April 19, 2017
Auburn Head Coach Gus Malzahn and former Auburn place kicker Al Del Greco will represent the Tigers in the 11th annual Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament. The duo will compete for a share of a $630,000 total purse, and the team's winnings will be split between an endowed scholarship at Auburn University and A Level Up, Inc.
A Level Up, Inc. was founded to inspire hope and change lives by motivating people to move 'a level up' from a position of hopelessness to reach for their dreams and a positive destiny. The organization is designed with the strategic focus of enhancing the quality of life for individuals by engaging, equipping and empowering them to achieve their full potential to be the best that they can be, not just in spite of their circumstances, but because of and through their circumstances.
The nation's premier head coach and celebrity golf event will be held April 30 to May 3 at Reynolds Lake Oconee outside of Atlanta. Proceeds from the event benefit endowed scholarships at the participating universities and charitable foundations selected by the coaches. Since its creation in 2007, the event has contributed a total of $6 million in scholarship and charity, helping make the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl college football's most charitable bowl game.
The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Challenge main event features pairings that include a university head coach and a former athlete from the same school competing in a scramble format against other university teams from around the country. The event will be broadcast on ESPN in August and December. Specific dates will be announced this summer.
The field of competitors is scheduled to include two former winning teams including last year's winning duo of Hugh Freeze and Wesley Walls of Ole Miss, as well as the four-time winning pair of Paul Johnson and Jon Barry of Georgia Tech (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015). The field includes two Heisman Trophy winners, six Dodd Trophy winners, and four new teams including Baylor, Florida and TCU. Representing the first-ever College Football Playoff (CFP) team will be former coaches and current CFP Selection Committee members Frank Beamer and Bobby Johnson.