Rocco Mediate and Anna Rawson are the new attractions at this year's Sorenson Champions Challenge at Thanksgiving Point Golf Club.
Mediate and Rawson will play in the final two groups at the 12th annual tournament, which will be played at Thanksgiving Golf Club.
Mediate will team with his friend, former USC golfer Bradley Shaw and play in the same group with Mike Weir and Dean Wilson, while Rawson will team with Dave Stockton Jr., one of the defending champions, and play in the same group as Johnny Miller and Todd Miller.
"It'll be a fun little tournament," said Mediate, who is playing in Utah for the first time.
Mediate gained fame a year ago when he went toe-to-toe with Tiger Woods at the U.S. Open before losing in a Monday playoff on the final hole. He's known as one of the more fun-loving golfers on the PGA Tour and he took time with the media Monday prior to his pro-am round.
Before coming to the interview room, Mediate spent about an hour on the putting green, getting some lessons from Stockton Jr. and Stockton's father, Dave, who was wearing a sling on his left arm after recently undergoing rotator cuff surgery.
When asked what he learned, Mediate smiled and said, "It's very, very top secret. You have to sign a waiver ..."
He also talked about his favorite golfer (Tom Watson), about how much he hates slow play ("it makes me nauseous") and his future plans (he wants to play as long as he can).
Mediate got serious when talking about his epic battle with Woods in June of 2008. Woods had to birdie the final hole twice, in Sunday's final round and in the Monday playoff.
"When you put your heart out there, you don't have to worry about the end result," he said. "When I look back at that and what I did, especially on that Monday, I passed with flying colors. I outplayed him everywhere but on the greens."
Rawson is a 28-year-old from Australia who is known for her looks as much as her golf game. She didn't even take up golf until she was 13 and said "for six months I couldn't get the ball off the ground."
However once she got some instruction, she was able to pick up the game quickly and earned a scholarship to USC. She turned pro in 2004 and is a rookie on the LPGA Tour this year, ranking 97th on the money list.
Rawson has done modeling for several years and has sponsorships with GoDaddy and fashion designer J. Lindeberg and also writes a syndicated column on fashion.
"It pays the bills, but I'd much rather be known for my golf scores," she said. However she isn't embarrassed to be known for her appearance.
"Whatever I need to do to bring more people to the game and raise the profile and bring more women to the game," she said. "Women seem to have to do more than men to get the same (attention)."
Rawson and Stockton will tee off at 11:15 a.m. with Wilson and Weir, who is coming off a fine performance in the President's Cup where he went 2-2-1.
Former champions Jason Zuback and Bobby Wilson will tee off at 10:30 a.m. with former British Open champion Ian Baker-Finch and PGA Tour regular Brett Quigley, followed by former champions Billy and Bob Casper and Scott Miller and Andy Miller at 10:45.
Craig Stadler and his son, Chris will play with Hale Irwin and his son, Steve at 11 a.m., while Johnny Miller and his son, Todd tee off at 11:30 with Mediate and Shaw.
The ten two-person teams will be competing in a scramble format for a first prize, that has been as much as $100,000 in the past. It has been reduced this year due to the poor economy, which forced the tournament into October from its usual summer date.
Sorensen Champions Challenge
Thanksgiving Point Golf Club
Tee times
10 a.m. Dr. Phillip Hoopes and Gary Mule Deer
Jim Sorenson and Clay Ogden
10:15Deron Williams and Steele DeWald
Kyle Korver and Boyd Summerhays
10:30Jason Zuback and Bobby Wilson
Ian Baker-Finch and Brett Quigley
10:45Scott Miller and Andy Miller
Billy Casper and Bob Casper
11:00Craig Stadler and Chris Stadler
Hale Irwin and Steve Irwin
11:15Anna Rawson and Dave Stockton Jr.
Mike Weir and Dean Wilson
11:30Johnny Miller and Todd Miller
Rocco Mediate and Bradley Shaw
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