Michael Jordan called in sick and avoided rain, wind and cold at the Western Open Pro-Celebrity Skins Game Tuesday at Butler National.
The Evans Scholars Foundation thanks Jordan for his absence.
Pro Bob Gilder and celebrity Jack Frazee won $12,000 for the Evans Scholars in the $20,000 shootout. Last year, Jordan and pro Raymond Floyd won every penny of the $25,000 pot and donated it to Ronald McDonald Children`s Charities.
Before Jordan pulled out, Western officials changed the format, giving each of the six charities represented $1,000 at the start. Then Gilder and Frazee won two of the five holes, with Frazee`s 3-foot putt on No. 8 good for $8,000.
Frazee is chief executive officer of Centel, first-year sponsor of the Western Open.
”I learned what three feet and $8,000 means. It`s not like playing for 50-cent Nassau`s,” Frazee said.
”Taking all that money and you`re not even embarrassed,” kidded Payne Stewart, Mike Ditka`s partner. Stewart and Ditka won $4,000 for Misericordia. Peter Jacobsen and Stan Mikita won $4,000 for Black Hawk Alumni. Walter Payton and Curtis Strange, Larry Bird and Greg Norman, and Spike O`Dell and Mark McCumber were shut out.
As Strange stood over a 3-foot putt on the first hole for a skin, Stewart said, ”Going for three in a row next week, huh?”
Strange, winner of the last two U.S. Opens, missed the putt.
The weather was an ominous sign for a tournament often plagued by bad luck.
”It was supposed to be sunny. I hope it`s bad today and great the rest of the time,” Frazee said.
