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Lehi, UT - Tournament host and course designer Johnny Miller and son Andy shot a tournament record 18-under par to win the ninth annual Nokia Champions Challenge at Thanksgiving Point Golf Club today.
"It's always special to win with your son, but to not choke in front of Jack (Nicklaus) is a treat, too," joked Miller while addressing the crowd during the prize-giving ceremony.
"We were totally unconscious hitting 18-under today," Miller said. "I can honestly say we made some nice putts, but no chip-ins or crazy shots. Three eagles on the day definitely helped."
The victory was the NBC analyst and Hall of Famer's first at this premier event. Miller and son bested a field representing more than 500 professional tournament victories that included some of the biggest names in the sport.
One of those iconic names was Annika Sorenstam who played with sister Charlotta. Earlier in the day, the pair posted a tournament record score of 15-under par on a Thanksgiving Point course that was playing to par 71 on the day. That particular record was short-lived, however, as the Millers played white-hot all day to capture the title and the $100,000 winner's share of the $575,000 prize purse.
For the Sorenstams, the disappointment of coming up short was tempered by the opportunity the Nokia Champions Challenge provided them to play together over the past two days.
"I'm very happy to have been able to participate in this event," said Annika. "For us, it's very special to play together, we don't get a chance to do that very often. We really compliment each other, and we had a great score today."
The Sorenstam pair had one of the largest galleries during the entire two day event that included countless women and young girls. The significance of the large number of females in the crowd wasn't lost on Sorenstam either.
"We appreciated the tremendous support and it was great to see how popular golf is here, and encouraging to see lots of women and girls," said Annika.
Conditions at Thanksgiving Point were again near perfect with temperatures in the mid-80s.
The 9th Annual Nokia Champions Challenge final results are as follows:
Johnny & Andy Miller - 53
Annika & Charlotta Sorenstam - 56
Camilo Villegas & Oscar Alvarez - 57
Mike Weir & Dean Wilson - 58
Scott & Todd Miller - 58
Craig & Chris Stadler - 59
Scott Simpson & Vince Gill - 60
Hale & Steve Irwin - 60
Gary & Wayne Player - 61
Dave Stockton & Dave Stockton Jr. - 62
Jack & Mike Nicklaus - 62
Jason Zuback & Bobby Wilson - 63
Jack Nicklaus II & Ian Baker-Finch - 64
Billy & Bobby Casper - 66
Mackenzie Kline & Rachel Newren - 66
John Miller Jr. & Dan Tyminski - 72
Proceeds from the two-day event benefited the Children's Miracle Network (CMN), an organization that helps raise funds for 170 children's hospitals across North America.
