Viking Classic

Culinary Entertainment Continues Despite Weather Conditions

2009-10-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

Despite the fact rain forced the further postponement of round one play, there was still entertainment to be found at the Viking Classic as culinary talent was on display Friday. The day began with a Viking Cooking School session in the morning, followed by demonstrations by Chef Nathan Lippy in the afternoon. Lippy, host of "Food, Drinks, and Rock 'n Roll," intertwines his passion for food and music to create an experience that goes beyond just pleasing the palate.

For a photo gallery from Friday's festivities, check our page on Facebook.

Although first round play is currently suspended until at least Sunday, cooking demonstrations will continue as scheduled, including appearances by Food Network star Tyler Florence at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday.

News Roundup

Andrea Hall of the Greenwood Commonwealth has a story on Ladies' Day festivities from Thursday at the Viking Classic: click here for link

Thursday: Play Postponed but Plenty of Action at Viking Classic

2009-10-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

Although first round play was postponed Thursday due to weather and course conditions, there was still plenty of activity at the Viking Classic with Ladies' Day, the BankPlus Cafe & Expo, cooking demonstrations in the Viking Culinary Tent, and more.

Festivities in the culinary tent began with a Viking Cooking School demonstration at 11 a.m. themed "Mastering French Cuisine" inspired by the hit movie Julie & Julia. Activities continued at 1 p.m. as Chef Chris Wilson of Emeril's in New Orleans and Chef Lee Richardson of the Capital Hotel in Little Rock squared off in a pro-am style culinary competition. Three members of the audience were selected to be guest judges for the contest, in which each chef teamed with an amateur to compose his best version of shrimp and grits. Below is a description of the two dishes from guest judge Marshall Welch:

When you live in the South, there are a few things that you just can’t turn down - a friendly handshake, a kind smile, and a plate of warm food. As a southern gentleman, I would be beside myself not to accept a plate of shrimp and grits…or, in this case, two. Such was the case as I was chosen to be a judge in the afternoon chef’s cook-off. The two chefs, Chris Wilson and Lee Richardson, challenged each other to the dish once only know in South Carolina as a breakfast food for fishermen. Both culinary artists have roots in two of Emeril Lagasse’s many Louisana based restaurants, Lee at Nola and Chris in Emeril’s. With a few whirls of the wisks, some learning of the brand new induction cook-tops, and a few well placed comments to rib each other, I found myself staring at two completely different versions of a meal I myself have cooked many a time.

Chris presented his first: a complex journey of classic grits with white cheddar, a butter and citrus sauce (lots of butter) along with shrimp glazed with a from-scratch bbq sauce tossed with cremini mushrooms and bacon. This dish was an amazing mix of so many flavors creating a rich creamy taste pattern that is nothing like I’ve had before. The citrus butter sauce combined with the tang of the bbq glazed shrimp complemented each other very nicely and the cheese and grits added a creaminess that solidified the dish and satisfied the palette.

Lee’s approach was much different. He used rice instead of grits, ground in a beautiful Viking spice mill, and chose to sauté his vegetables in a shrimp stock utilizing the shells of the peeled shrimp and some Cajun spices for even more flavor. The result was a lighter dish with a more New Orleans-esque feel to it that really hit home for me. Growing up, I spent school holidays in Louisiana cooking and eating with family friends, adding a few more flavors to my personal comfort foods menu- Lee’s dish and its New Orleans flavor would fit just nicely on that menu.

So which dish was the best? Well, the competition officially ended in a draw. Both were incredible and deserve their due praise, but if you really must know the outcome, you can try making them yourself. The recipes for both dishes will be posted on the Viking Classic website. Good luck and remember when making these dishes to "laissez les bon temps roulez!"

For a complete photo gallery from Thursday events, visit our Facebook page.

More Food and Festivities Ahead for Friday

In addition to the scheduled tee off for round one, Friday will feature demonstrations by "Rock 'n Roll" Chef Nathan Lippy at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. in the Viking Culinary Tent.

Friday is also Military Day at the Viking Classic, as admission is free for for all active, reserve, and veteran personnel as well as spouses and children who hold a U.S. Military ID.

First round tee off is currently scheduled for 7:20 a.m. on Friday. For tournament and leaderboard updates, visit: http://www.pgatour.com/r/leaderboard/

Early Commitments & Ticket Packages

2009-09-09T15:33:00.000-07:00

Commitments
Early commitments for the Viking Classic: Heath Slocum, Rocco Mediate, David Toms, Chris DiMarco, Brad Faxon, Mark Calcavecchia, Brian Gay, Bill Haas, Steve Elkington...just to name a few. Having a stand alone date is going to be very big this year as our field continues to grow.

Ticket Packages
Buy your “Hit the Fairways” Package today and make Tournament Director Randy Watkins race Usain Bolt!! Randy will race against Usain Bolt's time if we sell 500 of these packages. Listen to Chuck and Doug in the mornings on The Score 620 to get all the details. Go to our website at www.vikingclassic.com to purchase your package now!

New Commitments

2009-06-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

Viking Classic update…New commitments this week as Randy visited the St. Jude Classic in Memphis. David Toms, John Daly, David Duval and Rich Beem gave me the thumbs up and are coming to Annandale in October! That’s 4 major championships already, stay tuned for more!! This year will be our best ever!!

Viking Classic and Century Club Charities, Inc. donates $500,000 to Charity in 2008

2009-03-04T08:51:00.000-08:00

The Viking Classic, Mississippi's premier sporting event, and Century Club Charities, Inc. are pleased to announce that over $500,000 was raised for charity through the Birdies For Charity program and the Win A Viking Kitchen drawing. This includes $140,000 donated to Viking Classic's designated charity, Friends of Children's Hospital. Since 1986, Century Club Charities has donated over $5.1 million to charities throughout the state of Mississippi.

From L to R: Dale A. Persons, Viking Range - VP Public Affairs; Eugene A. Simmons, CCC President; Bill Latham, CCC Ex-Officio; Robert Morgan, CCC Past Executive Director; Randy Watkins, Tournament Director

In 2008, 72 charities participated in the Birdies For Charity program. Kindness Foundation was the highest fundraising organization. Ralph and Frances Brown were presented a check on behalf of Kindness Foundation for $23,440.06 at a luncheon hosted by the Viking Classic at Annandale Golf Club on March 3.

From L to R: Doug Garner, Viking Classic Sales & Charity Coordinator; Frances and Ralph Brown, Kindness Foundation

Tyler Brady won the Guess the Birdies contest and received his choice of one major kitchen appliance from the Viking Range portfolio, as well as a Viking Culinary Package of cookware, cutlery and countertop appliances. Also included was a "Delta Experience" package that included a two night stay at the Alluvian Hotel and Spa, spa treatment for two in the luxurious "Couple's Suite", dinner for two at Giardina's Restaurant, and a custom designed cooking class for two with an Executive Chef from the Viking Cooking School.

From L to R: Doug Garner, Viking Classic Sales & Charity Coordinator; Kristen Thigpen, Magnolia Speech School

From L to R: Mark McGuffee, Madison-Gluckstadt Rotary Club; Doug Garner, Viking Classic Sales & Charity Coordinator; Joe Lee, Madison-Gluckstadt Rotary Club

Viking Classic Granted New Date for 2009

2008-12-17T12:40:00.000-08:00

The Viking Classic, Mississippi's premiere professional sporting event, is pleased to announce that the PGA TOUR has granted the event a new date for 2009. Next year's event will be held October 26 – November 1, 2009, in a stand alone position on the PGA TOUR schedule.

“We are so pleased that the PGA TOUR thought so highly of the Viking Classic and its past success that it decided to award our tournament a new date,” said Randy Watkins, Viking Classic Tournament Director. “Being an unencumbered tournament will attract much more attention from the golf community around the world, which will only increase the excitement and success of the Viking Classic.”

The Viking Classic earned this stand alone date based on its success over the past two years and its storied history.

Viking Classic to Benefit Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children

2008-12-02T12:31:00.000-08:00

The Viking Classic, Mississippi's premiere professional sporting event, and Century Club Charities, Inc. is pleased to announce the presentation of a check in the amount of $140,000 to the Friends of Children's Hospital (FOCH) and the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children.

“Century Club Charities and the Viking Classic are honored to be associated with the Friends of Children's Hospital and the Blair E. Batson hospital for Children,” said Bill Latham, President of Century Club Charities. “Naming them the primary beneficiary of the Viking Classic was a decision the members of Century Club Charities have been extremely proud of, and we are pleased to be able to present them with the initial check of $140,000. We look forward to increasing this amount over the years to come and working with their dedicated staff to promote such an amazing medical facility right here in Mississippi.”

Earlier this year FOCH was named the primary beneficiary of the proceeds from the Viking Classic. FOCH is a non-profit organization created to benefit the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children. Batson is Mississippi's only hospital built specifically for the care and emergency treatment of children. FOCH ensures their patients have everything from stuffed animals to state-of-the-art medical equipment.

“I was really pleased and excited when Century Club Charities chose Children's Hospital as their designated charity,” said Dr. Bob Abney, President of FOCH. “This was such a natural association with precedence at several other PGA TOUR events. These tournament proceeds will be used to make each child's hospital stay the best it can be. We enjoyed working with the Viking Classic staff and look forward to next year's event.”

The check presentation took place on Tuesday, December 2, 2008, at the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children.

PGA TOUR's Mississippi Event Honored for Best Title Sponsor Integration

2008-11-13T13:34:00.000-08:00

The Viking Classic (Madison, MS) was honored by the PGA TOUR at the TOUR's Tournament Advisory Committee (TAC) Meetings this week. The Viking Classic earned the award for “Best Title Sponsor Integration” in 2008, given to the tournament that best melds the title sponsor's product with that of the PGA TOUR.

The theme at the 2008 Viking Classic was “Professional Cooking meets Professional Golf.” The tournament had celebrity chef demonstrations throughout the week, awarded a Viking kitchen valued at $50,000, with proceeds going directly to the tournament's charity, Friends of Children's Hospital. The Viking Classic also tied the two products of cooking and golf throughout their advertising thematic.

“On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I am pleased to acknowledge and congratulate the outstanding job and special recognition the Viking Classic has received for its efforts,” said Rick George, PGA TOUR executive vice-president and chief of operations. “The tournament committee should be extremely proud for being recognized as the best among their peers on the TOUR.”

The 2008 Viking Classic, captured by Will MacKenzie, was held Sept. 18 – 21 at Annandale Golf Club in Madison, MS. Since becoming an official PGA TOUR event in 1994, champions have included Fred Funk (1998 and 2004), Luke Donald (2002) and Chad Campbell (2007).

“On behalf of the Tournament Staff, Century Club Charities, Sponsors, Volunteers and Fans, we are very proud to have a Mississippi based company like Viking Range Corporation as our title sponsor,” said Randy Watkins, Tournament Director. “This award is an indication of their dedication and commitment to making the Viking Classic the pride of all of Mississippi and the PGA TOUR.”