April 28, 2008
ATLANTA — When Paul Johnson decides to retire as a football coach, he might want to consider the PGA Champions Tour.
Johnson scored a hole-in-one Monday at Reynolds Plantation with an ace on the par three, 130-yard 15th hole. Johnson used a pitching wedge for his second career hole-in-one.
Monday’s best-ball round was a warm-up of sorts for Tuesday’s Chick-fil-A Alma Mater at Reynolds Plantation. Johnson and former Tech and NBA standout Jon Barry will represent Georgia Tech, one of 13 schools competing for the title.
Johnson and Barry will be paired with the defending champions, Frank Beamer and Dell Curry of Virginia Tech. The 13 twosomes will vie for their share of the $350,000 scholarship purse with $100,000 going to the winning team.
Team pairings for the April 29 made-for-TV round are as follows:
Group 1
Virginia Tech — Frank Beamer and Dell Curry
Georgia Tech — Paul Johnson and Jon Barry
Group 2
UCLA — Rick Neuheisel and Sinjin Smith
Boston College — Jeff Jagodzinski and Chris O’Donnell
Group 3
South Carolina — Steve Spurrier and Sterling Sharpe
Colorado — Bill McCartney and Kordell Stewart
Group 4
Maryland — Ralph Friedgen and Neil O’Donnell
Arizona State — Frank Kush and Michael Haynes
Group 5
Michigan — Rich Rodriguez and Brian Griese
Alabama — Nick Saban and Ken Stabler
Group 6
Wake Forest — Jim Grobe and Billy Packer
Minnesota — Tubby Smith and Jim Petersen
Group 7
Auburn — Tommy Tuberville and Pat Sullivan
“This is an incredible field of coaches representing some of the best university athletic programs in the country,” said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president. “We are humbled to be able to showcase these schools in an event like this and proud that so much scholarship money will be headed back to the participating universities.”
The celebrity round will be taped for broadcast and aired nationally by CBS at 2 p.m. (ET) on Christmas Day.
Last year Frank Beamer and Dell Curry from Virginia Tech edged out the team from San Diego State by one stroke on the final hole to win the championship with a 10-under 62.
For more information on the event, visit www.Chick-fil-ABowlAlmaMater.com.
