Week 7 Approach Shots: Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am

text size

G'DAY MATE: Tampa-based Outback Steakhouses, one of the world's leading conglomerates of restaurants, was founded in 1988 by those who believe in hospitality, sharing, quality, being courageous and having fun. The company owns and operates Outback Steakhouse units throughout the United States as well as Carrabba's Italian Grill, Cheesburger In Paradise and Bonefish Grill. The company also has a joint-venture development relationship with Roy's Restaurants, located in the U.S.A. and Japan.

Quick facts

WHAT: Sevenh of 26 official Charles Schwab Cup events WHEN: April 16-19 WHERE: Lutz, Fla. COURSE: TPC Tampa Bay WHAT'S AT STAKE: $1.7 million ($255,000 to the winner) KEY LINKS: Tee Times | Scores | Power Rankings | Tournament site

THE CELEBRITIES: Actor, activist and author Michael J. Fox will be making his first appearance in the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am, and he, along with comedians George Lopez and Bill Murray, headlines this year's celebrity field. Other celebrity commitments include: Actor and producer Mark Wahlberg, Emmitt Smith, the NFL's all-time leading rusher, Jerry Rice, the NFL's all-time leading receiver, LPGA Hall of Fame member Nancy Lopez, former Dateline NBC co-anchor Stone Phillips, former NFL quarterbacks Joe Theismann and Vinny Testaverde, as well as Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back Ronde Barber and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks. Brooks won the pro-am portion of the event last year with Fulton Allem as his partner.

2008 OUTBACK RECAP: Tom Watson became the first player to successfully defend his Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am title, saving bogey after hitting into the water on No. 18 for a one-stroke victory over Jay Haas and Scott Hoch. Hoch had a chance to force a playoff but lipped out a short par putt on the final hole. Watson's 7-iron approach shot on No. 18 missed the green and trickled into the water. After dropping, he pitched to five feet and converted the bogey putt. Hoch, playing in the grouping behind Watson, hit his approach shot to the right, but the ball did not roll into the water hazard. His chip stopped four feet, three inches from the hole. However, Hoch's bid to send the event into overtime ended when he missed his par putt. For much of the final round, it appeared as though Mark Wiebe would win the event. Up by three shots with four holes to play, Wiebe then made a triple-bogey at No. 15 and double-bogey at the par-3 17th to fall out of contention.

WATSON'S 50TH: Watson's victory at last year's Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am was his 50th title on TOUR. In his next start after the Outback event, he claimed his 51st official win at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Andy North). Here's a list of the only players with 50 or more combined victories on TOUR who have at least 10 wins on the Champions Tour:

HAAS STRIVING TO END DROUGHT: Despite earning the Charles Schwab Cup in two of the last three seasons and being voted by his peers as the Champions Tour Player of the Year in 2006 and 2007, Jay Haas has still never won an event in the state of Florida. Haas has now gone 0-113 in the Sunshine State in his TOUR career (0-11 on the Champions Tour). His best efforts on the Champions Tour were runner-up finishes at the 2007 Allianz Championship and at the 2007 and 2008 Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am near Tampa. On the PGA TOUR, he tied for second at the 2003 PLAYERS Championship. Could this be Haas' breakthrough week?

Weather forecast for the Outbak Steakhouse Pro-Am

FRIDAY, Rd. 1 SATURDAY, Rd. 2 SUNDAY, Rd. 3 Partly cloudy Temp: 82 high/61 low Sunny Temp: 84 high/62 low Partly cloudy Temp: 85 high/66 low

DTN/Meteorlogix is the official weather provider of the PGA TOUR. For more information, click here

Cap Cana Championship snippets

Fantastic in Florida: Hale Irwin has a combined 65 wins in his PGA TOUR career, including a record 45 titles on the Champions Tour. Irwin has not had a top-10 finish since the end of the '07, but, of his 65 TOUR wins, nine have come in Florida with seven of those coming on the Champions Tour. Past champions: A total of 11 former winners are in this year's Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am. Jim Colbert (1992), Jim Albus (1993), Dave Stockton (1995), Larry Nelson (1999), Bruce Fleisher (2000, 2003) Bob Gilder (2001), Mark McNulty (2004), Hale Irwin (2005) and Jerry Pate (2006) join two-time defending champion Tom Watson in this year's field at the TPC Tampa Bay. High score, still a winner: Tom Watson's winning total of 4-under 209 in 2007 was the highest winning score at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am since 1996 and was the highest in relation to par in a 54-hole Champions Tour event since Dana Quigley won the 2002 Siebel Classic in Silicon Valley with a 4-under total. Watson won last year with a 54-hole total of 9-under 204. Two timers: Four players have won this event twice. Bob Charles became the first when he added a second victory in Tampa in 1991, two years after his initial victory. Jim Albus made it two wins with a one-stroke triumph in 1998, five years after his first win at this event. Bruce Fleisher won the tournament in both 2000 and 2003 and Tom Watson has won it the last two years.