Volunteers Needed For 2015 Encompass Championship

The Encompass Championship is seeking volunteers to provide a variety of vital services when the Champions Tour event visits North Shore Country Club in Glenview, July 8-12, for the third consecutive year.

Volunteers will be needed in such roles as crowd control, parking, admissions, scoring, ecology and other player and fan services, according to tournament director Mike Galeski.

“Volunteers are the lifeblood of any golf tournament in that they help assure that the charity beneficiaries of the event receive the highest possible financial contribution,” Galeski said. “We are interested both in people who have volunteered previously at golf tournaments and in those who are just interested in seeing what it might be like. We invite anyone who’s interested to contact us.”

The volunteer force consists of several committees, including Admissions/Will Call, Caddies, Carts, Corporate Hospitality, Leaderboads, Marshals, Player Services, Practice Facilities, Pro-Am Services and Transportation.

Galeski said many volunteers return year after year because they enjoy the friendship and camaraderie that naturally is fostered by being part of a big event.

“We have a volunteer force that is committed to helping us create the best possible tournament experience while at the same time making new friends and renewing old bonds while supporting charity and being part of the great game of golf,” Galeski said.

Anyone who would like more information on volunteering for the Encompass Championship should visit www.encompasschampionship.com and click the Volunteer tab.

Tom Lehman will be the second consecutive major champion to defend his title at the Encompass Championship, July 8-12, at North Shore Country Club in north suburban Glenview.

The 1996 British Open winner followed in the footsteps of former Masters champion Craig Stadler, who won the inaugural Encompass Championship in 2013, also at North Shore.

Lehman, 56, captured the 2014 Encompass title by sinking a 12-foot putt on the final green, giving him his eighth Champions Tour victory and his first since 2012. He finished with a 15-under par 201 total for the 54-hole tournament, one stroke better than runners up Michael Allen and Kirk Triplett.

It was the second year in a row that the championship came down to the winner’s final putt on No. 18. Stadler also made a 12-footer to avoid a playoff.

“The Encompass Championship is looking forward to having Tom Lehman and his fellow golf legends return here this summer to North Shore Country Club to compete for their share of our $1.9 million purse,” said tournament director Mike Galeski. “North Shore is one of Chicago’s great old classic golf courses, and the players, to a man, love it.”

Other players expected to compete are former major champions Fred Couples, Mark Calcavecchia, Steve Elkington, Hale Irwin, Lee Janzen, Tom Kite, Sandy Lyle, Corey Pavin, Nick Price, Jeff Sluman, 2013 Encompass champion Craig Stadler, Bob Tway and Ian Woosnam. Couples, Irwin, Kite, Price and Lyle are members of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

In addition, such Tour stars as Kenny Perry, Peter Jacobsen, John Cook, Loren Roberts, Rocco Mediate, Jay Haas and Fred Funk are scheduled to play. New this year to the Champions Tour is Sweden’s Jesper Parnevik.

The third annual Encompass Championship at North Shore is part of the PGA TOUR’s Champions Tour schedule for players age 50 and older.

Celebrities will team up with the pros on Friday and Saturday of the 54-hole event. Retired Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher will participate in the tournament for the third consecutive year. Former Blackhawk and NBC hockey analyst Jeremy Roenick has committed to play in the event this year for the first time. And the captain of the historic “Miracle on Ice” 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey gold medal winning team, Mike Eruzione, will be playing this year.

Tournament proceeds will benefit the following charities: the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund, the First Tee of Greater Chicago, Junior Achievement of Chicago and JDRF Illinois Chapter.

Daily grounds tickets for the Encompass Championship are available for $20 in advance or $25 at the gate. Corporate hospitality, on-site sponsorships and pro-am spots also are available. Interested parties may visit the tournament website at www.encompasschampionship.com.

For more information on the event please call the tournament office at 847-901-9228.

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