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Thursday, May 22, 2008

Car salesman tops poker pros, others to win WSOG

Second best was all Erick Lindgren could muster for the 2008 World Series of Golf.

By Sarah Polson

Celebrities, poker pros and other amateur golfers took to the links May 12-15 to play in the World Series of Golf and vie for a $250,000 top prize. The star-studded field was bested by a car salesman named Andrew Johnson from Davison, Mich.

Johnson outlasted a field of 80 golfers to win the second annual World Series of Golf, sponsored in part by Full Tilt Poker. He sealed his victory by nailing a tee shot just a few yards short of the pin on the very first playoff hole.

Coming in just behind him was Erick Lindgren, who poker fans may remember winning a huge golf prop bet during the 2007 World Series of Poker.

For his bet, the Full Tilt Poker pro had to play 72 holes of golf in one day at Bear's Best golf course in Las Vegas. He also had to walk the entire way, carry his own clubs and shoot under 100 on every round from the pro tees.

Lindgren successfully completed the bet in the more than 100-degree heat and pocketed $340,000 from Gavin Smith, Phil Ivey and other poker players.

The World Series of Golf wasn't quite as challenging as the prop bet, but it was not without its interesting rules that set it too apart from a regular golf game.

The World Series of Golf combines the wagering format of Texas Hold'em with the skill of golf that allows for high stakes to ride on each golf hole.

The buy-in is $10,000, just like the WSOP Main Event, and players ante up on each tee and then can bet, raise, call, check or fold on each subsequent shot.

The object of the game is not to shoot the lowest golf score, but instead to claim the pot on each hole. Opponents are eliminated when they run out of chips, just like in a poker tournament.

Willing to ante up the $10,000 to play were several celebrities and poker pros such as Ray Romano, John Daly, Phil Gordon, Phil Ivey, Tom Schneider, Daniel Negreanu, Rhett Butler, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Dusty Allen, and Penn Jillette's wife Emily Jillette.

Ivey, a five-time WSOP bracelet winner, didn't last long in the competition. He went all-in on the first hole of the event and was eliminated.

Jillette was the only female entrant and put on a strong performance. However, she was eliminated on the 19th hole after leading for most of the first round.

Perhaps the best of the celebrities during the tournament was actor and comedian Romano. He was playing for charity and managed to advance to Day 2 by making a dramatic comeback on the 19th hole of play.

Romano went from the lowest chip count to the leader with an all-in bet on a tricky putt. He was eliminated on the 17th hole of Day 2.

The final round of the WSOG was played in a fivesome that included Johnson, Allen Cunningham, Lindgren, Dee Tiller and Bill Spencer. Johnson successfully knocked out Cunningham, Lindgren and Tiller to seal his victory on the 163-yard, par three hole starting off the playoff round.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Johnson said. "I've never played anything like this, and I've already paid my entry fee for next year."

The World Series of Golf is scheduled to be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports June 28.