barret Jackman, Bobby Ryan and Jon Cooper.