PGA tour's NTO invites military to tournament with complimentary tickets

  • Published
  • By By 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The Professional Golf Association's Northern Trust Open golf tournament is hosting Military Appreciation Week at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., Feb. 14 through Feb. 19, with Military Appreciation Day taking place Feb. 18.

All active duty, retired, guard and Reserve servicemembers and their dependents are invited to attend the tournament and receive free access to the grounds with complimentary food and beverages at the Birdies for the Brave Patriots' Outpost hospitality tent located on the 10th green.

For any day of play, military members with a valid military ID can obtain complimentary tickets at the front gate of the tournament. Or they can order tickets for any day of by visiting www.birdiesforthebrave.org and clicking on the "Ticketing" tab. Tickets for Saturday and Sunday play can be picked up from the Muroc Lake Golf Course at Edwards Air Force Base or the 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs Office. There are a limited number of tickets available on base.

Edwards civilians are invited to take advantage of a buy-one, get-one-free offer through Ticketmaster by entering the special offer code EDWARDSAFB1. Each ticket purchased is valid for one day only.

Complimentary parking and shuttles to the course will be available from the Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System parking lot located at 11301 Wilshire Blvd., off Wilshire Boulevard and the 405 Freeway.

Several members of Team Edwards took advantage of last year's offer and attended the tournament.

"It's a great experience and I had a lot of fun," said Senior Airman Trevor Taylor, 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron, of last year's event. "It was awesome to walk a course like this, which is famous for the difficult holes."

Although grounds are open to the public on all six days, practice rounds will take place on Feb. 14 and Feb. 15, while tournament play runs from Feb. 16 through Feb. 19.

The Patriot's Outpost is an outreach program established through the Birdies for the Brave foundation. It was established in 2005 when Phil Mickelson and his wife began donating $100 for every birdie and $500 for every eagle to servicemembers wounded in combat, but now encompasses a variety of outreach efforts, including the Patriot's Outpost for PGA tournaments, such as the Northern Trust Open.

The NTO, which began in 1926, is the fourth longest-running PGA Tour event. Although it's been played on several courses throughout the Los Angeles area, in 1973 the tournament found its permanent home at the Riviera Country Club.

For more information, please contact the Public Affairs Office at 661-277-3510.