Golf Digest Challenges John Atkinson

Amateur John Atkinson and celebrities Tony Romo, Matt Lauer and Justin Timberlake were challenged by Torrey Pines golf course today as part of the celebrity event during the US Open.

Tiger Woods has said of the course that a single digit handicapper would not break 100. Naturally that sent a challenge out to everyone who thought they could. Golf Digest got 56,00 applicants for their amateur challenge event this morning.

How well do you think you play? At least in golf as opposed to many professional sports, ordinary folks can in fact test their skills on the real course that pros play on and compare their scores. Try that with tennis, football, motor racing.

For the Golf Digest competition, 3 celebrities and one low handicap amateur were selected for a play off.

John Atkinson, 39, father of three, fighting inoperable lung cancer, with a 5 percent chance of surviving 5 years, was selected.

Atkinson has an 8 handicap. Tiger Woods proved to be right in the end. John Atkinson shot 43 over par for 114.

Matt Lauer (handicap 6.2) shot 100, Timberlake (6) a 98, and Romo (2.2) an 84.

"It was the best 114 I ever shot," John Atkinson said. "I had a good time, and that’s really what golf is about."

Omaha Golfer Hits U.S. Open Links

Omaha golfer John Atkinson has been featured before on Channel 6 News. He won a Golf Digest contest to play a round at the San Diego course hosting this weekend's U.S. Open.

A story several weeks ago showed Atkinson hitting practice shots into a cornfield behind his house. He had a good reason to be muscling shots out of the tall grass as he prepared for the round of a lifetime.

John was one of more than 50,000 people to enter the Golf Digest contest and he won. Part of his goal is to bring awareness to non-smoker inoperable lung cancer. John was diagnosed with the disease just over a year ago.

He played Torrey Pines 10 days ago and the round was broadcast Sunday on NBC. His playing partners were Matt Lauer of the NBC Today Show, Dallas quarterback Tony Romo and singer Justin Timberlake.

What was it like playing before such a crowd? "You know the first four holes I went bogey, bogey and then it got away from me, but I enjoyed it," says Atkinson.

"The whole time has been unbelievable. The amount of support of friends and family, people I don't even know. It's been more support than one man deserves.”

John had a crowd of friends and family watching the broadcast Sunday at Indigo Joe’s in Omaha. On the announcing crew were Johnny Miller and Dan Hicks. John was also invited by Matt Lauer to join him on the Today Show Monday morning.

John was not sure exactly when the segment will air, but he will be on Monday morning. Romo invited John to come down and be his guest for a Dallas Cowboys game this fall and Justin Timberlake also promised keep in touch.

Atkinson’s brother Kevin surprised him by taking his bag at the final hole. "I turned around and waited for Dr. Bob Rotella to pick up my bag and no one had my bag and then Kevin comes and grabs the bag. It was pretty emotional, it was a tearjerker."

A friend is producing a documentary about John's experience with lung cancer to help educate others.

“Golf is a great game and it's also helping me spread the word about lung cancer awareness, so in the end it's all good."

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