Atlanta teen, the Next Tiger Woods, gets dream shot to compete against the world’s best female golfers
MARIAH STACKHOUSE, GEORGIA WOMEN’S AMATEUR CHAMPION, TO PLAY AGAINST TOP LPGA PLAYERS AT THE MOJO 6 TOURNAMENT IN JAMAICA
Atlanta teen golf prodigy, Mariah Stackhouse, can now say sometimes dreams do come true. The 15-year-old golf phenom was surprised today by her favorite golfer, top LPGA player, Christina Kim, who showed up at her North Clayton High School to personally invite her to compete in the first-ever Mojo 6 (www.themojo6.com), a unique golf tournament being held in Jamaica, April 15-16, 2010. Stackhouse, believed to be the youngest player ever to win the Georgia Women’s Amateur Championship in its 80-year history, will compete against the world’s leading female golfers, including Christina Kim, Suzann Pettersen and Paula Creamer.
Stackhouse, who has been playing golf since she was two, has already been compared by many familiar with the game as being the “next Tiger Woods.” Stackhouse also was the 2007 Atlanta Junior Golf Grand Champion and won the 2007 Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) Girls Championship; and two years ago, scored a 65 in a Southeastern Junior Tour event.
“I’m thrilled to surprise Mariah with the invitation to compete against the world’s best female golfers at The Mojo 6,” said Christina Kim. “The Mojo 6 is poised to start a new era in golf. It was already exciting to participate because of the new format being unveiled. Now, with the addition of Mariah, it’ll truly be a special event. She’s already quite a golfing talent, and is a fantastic representative of the future of women’s golf. I’m sure she has a long career ahead of her, and I can’t wait to see her in action at The Mojo 6.”
Creators of The Mojo 6, Joy Stephenson & Olympic champion Ed Moses offered Stackhouse one of the tournaments highly coveted sixteen (16) spots, stating “When we launched Mojo last year, we wanted it to be about more than creating compelling content, we wanted to create a platform to inspire people to reach for their dreams, and help others do the same. Inviting Mariah to join The Mojo 6 is certainly part of that mission, and we can’t wait to see her play Raceway Golf.”
Stackhouse and 15 top LPGA golfers will be the first to play Raceway Golf (TM) airing on CBS on May 1st and 2nd. Raceway Golf is a new, innovative golf format introduced by Mojo designed to draw out the competitive personalities of LPGA pros through intense showdowns. At The Mojo 6 this spring, the participants will battle Raceway Golf style as they try to knock each other out of the running for the $1 million purse. (*note: Ms. Stackhouse’s winnings, as an amateur, will be donated to charity).
“It’s an honor for Mariah to be invited to compete against some of the world’s top female golfers,” said Ken Stackhouse, Ms. Stackhouse’s father and primary coach. “When the Mojo team contacted us with this idea, the hardest part was not to tell Mariah before the surprise! We just always tell her to do the best she can, and we’re looking forward to going to Jamaica this spring to give Mariah the opportunity to play with the sport’s best athletes.”
Played over two days, this LPGA sanctioned tournament pits 16 players against each other to battle out a series of six-hole matches to crown a winner. “Mojo is working closely with the government of Jamaica, through its Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture, and Ministry of Tourism, as well as with the LPGA, to make Raceway Golf exciting for the golfing world as well as those who may not have watched golf in the past,” noted Mojo co-founder and president, Joy Stephenson.
Mojo will package The Mojo 6 in Jamaica for broadcast with additional original content that is not typically aired in conjunction with a professional sporting event. Additional coverage is set to include in-depth interviews with players highlighting what it takes to be among the world’s best female athletes, performances by some of Jamaica’s and the Caribbean’s best-known entertainers, and exclusive “behind the scenes” footage of what it takes to stage an international golf event.
As with all Mojo Marketing & Media properties, The Mojo 6 in Jamaica, and all future The Mojo 6 tournaments, will include activities designed to increase awareness about the importance of charitable giving. Since no two markets are identical, this element of each The Mojo 6 tournament will reflect the unique character, needs and opportunities for charity involvement of its host market.
Additional footage and information about The Mojo 6 is available at www.themojo6.com including a roundtable discussion about the event featuring Paula Creamer, Christina Kim and Suzann Pettersen.
Gillette EA SPORTS Champions of Gaming tournament on Xbox 360
Gamers from around the globe are expected to enter this year’s tournament with the ultimate chance to take on some of the world’s greatest sports superstars
Gillette [PG] and EA SPORTS(TM), a label of Electronic Arts Inc., announced the Second Annual “Gillette – EA SPORTS Champions of Gaming Tournament on Xbox 360,” the world’s largest multi-sport online gaming competition that pits gamers from around the globe against each other, and ultimately for the winners, against some of the biggest names in the world of sports, including Gillette Champion Tiger Woods.
The Tournament, which attracted more than 350,000 gamers last year, begins on November 18, 2009 and runs through February 14, 2010. Gamers will be able to compete against other gamers on Xbox LIVE, the world’s premier online gaming and entertainment service, within their geographical region on several EA SPORTS titles including – Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 10, EA SPORTS(TM) FIFA Soccer 10, Madden NFL 10, NHL® 10 and Fight Night Round 4. Winners on each title will have the chance to be crowned a Gillette – EA SPORTS Champion of Gaming at the Final Event in March 2010. At the Tournament Finals, Gillette Champion Tiger Woods, as well as other sports superstars*, are scheduled to take on one of the five Gillette – EA SPORTS Champions of Gaming participants in an EA SPORTS title — with the winner claiming ultimate bragging rights.
“Last year, our match came down to the final shot. I’ve been practicing and I am ready to take another crack at this year’s best player,” said Tiger Woods.
The Champions of Gaming Tournament is a global skill-based tournament in which participants compete against other players on the online Xbox LIVE gaming platform to determine winners. The global tournament will consist of one (1) nine (9) part qualification round and one (1) knockout round in three regions — North America; Europe and Asia-Pacific. The regional champions of each title will then face-off against each other and compete for the opportunity to play against the sports superstars at the global final event.
“We’re excited to once again provide gamers from around the world the opportunity to face off on some of our most popular EA SPORTS games through the Champions of Gaming Tournament on Xbox LIVE,” said Peter Moore, President, EA SPORTS. “What continues to make this tournament truly stand out from other gaming tournaments is the extraordinary chance to compete face-to-face against Tiger Woods and other sports superstars.”
“Last year, we created the world’s largest multi-sport gaming tournament and this year, we are looking to make it even bigger,” said Peter Clay, Vice President, Gillette Grooming. “We expect even more participants as the gamers play for the ultimate prize – a one-on-one match against some of the top names in sports.”
To compete in the Gillette – EA SPORTS Champions of Gaming Tournament, gamers must have the following:
– a valid e-mail address
– access to a Microsoft Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system
– the EA SPORTS video game in which the player is competing (see titles above)
– a valid EA SPORTS account in good standing
– a valid Xbox LIVE Gold Member account
– a valid Windows Live ID with their Xbox LIVE Gamertag linked
All players must be in good standing on xbox.com and the Xbox LIVE online service. To obtain an Xbox LIVE account, Windows Live ID or Xbox LIVE Gamertag, access www.xbox.com and follow the applicable instructions. To obtain an EA Account, access www.ea.com and follow the applicable instructions.
For complete details on how to enter and full tournament rules visit www.easports.com/gillette or www.gillette.com/easports2010.
Source: Gillette
Athlete: The Sports Illustrated photography of Walter Iooss opens Oct. 9 at the Newseum
See some of the greatest names in sports as you’ve never seen them before in “Athlete,” a new Newseum exhibit featuring highlights from the career of legendary Sports Illustrated photographer Walter Iooss Jr. For this exclusive exhibit, Iooss selected more than 40 photos that represent his favorite moments from nearly 50 years as a sports photographer.
From classic images of superstars such as Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Serena Williams and Michael Phelps to photos of children playing soccer and stickball, Iooss’s work reflects a lifetime of documenting the impulse that connects all athletes: a pure love of the sport. His photos have appeared on more than 300 Sports Illustrated covers — the most by any photographer.
“‘Athlete’ truly captures the passion and personalities of sports worldwide, and these powerful images are amplified by Walter Iooss’s own words,” said Ken Paulson, president of the Newseum.
Iooss’s descriptions of his photographs provide an insider’s look at some of the legends of the sports world. He talks about his relationship with his favorite athlete, Michael Jordan, and recalls the emotional day he photographed his boyhood hero, Johnny Unitas, whose hand was so damaged by football that he couldn’t hold a cup of coffee.
Also on display in “Athlete” are Iooss’s personal diaries, filled with collages of his photos, quirky headlines and his handwritten notes. The exhibit includes an original Newseum-produced video in which the photographer talks about his photos and the bonds he forged with his subjects.
Iooss (pronounced “yose,” as in “dose”) has been called the “photo laureate of American sports.” He started photographing sports events at age 16, when his father gave him a camera. Two years later, his photos appeared in Sports Illustrated for the first time.
Many of the photos in “Athlete: The Sports Illustrated Photography of Walter Iooss” were published in Iooss’s 2008 book, “Athlete.” The Newseum exhibit includes Iooss’s most famous photograph, “The Catch,” which captured the last-minute touchdown catch by San Francisco 49ers’ receiver Dwight Clark that ended the Dallas Cowboys’ Super Bowl dreams in 1982.
“Athlete” will be on display at the Newseum from Oct. 9 through Dec. 31, 2009.
Source: Newseum