The Celebrity Challenge is a unique fundraising event that places celebrities in the heat of the action during the second round of competition at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic. Celebrities will compete against each other on the same course the pros play.

In 2017 this exciting competition will feature Hall of Fame pitchers and Atlanta Braves legends, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine joined by NFL great Warrick Dunn.

John Smoltz was a workhorse power pitcher whose 21-year big league baseball career included 213 wins, 3,084 strikeouts and the 1996 National League Cy Young Award. Smoltz pitched for the Atlanta Braves from 1988 to 2008 and was the only Braves pitcher to be part of the franchise’s historic run of 14 consecutive division titles from 1991 to 2005. The eight-time All-Star was known for pitching his best in big games. In five World Series, including the 1995 triumph over the Indians, Smoltz started eight games, finishing with a 2-2 record and a 2.47 ERA. Overall he appeared in 41 post season games, compiling a 15-4 record, a 2.67 ERA and a record 199 strikeouts. The right-handed hurler was the first player in big league history with 200 career wins and 150 career saves. Smoltz was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.

Tom Glavine is one of only four left-handed major league pitchers with at least 305 victories. During his 20-year big league baseball career he recorded 2,607 strikeouts, overwhelming opponents with control and determination rather than speed. Glavine was an Atlanta Brave from 1987 to 2002, and then again in 2008 after a brief stretch with the New York Mets. He was named an All-Star on 10 occasions and won the National League Cy Young Award in 1991 and 1996. In 1995 Glavine was the World Series MVP after a 2-0 record with a 1.29 ERA in the Braves victory over the Indians. The lefty was the winningest active pitcher in the major leagues in 2009 when injury forced his retirement. Glavine was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.

Warrick Dunn played 12 seasons in the NFL from 1997 to 2008 as a running back for the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He earned three Pro Bowl selections during his career and was the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1997. In college, Dunn was a three-time all-ACC selection at Florida State, where he rushed for more than 1,000 yards in three straight seasons and helped lead the Seminoles to a National Championship in 1993. Today, Dunn has a minority stake in the ownership group of the Atlanta Falcons.

In addition to playing for bragging rights and a donation to a local charity, the celebrities will be vying for the Cooper Cup trophy. The Cooper Cup was created in memory of Cooper O’Brien. Cooper, who lost his battle with cancer on July 5, 2014 when he was just 14-years-old, won the 2014 Celebrity Challenge with Former Georgia Bulldog and NFL star Kevin Butler.

The 2017 Mitsubishi Electric Classic is April 10-16, 2017 at TPC Sugarloaf. The public may visit www.MitsubishiElectricClassic.com to purchase tickets. Kids 16 and under can attend for free with a ticketed adult. Daily tickets start at just $20.

About the Mitsubishi Electric Classic

The Mitsubishi Electric Classic is an official event on the PGA TOUR Champions scheduled for April 10-16, 2017. This 54-hole stroke play golf tournament features 78 PGA TOUR Champions professionals competing for a $1.8 million purse at the prestigious TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Georgia. The event, which will benefit local charities through the Gwinnett Championship Foundation, Inc., has raised more than $1 million since its first tournament in 2013. All three official rounds will be internationally televised on the Golf Channel. For more information, visit www.MitsubishiElectricClassic.com.

Media Director

Tom Sprouse

Media Director

614-889-6791

tsprouse@hnssportscom