2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open Tournament Chairman Tom King announced an exciting new fan-friendly closest-to-the-pin contest called “Going for the Green.” The qualifying rounds for the Going for the Green contest will be held Friday, December 13 through Sunday, December 15 from 9 am to 5 pm at six Valley golf courses and will give Valley golf fans an opportunity to be part of the 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Presented by the Waste Management Phoenix Open and tournament hosts The Thunderbirds, the Going for the Green contest is open to golfers of all ages and skill levels. Contestants can purchase raffle tickets for $10 per ticket and be entered into a random drawing for daily prizes. Each raffle ticket includes 10 golf balls, which golfers can use to take aim at a hole-in-one on a 140-yard hole at any one of the six qualifying sites. The top five overall finishers (the five individuals who are closest-to-the-pin over the three days) from each qualifying site will advance to the second round of the Going for the Green contest. Daily raffle prizes include Waste Management Phoenix Open tournament tickets, golf-related merchandise and restaurant gift certificates courtesy of P.F. Chang’s.  Plus, any participant spending at least $20 on raffle tickets will automatically receive one free general admission ticket to the 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open (a $30 value).

The six qualifying locations, open December 13-15, are as follows:
• TPC Scottsdale Champions Course Practice Range in Scottsdale
• Longbow Golf Club Practice Range in Mesa
• Raven Golf Club Phoenix Practice Range in Phoenix
• Papago Golf Club Practice Range in Phoenix
• Lonetree Golf Club Practice Range in Chandler
• Palm Valley Golf Club Practice Range in Goodyear.

The top five overall finishers from each of the six qualifying sites (30 total), including anyone who makes a hole-in-one, will advance to the Going for the Green semifinals on January 25th at the TPC Scottsdale’s famous 16th hole – just two days before the start of the 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open.  At the semifinals, each of the 30 qualifiers will have one shot at a hole-in-one. The semifinalist who is closest-to-the-pin will advance to the Finals – the 7th Annual Shot at Glory competition on Wednesday, January 29th during the 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Held on the 16th hole, the Shot at Glory competition features approximately 25 celebrities, sports stars and business leaders. The event is open to spectators – in fact Waste Management Phoenix Open fans are encouraged to stick around and cheer on the participants.

If a Shot at Glory participant makes a hole-in-one, including the Going for the Green winner, he or she will win $1 million ($500,000 to the competitor, $500,000 to the charity of their choice). Plus, regardless if anyone makes a hole-in-one, the tournament host Thunderbirds will award more than $100,000 to the charities chosen by each competitor – $40,000 will be donated to the charity of the participant who is closest-to-the-pin, while $25,000 and $15,000 will be donated to the 2nd and 3rd place finishers, respectively. Each of the remaining participant’s charities will receive $1,000.

Past Shot at Glory winners include New York Post sportswriter Mark Cannizzaro (2008), Tilted Kilt Executive John Reynaud (2009), rock star Alice Cooper (2010), Insight Executive Ken Lamneck (2012) and country music superstar Dierks Bentley (2013). The 2011 Shot at Glory was canceled due to frozen turf.

All proceeds from the Going for the Green competition will benefit The First Tee of Phoenix.

For official contest rules and regulations, visit www.wmphoenixopen.com.