GAYLORD, Mich. – The familiar and reassuring tone of Roger Twibell, the folksy and comfortable-as-a-trusted-pair-of-jeans sounds of Charlie Rymer and the pithy and knowledgeable voice of Bill Kratzert will once again be on display for ESPN2 when the network broadcasts the ING Par-3 Shootout from Treetops Resort in Gaylord, Mich.
The $540,000 event, which also offers a $1 million bonus for every hole-in-one, will air tape-delayed on ESPN2, Monday, June 27 and Tuesday, June 28 from 10 p.m. to midnight, ET. The event will also be available on ESPN2 HD.
The trio will call all 18 holes from the Par-3 Threetops Course at Treetops Resort, where Fred Couples is the defending champion. Joining Couples on the picturesque Threetops Course are Phil Mickelson, and two ING Par-3 Shootout rookies – Gary McCord and Andy North. Couples’ title, where he won $220,000 on one hole, was his second in three years, adding a bookend to his 2002 crown.
As he did last year, Twibell will chronicle the action for the viewers. The veteran Twibell is a fixture as the lead announcer on ESPN golf telecasts and has been part of ABC Sports’ golf coverage, which included the network’s coverage of all major tournaments: the U.S. Open and U.S. Senior Open; the British Open and Senior British Open; the U.S. Women’s Open and the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Before assuming his golf duties, Twibell anchored college basketball and football games for ABC Sports.
“Of all the specialty golf events, and I’ve done my share of them, the Par-3 Shootout is without a doubt the most entertaining,” Twibell said. “We have the possibility of a hole-in-one, the most exciting shot in golf, 72 times during the two shows. Throw in the $1 million to whoever makes an ace – as Lee Trevino did several years ago – and it creates a tremendous amount of excitement.”
The genial Rymer, who once again joins Twibell in the booth as the analyst, has a quick wit that has served him well as a sports commentator for ESPN, CBS and USA Network. He is a former member of the PGA Tour, who finished third at the 1999 Shell Houston Open.
Last year, Rymer distinguished himself on the course by feeding advice to pro-am partner Phil Bonfanti of Castle Pines, Colo. that contributed to Bonfanti scoring a hole-in-one during the second day of the event’s pro-am.
Kratzert, who will be the on-course reporter, played on the PGA Tour for 20 years and joined the Champions Tour in 2002. During his professional golf career, Kratzert won four tournaments and earned more than $1.3 million. Aside from those four victories and friendships with Texas Tech basketball coach Bob Knight and former Vice President Dan Quayle, Kratzert can claim a share of the first-round lead in the 1986 Masters eventually won by Jack Nicklaus.
Twibell, Rymer and Kratzert are familiar with the venue and the format, which puts a premium on scene-setting at the cozy Threetops course and playing host to mid-round conversations between the players.
"All of these players are miked, but the difference here as compared to other events where players are wearing the microphone is the intimate setting of the par-3 course,” Twibell said. “These four golfers are never more than 5-10 yards from one another and the viewer is right in the middle of their conversations. The par-3 course is also a great equalizer for the Champions Tour players and the PGA Tour players."
Since its opening in 1987, Treetops has been among the nation’s best golf resorts. Located just east of Gaylord, Mich., Treetops features five outstanding golf courses. The first course to open was the Masterpiece, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. In the past 15 years, Treetops has added Tom Fazio’s Premier, Rick Smith’s Signature and Tradition courses, along with Threetops, the par-3 course that hosts the ING Par-3 Shootout.
Although the distances on the par-3 course range from only 138 to 216 yards, Threetops is the most unique par-3 course in the world because of the dramatic elevation changes, the tricky winds that change on every hole and contoured greens that are extremely fast.
About ING
ING Group is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, insurance and asset management to more than 60 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. With a diverse workforce of more than 115,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of prominent companies that increasingly serve their clients under the ING brand.
In the U.S., the ING family of companies offers a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, which include life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, direct banking, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits, financial planning and reinsurance. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves more than 14 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit www.ing.com.
