Former Chicago Bears All-Pro linebacker Brian Urlacher and former All-Star New York Yankees and Houston Astros pitcher Roger Clemens ran away from the 19-team field on Sunday to win the 13th Annual Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational (MJCI) hosted by Aria.
The winning duo won by four strokes, taking home the title with a score of nine-under 135, beating the second-place team of NFL Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson and MJCI defending champion and MLB Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith. The tournament was held at Shadow Creek for the fourth consecutive year and raised more than $500,000 for charity.
Urlacher and Clemens, who each took home $20,000 for their designated charities, followed up their first-round score of seven-under 65 with a two-under 70 on day two. They were able to break a first-round tie with Dickerson and Smith with a stretch of three birdies in four holes and coasted to a victory. Dickerson/Smith hit a rough patch in the middle of their second round resulting in a couple of bogies.
Defending champion Vince Coleman, Smith’s partner in 2013, was teamed with NBA Hall of Fame legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving for this year’s event and they finished in seventh place with a two-day score of one-over 145. Fan favorite, NBA legend and tournament host Michael Jordan teamed up with NFL Super Bowl champion and “sack master” Dwight Freeney for the second straight year and finished in a tie for third at four-under 140.
When asked about the tournament and their winning results, Clemens said, “Michael Jordan, Aria and Shadow Creek put on a great event every year and that’s why you see the firepower we had on the course this week. Urlacher played like a champ and I was fortunate to have him as my partner.”
Urlacher followed his partner’s comments with, “Roger has an incredible drive and we played really well together. As a sports fan myself, it was incredible to meet and play with (Ozzie) Smith and (Eric) Dickerson who were two of my idols growing up.”
Since its inception in 2001, MJCI has raised nearly $7 million for charities including this year’s beneficiaries Make-A-Wish, James R. Jordan Foundation, Keep Memory Alive, Opportunity Village and Cats Care, the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats’ charity arm.
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