FIVE FINALISTS CHOSEN FOR 2010 GOLF DIGEST U.S. OPEN CHALLENGE

NEW YORK—Golf Digest, in association with the United States Golf Association (USGA) and NBC Sports, has announced the names of the five finalists for the 2010 Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge. The five contestants—all amateur golfers with handicaps between 4 and 8— will compete through online voting for the chance to try to break a score of 100 on a U.S. Open Championship course, this year to be played at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Through April 30, golf fans can go to www.gdopencontest.com to vote for who they think should win. Voters can make one selection each day and are automatically entered into a sweepstakes for the chance to win an all–expenses–paid golf vacation for two to Pebble Beach.

The winner will play an 18–hole round on Pebble Beach Golf Links from the U.S. Open tees, with the course set up under U.S. Open conditions. Joining the winner will be New Orleans Saints quarterback and Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees (3–handicap), NHL Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky (10–handicap), and renowned actor and producer Mark Wahlberg (14–handicap). The round will be taped and will air on NBC from 1:30–3:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, June 20, immediately prior to the final–round broadcast of the U.S. Open.

In the December 2009 issue, Golf Digest asked readers to submit a 60–word essay on how playing in the Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge at Pebble Beach would significantly change their lives. The five finalists, who include for the first time a female contestant, were narrowed down from 24,860 entries.

The five finalists are:

Kenny Evans – Seattle, WA

Scott Fahrney – Wayne, NJ

Peggy Ference – Skillman, NJ

Eric Hunt – Norton, MA

Eric Weaver – El Paso, TX

Profiles of the five finalists and additional information about the Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge can be found in the May issue of Golf Digest (on newsstands April 6) and online at www.golfdigest.com, www.usga.org and www.nbcsports.com.