Pros Prevail for First Time in 2005 People vs. the Pros at Barton Creek; Crenshaw Comeback Highlights Exciting Finals on ESPN

Pros Prevail for First Time in 2005 People vs. the Pros at Barton Creek; Crenshaw Comeback Highlights Exciting Finals on ESPN

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- It was an all-pro finish to the 2005 People vs. the Pros at Barton Creek Resort & Spa Presented by BASF in Austin, with Texans Justin Leonard and Ben Crenshaw making good on their promise to protect their home turf. Leonard closed out Jeff Jumonville of Austin on the 15th hole of the Fazio Foothills course and Crenshaw mounted one of his classic charges to beat amateur Jay Whiteside of Woodstock, GA. The matches were televised nationally on ESPN earlier tonight.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050919/DAM058 )

Jumonville, 32, and Whiteside, 50, earned their spots in a qualifying tournament shortened by rain from 54 to 36 holes at Barton Creek in the third annual People vs. the Pros event. Jumonville (3 hdcp.) faced 10-time PGA titlist Justin Leonard in handicapped match play. Jumonville used his two strokes on the front side to stay close and after nine holes the match was even; he bogeyed the 11th and after that, it was all Leonard. Jumonville lost 4 and 3.

Whiteside's match with Crenshaw kept the amateur's hopes alive to the end.

Crenshaw gave 14 strokes to Whiteside. The amateur was 4-up with five holes to play but was unable to slam the door on the two-time Masters Champion who mounted a late charge, including an impressive second shot on the 533-yd. Par 5 18th that came to rest within seven feet of the pin and had the hometown crowd shouting, "Ben's back!" Crenshaw won, 1-up.

This is the first year the pros have won both matches. In 2003, John Daly defeated his amateur but Lee Trevino lost his match. Last year, both amateurs defeated Daly and Gary McCord at Pinehurst. This year at Barton Creek, the pros -- both UT graduates -- prevailed to take the $100,000 first place checks. The amateurs earned $50,000 each.

In the BASF Superintendent's Cup contested just prior to the Leonard and Crenshaw matches, Rafael Martinez beat Greg Wiles of Johnstown, OH to win $10,000 and a year's worth of products from BASF Turf & Ornamental for his home course, Via Verde Country Club in San Dimas, CA. As presenting sponsor of the 2005 People vs. the Pros, BASF hosted more than 600 golf course superintendents nationwide who competed in 17 regional qualifying tournaments earlier this year. From those tournaments, 20 superintendent winners advanced to compete in the qualifying tournament at Barton Creek. After a four-hole low net total playoff, Martinez advanced to face Wiles in the 2005 BASF Superintendent's Cup grand prize match.

People vs. the Pros is a production of Manhattan, CA-based Innovative Media Solutions, LLC (IMS) and Tulsa-based Winnercomm, Inc., one of the largest independent producers of sports programming in the U.S.

Contact: Lynda Haschke at 972-740-3529 or LHaschke@pvpgolf.com

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050919/DAM058 http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050218/LAFRU4LOGO AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/ PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Source: People vs. the Pros

CONTACT: Lynda Haschke of Winnercomm, Inc., +1-972-740-3529, or LHaschke@pvpgolf.com , for People vs. the Pros

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