Featured Golf News
Mickelson Commits to 2008 Skins Game
Phil Mickelson will join defending champion, Stephen Ames, and two other tour players to be announced this summer in the 2008 LG Skins Game at Indian Wells Golf Resort in California.
In Mickelson's last appearance in 2003 he finished third with five skins and $170,000 behind Fred Couples and Annika Sorenstam. In its 26th year, the 2008 LG Skins Game will be played November 29-30.
"This is simply great news for the event as well as the fans that will tune in on Thanksgiving weekend," said Mary Roche, Mayor of Indian Wells. "He's the No. 2 player in the world who just happens to be a huge crowd favorite, and his no-holds-barred style of play is sure to create exciting drama. We're thrilled to have him play."
The 2008 LG Skins Game will be hosted on the Celebrity Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort. The Clive Clark-designed layout opened November 1, 2006. The par-72, 7,088-yard track features many risk-reward challenges that set up well for the Skins format. Holes four, five and six should get the players' attention. The fourth is a reachable par-5 with an island green where last year Fred Couples holed-out for eagle and pocketed three skins worth $75,000. The fifth is a bombs-away par-4, and the sixth is a long par-3 that plays nearly 240 yards from the tips.
In addition to offering mountain views, Celebrity features colorful wildflowers that encircle the green complexes and cover out-of-play areas. The "core" layout does not have roads and homes intruding into the playing field. The course contains seven water features - waterfalls, creeks and ponds - on nine holes.
"In my eyes, part of the joy of playing golf is to have fun," said Clark. "So the reason the golf course was designed in this way was to make it fun by being playable, but equally, like a game of chess, it will ask certain questions of players as they progress around the course."
Last year's Skins Game featured Fred Couples, Ames, Brett Wetterich and Zach Johnson. Stephen Ames took top honors with a birdie on the last hole to capture the title with $650,000 in skins.
For more information about the event, visit http://www.indianwells.com/LGskinsgame/index.php.
