The competition differed from traditional golf tournaments in that the winner is decided not by the lowest stroke-play score or by winning a bracket-style elimination in match play, but by winning wagers bet on each hole in a betting style similar to poker.
[1] After the tee shots, players then check, raise or call bets, or fold and do not play the rest of that hole.
The event gained attention for its novelty, but it was discontinued after 2008 due to financial challenges and lack of widespread interest in the format.
Winner: Mark Ewing, day trader, Newport Beach, California[2] Others in final group: Phil Ivey, professional poker player, Las Vegas; Rhett Butler, professional poker player, Rockville, Maryland; Paul Schuller, electrician, Seattle, Washington; and Ken Tanner, retired railroad conductor, Penrose, Colorado.
Other notable entrants: actress Tanya Roberts; poker players Phil Gordon, Steve Dannenmann,[3] Ken Einiger and Blair Rodman; professional blackjack player/author Max Rubin; former Denver Broncos quarterback Dave Kyle[dubious – discuss]; and former Major League Baseball player Dusty Allen.
Johnson, automobile salesman, Davison, Michigan[5] Others in final group: Allen Cunningham, Erick Lindgren and Dee Tiller, all professional poker players, and Bill Spencer, a semi-retired builder.