Great Grand Champions to play four events in 2011

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The Great Grand Champions gathered at the 2010 Ensure Classic at Rock Barn included players with 187 combined PGA TOUR wins.

Many of golf's all-time greats gathered at the 2010 Ensure Classic at Rock Barn in Conover, N.C., for the annual Great Grand Champions Pro-Am. However, the 18-hole competition, one of four gatherings scheduled during the year, was reduced to a nine-hole event due to inclement weather.

The weather didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the players and golf fans who attended the breakfast at the course on the morning of Sept. 28. Once again former Masters champion Bob Goalby served as the emcee for the affair and regaled the crowd with player introductions, stories and anecdotes.

The Great Grand Champions pro-am field at Rock Barn included players with 187 total combined wins on the PGA TOUR as well as 77 on the Champions Tour. The field also included World Golf Hall of Fame members Billy Casper, Charlie Sifford, Gene Littler as well as one of the inductees of the Class of 2011, Doug Ford.

"These guys really are the history of professional golf in the United States," executive tournament director Jim Correll said. "Where else can you pay $15 to hear true living legends talk about the game we love to watch that they love to play? It was unfortunate that weather disrupted this year's tournament, but it's always enjoyable to have these former greats on site. This event is one of the best-kept secrets in golf today and we hope we'll have them back again in the future."

The Great Grand Champions will assemble again next year at Rock Barn (June 6-12). They will also appear during the Regions Tradition at Shoal Creek (May 2-8), near Birmingham, Ala., the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship (Aug. 15-21) at Westchester CC, N.Y., and the Charles Schwab Cup Championship (Oct. 31-Nov. 6) at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, Calif.