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Nicklaus, Sorenstam Help United Way Raise $250,000
POLAND, Ohio -- Jack Nicklaus and Annika Sorenstam are accustomed to setting records, and Wednesday evening was no exception as two of the greatest golfers of all time helped the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley raise $250,000 to fund children's and charitable programs.
The two golfing legends appeared on behalf of the United Way at The Lake Club during the most successful single fundraising event in the organization's history, hosted by club owners Ed and Chris Muransky, and the club's director of golf, Jerry McGee.
"Golf has become about charity," Nicklaus said during a press conference before the evening's festivities kicked off. "The PGA Tour itself raises more money each year than all other major sports combined."
Nicklaus and Sorenstam have a shared connection to The Lake Club in Jerry McGee. McGee played with Nicklaus as part of the 1977 Ryder Cup team, and Sorenstam is married to McGee's son, Mike.
While Sorenstam said the Mahoning Valley has become a sort of "second home" because of periodic trips to visit her in-laws, it was Nicklaus' first time back in the Youngstown area since he played in the 1958 Ohio Amateur Tournament at Tippecanoe Country Club.
"Today, we're coming here for good reasons, to raise some money for good causes," Sorenstam said.
More than 520 attended the event Wednesday evening, which included a who's who of the Valley's community and business leaders. Among those present was Jim Tressel, the former football coach who is in the running to become the next president of Youngstown State University and the University of Akron.
At the press event, both golfers reflected on their very successful careers. Nicklaus has won 18 major tournaments, more than any other PGA golfer. Sorenstam won 10 majors on the LPGA Tour before retiring in 2008.
The one golfer who has come the closest to touching Nicklaus' record is Tiger Woods, who has won 14 majors to date. Nicklaus believes Woods, who missed this year's Masters Tournament and will probably miss the 2014 U.S. Open because of back surgery, is likely to eventually win more than his 18 majors.
"If he gets his health back, he could probably golf until his late 40s on the tour, maybe beyond that," Nicklaus says. "That's about 40 majors, and he's quite capable of winning five of those, that's what I think."
Nicklaus said he was lucky enough throughout his career to remain mostly injury-free, and the one single obstacle preventing Woods from breaking his record is health. "He's certainly got the talent. He's certainly got the desire."
And, there's more talent on the field today than at any other time in the history of the sport, Nicklaus observes, making it more difficult for a single golfer to win multiple tournaments throughout the year.
"There's such a large talent pool today, the opportunity to win is so seldom -- maybe two or three times a year if you're not an exceptional player like Tiger," Nicklaus said. The reach of golf is also much wider today, and has become more of an international sport.
It wasn't unusual for Nicklaus to win seven- to nine tournaments in a year, while Sorenstam reports she won as many as 13 in a single season. "Winning breeds winning," Nicklaus says. "When you win 11 tournaments, or 13 tournaments, or eight or nine tournaments, you get used to winning and you believe you can win."
Sorenstam said women's golf has more depth today than ever, and like the PGA, the LPGA has drawn athletes from all over the world. "It's a global game as well, and I think it's going to continue to be that," she says, citing players from South Korea, China, and the game now endorsed as an Olympic sport.
Technology is also helping players hit a little further, both players note.
The biggest change in the sport, Nicklaus insists, isn't the sophisticated engineering and materials used in golf clubs, but rather the altered dynamics of today's golf ball. For example, the average distance increased by modifications made to the golf ball between the 1935 and 1995 was maybe seven yards.
"The golf ball from '95 to 2005 increased about 50 yards," he says. "That's the biggest change."
Nicklaus and Sorenstam then paused for a meet-and-greet session with select guests before dinner, and ended the evening with a question-and-answer period with United Way President Bob Hannon and members of the audience.
Lake Club owner Ed Muransky also conducted an auction that raised nearly $80,000 on top of the $175,000 brought in by paying guests. Among the items auctioned were a San Francisco 49ers "road trip" donated by team owners John York and Denise DeBartolo-York that sold for $7,000, chairs signed by Nicklaus and Sorenstam that went for $4,000 for one pair and $3,000 for the other, and a Cleveland Indians package that was auctioned for $4,500.
Hannon said what speaks to the caliber and integrity of the two golf legends is that they agreed to do the event at no charge. "They didn't ask for a penny to come in," he says. "They're really involved in kids' charities. They wanted to make sure we were involved in kids' charities, which we are," he says. "The money raised tonight is going to help people in need in our community."
The money would go toward the United Way's general campaign, Hannon says.
"Jack Nicklaus and Annika Sorenstam -- it just doesn't get any better," Hannon says. "We're truly blessed."
Copyright 2014 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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