LPGA Superstar Annika Sorenstam Launches Links Championship Edition At the Finals of the Links Virtual Golf Association Tour
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PR Newswire - USA; Nov 21, 2001
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., Nov. 21 /PRNewswire/
-- Deep inside the halls of the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine,
Paul Willey of Bangor, Maine, defeated Bill Crouch of Thorntown, Ind.,
in a thrilling final match and took home the championship of the 2001 "Links(R)"
Virtual Golf Association (VGA) Tour. Willey was presented the $50,000 grand-prize
check and winning trophy by Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA)
superstar Annika Sorenstam. The Links VGA Tour Finals marked the launch
of the "Links" Championship Edition, the latest installment of Microsoft
Corp.'s best-selling PC golf franchise.
The "Links" VGA Tour gives PC golfers
the opportunity to compete in one of the world's largest sporting events
on the Internet. More than 22,000 PC golfers from more than 10 countries,
including the United States, Japan, Australia, Sweden and the United Kingdom,
played the tour's three-tournament season at the Microsoft(R) online gaming
site, http://www.zone.com/ . Modeled
after the professional golf tours, the "Links" VGA Tour offers intense
competition, ultrarealistic courses, title sponsors and cash prizes.
"Playing the Links Virtual Golf Association
Tour, much like the LPGA Tour, requires hard work and dedication," Sorenstam
said. "The intensity of the final round was similar to the real competition
of a major golf tournament on a Sunday. I am proud to have had the opportunity
to host this tournament and crown the world's best 'Links' PC golfer."
The final 18 holes of the "Links"
VGA Tour were played, virtually speaking, at the Oakmont Country Club in
Pennsylvania. The match was won by a score of 5 and 3, in a grueling final
round in match-play format. Highlights, including the winning putt of the
2001 "Links" VGA Tour, will be available for viewing at http://www.linkscountryclub.com/
beginning Tuesday, Nov. 27. About the Finalists Paul Willey
As a boy, Paul Willey caddied for
his father. Although his family, including his sister, a teaching pro,
played golf, Willey never took up the game. After learning to play golf
on his personal computer, he finally tried "real golf" in 1997. Today he
carries a 20 handicap and hits 200-yard drives, although swinging his club
often causes him to cry out in pain due to multiple sclerosis. Willey,
who plays PC golf in his lucky bathrobe, gets just as much satisfaction
out of a half-hour round of cybergolf as he does real golf. Willey is the
defending champion of the VGA Tour and is known throughout the PC golf
community as the "Tiger Woods of Online Golf."
Bill Crouch
A car accident cut short Crouch's
promising baseball career when he was a senior in high school. He quit
baseball to start a family in Thorntown. Crouch, a natural athlete, began
playing golf when he was 25 years old. The former third baseman picked
up a club for the first time and eagled a par five. He picked up his first
"Links" game in 1998, and has been steadily improving his game and standing
in the Links community, culminating with the trip to the "Links" VGA Tour
Finals at the World Golf Hall of Fame. A father of two, Crouch worked at
a local printing company for 12 years and recently started his own printing
business.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq:
MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies
for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of
products and services designed to empower people through great software
-- any time, any place and on any device.
NOTE:
Microsoft and Links are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or
other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein
may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
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World Reporter