Posted by: travadmin on Jan 13, 2004 – 01:09 PM
golf World-Class Athletes and Celebrities from Wayne Gretzky and Pete Sampras To Marc Anthony and Paris Hilton Join the Festivities in The Bahamas
PARADISE ISLAND, The Bahamas — The One&Only Ocean Club resort on Paradise Island in The Bahamas and Michael Jordan hosted a star-studded field for the third annual Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational (MJCI) held this weekend, January 7-11, 2004. World-class athletes from across the sports spectrum participated, including Wayne Gretzky, Boris Becker, Brandi Chastain, John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, Charles Barkley and Julius Erving. These athletes were challenged by celebrity golfers, such as Bryant Gumbel, Angie Everhart, Beverly Johnson and two-time defending tournament champion Janet Jones.
NBC-TV will air the fun-filled, four-day charitable golf event on January 24, 2004 from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM EST. Sponsors for the MJCI included presenting sponsor One&Only Resorts, as well as Jordan Brand, Gatorade, Golf Magazine, Icon International and The Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board.
“I’m delighted to be back for our third tournament at One&Only Ocean Club for such worthy causes,” said Michael Jordan. “The group of people who come out to support us year after year makes this a spectacular event.”
The players competed for a total purse of $200,000, which will go the winners’ charity of choice. Up to $500,000 will be given to charity including $300,000 in charitable donations for the Ronald McDonald Houses of North Carolina and the James R. Jordan Foundation, as well as $25,000 for the Atlantis, Paradise Island HIV/AIDS Initiative.
MJCI guests were treated to an exciting weekend of festivities at the exclusive One&Only Ocean Club and Atlantis, Paradise Island resorts. The weekend’s entertainment highlight was a lively “Club Havana” party at the Grand Ballroom at Atlantis, emceed by celebrated comedian Tracy Morgan and with music from the Cuban band, Pablito.
The MJCI featured more than 30 celebrity golfers from the worlds of sports and entertainment, as well as amateur participants, including event sponsors and representatives of The Bahamian corporate and local community competing in two separate competitions. The event consisted of a two-day Celebrity-Amateur, pairing one celebrity with three amateurs and the two-day celebrity tournament. Other celebrities came simply to enjoy the festivities surrounding the tournaments, including Paris Hilton, who with boyfriend Nick Carter (of the Backstreet Boys) took her first golf lesson on the Ocean Club course.
“Michael brings an air of excitement to everything he does and this tournament is no exception,” said Howard Karawan, Kerzner International Executive Vice President, Corporate Marketing. “We look forward to a continued partnership with him for years to come on this one-of-a-kind event.”
During his stellar career, NBA legend Michael Jordan virtually rewrote the NBA record book as a 5-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a 12-time All-Star and a member of 6 NBA Championship teams. Long-time philanthropists, Jordan and his wife Juanita have supported the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, UNCF/College Fund, Special Olympics and a variety of charitable organizations that support children and families.
This is the third time that the One&Only Ocean Club has hosted the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational, which was previously held in January 2001 and September 2002. Prior to that, Jordan hosted the Michael Jordan Celebrity Golf Classic in Greenville, North Carolina, which raised more than $2 million during the past 15 years for the Ronald McDonald Houses of North Carolina.
The Tom Weiskopf-designed 18-hole Ocean Club Golf Course, which debuted in December 2000, is set on the eastern end of Paradise Island and offers panoramic views of the lush course and waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The 7159- yard, scenic par 72 course takes advantage of the magnificent Bahamian landscape and island cross winds, challenging golfers’ precision and accuracy.
Additional tournament information can be found at www.MJCIGolf.com and for more resort information and reservations, visit oneandonlyresorts.com or call One&Only Ocean Club at 800-321-3000.
About One&Only Ocean Club
One&Only Ocean Club, once the exclusive private estate of A&P heir Huntington Hartford, emerged in 2000 after a $100 million renaissance as one of the most elegant luxury resorts in the Americas. Intimate in size and placing the highest priority on pampering personalized attention, the resort offers 106 deluxe accommodations, including beachfront suites, rooms and garden cottages in a gracious colonial Bahamian style, with round-the-clock butler service and luxurious details such as champagne and strawberries in the afternoon and icy sorbet served on the beach. At the One&Only Ocean Club’s signature restaurant, Dune, world-renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten has redefined fine dining in the tropics. The Courtyard Terrace continues to win accolades as the most romantic restaurant in The Bahamas.
The sumptuous One&Only Spa features a fusion of ancient Asian holistic philosophies with uniquely Bahamian hospitality and serene, lush surroundings with private spa villas for two. Other recreational amenities include the championship 18-hole Ocean Club Golf Course, a tennis club, a freshwater pool overlooking the resort’s renowned Versailles-inspired gardens, a brand-new family pool, and an extensive menu of water sports.
For more information and reservations, visit online at oneandonlyresorts.com or call One&Only Ocean Club at 800-321-3000. One&Only Ocean Club is a member of The Leading Hotels of The World and a Virtuoso partner.
About One&Only
Created exclusively for the luxury resort market, One&Only resorts are conceived as hallmarks of excellence. Set in some of the most beautiful locales in the world, each resort offers guests a distinctive style and personality born of its local culture, a genuine hospitality and a lively energy that is unrivaled. These properties, featuring some of the top-rated resorts in the world, include One&Only Ocean Club in The Bahamas; the just- opened One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, Mexico; One&Only Le Touessrok and One&Only Le Saint Giran in Mauritius; One&Only Kanuhura in the Maldives, and One&Only Royal Mirage in Dubai. Further properties on the island of Kaafu Atoll, the Maldives and Havana, Cuba are either underway or in advanced stages of planning. More information on One&Only is available online at oneandonlyresorts.com.
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Source: Kerzner International Limited