On Tuesday at Olde Farm Golf Club in Bristol, Va., golf legends Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player lent their support at the charity event "Big 3 for Mountain Mission Kids," which raised $15,149,183.98 for the Mountain Mission School, an 89-year-old institution for underprivileged children.
It was the largest single-day of fund-raising at a PGA Tour-related event, breaking the previous mark estimated at $8.5 million. Funds were raised through amateur participants in the 19-hole scramble format as well as sponsorships and a silent auction.
Southland Golf photographers Mark and Matt Susson were on hand to document the event, and their photos are below.
The original "Big 3" of professional golf — South African Gary Player (left) and Americans Jack Nicklaus (middle) and Arnold Palmer.
The event was held at scenic Olde Farm Golf Club, where Palmer, Nicklaus and Player are all members. Other prominent members include four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, the Manning family of NFL quarterbacks — Archie and sons Peyton and Eli — and University of South Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier. This marked the first time the private club hosted an event open to the public.
The event sold 1,500 tickets to the public for the event at $1,000 apiece. Galleries were allowed very comfortable access to the golfers, as evidenced by this photo.
Although the 80-year-old Palmer became a PGA Tour sensation a few years before the 70-year-old Nicklaus did, the pair dueled many times throughout their career. Their first memorable battle atop the leaderboard came during the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado.
The Golden Bear shows off the solid form that made him one of the most successful golf professionals ever. Last week at the PGA Tour's Memorial Tournament, an event Nicklaus hosts annually at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Ohio, he announced he would likely step away from the golf spotlight following the 2013 Presidents Cup that will be held at that venue.
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