Bill Murray to Join D.A. Points in the John Deere Classic Pro-Am
Need we say more?
The actor-comedian, whose hilarious portrayal of hapless greens keeper Carl Spackler in the immortal 1980 golf comedy Caddyshack has made him an icon of the game, will join veteran tour pro D.A. Points’ group in the Wednesday morning pro-am on July 8 at TPC Deere Run.
Points and Murray teamed up to win the 2012 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where Points also claimed the individual title. A native of nearby Pekin, Ill., Points played his college golf at Illinois. Murray, who has appeared in dozens of films in both comedic and dramatic roles, is a native of Wilmette, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, where he caddied during his teenage years.
“The John Deere Classic is thrilled that Bill Murray will be playing in our Wednesday pro-am with D.A. Points, who has been a great supporter of the tournament over the years,” said John Deere Classic tournament director Clair Peterson. “Not only does the pro-am serve as a fun and enjoyable day for participants and fans, it is one of the fundamental ways the tournament raises funds for our Birdies for Charity partners, which is the core mission of the golf tournament.”
Murray burst onto the national scene in 1976 when he joined the cast of NBC’s Saturday Night Live irreverent comedy revue, eventually earning an Emmy Award. He parlayed his comedic genius into roles that eventually led to box office hits, such as Caddyshack, Stripes, and Tootsie. He later starred in Ghostbusters, also a massive hit comedy. Later in his career, Murray turn to more dramatic roles, winning a Golden Globe Award for his work in Lost in Translation.
Through it all, Murray’s love of golf has been a constant. He has been a regular at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am, where his crazy outfits and occasionally outrageous crowd interactions delight live and TV audiences alike.
Points has been a fixture on the PGA TOUR since 2005. He has two victories and 17 top 10 finishes and has accumulated more than $10 million in official earnings. He also won four times on the developmental Web.com Tour.
Brian Harman will defend his John Deere Classic title July 6-12, at TPC Deere Run. Jordan Spieth, who, like Harman, won his first PGA TOUR event at the John Deere Classic in 2013, will be back in the field, as the reigning Masters and U.S. Open champion.
Harman and Spieth will be joined by other past champions who are both well-known and much-beloved in the Quad Cities: among them, Zach Johnson, the 2012 champion and Steve Stricker, who three-peated from 2009-11.
Tickets for the John Deere Classic are available at www.johndeereclassic.com or by calling 309-762-4653.