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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss' Freeze, Walls Win Celebrity Golf Challenge
5/3/2016 | Football
Photo Gallery | Hugh and Jill Freeze Foundation
GREENSBORO, Ga. - Team Ole Miss went six-under par over the final five holes to win the 2016 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Challenge by two strokes Tuesday at the Reynolds Lake Oconee Resort outside Atlanta.
Head coach Hugh Freeze and celebrity partner Wesley Walls, a former All-American tight end and member of the College Football Hall of Fame, carded a score of -11 to win the $100,000 first-place prize. Teams from Georgia, Georgia Tech and NC State finished tied for second at nine-under par.
The winning stretch run started when Freeze holed an 8-iron from 150 yards on the par-four 14th for an eagle. The pair then went on to birdie the final four holes to seal the win.
"The ball was jumping off my irons and I knew I hit it good," Freeze said of the shot. "Then Wesley said he thought he saw it disappear. I thought it was long but I started walking to the hole pretty fast and found out it went in. That's when we thought we had a chance."
"I was just nervous and we both had a lot of adrenaline running through our veins," Walls added. "The way coach was putting we knew we just had to keep the ball in play."
Ole Miss went five-under par on the front side before stalling with four straight pars on holes 10-13 leading into the eagle that got them going.
"Congratulations to Ole Miss' Hugh Freeze and Wesley Walls for an outstanding come-from-behind victory today," said Gary Stokan, president and CEO of Peach Bowl, Inc. "The Rebels have been a wonderful partner of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, our Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game and now as champions of our Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Challenge. We are thrilled to donate $100,000 to them for university scholarships and the Hugh and Jill Freeze Foundation."
The Ole Miss victory ends a two-year run by defending champion Georgia Tech, who had won four of the last five events.
Final official results from the 2016 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Challenge including total charity and scholarship winnings:
| PLACE | TEAM | SCORE | WINNINGS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ole Miss (Hugh Freeze / Wesley Walls) | -11 | $100,000 |
| 2 (T) | Georgia (Kirby Smart / David Dukes) | -9 | $55,000 |
| 2 (T) | Georgia Tech (Paul Johnson / Jon Barry) | -9 | $55,000 |
| 2 (T) | NC State (Dave Doeren / Terry Harvey) | -9 | $55,000 |
| 5 | Auburn (Gus Malzahn / Bo Jackson) | -8 | $45,000 |
| 6 (T) | South Carolina (Steve Spurrier / Sterling Sharpe) | -7 | $35,000 |
| 6 (T) | Mississippi State (Dan Mullen / Fred McCrary) | -7 | $35,000 |
| 8 (T) | Cincinnati (Tommy Tuberville / J.K. Schaffer) | -6 | $30,000 |
| 8 (T) | Virginia Tech (Frank Beamer / Cam Young) | -6 | $30,000 |
| 10 | Clemson (Dabo Swinney / Steve Fuller) | -5 | $20,000 |
| 11 | Alabama (Nick Saban / Chris Mohr) | -3 | $20,000 |
| 11 | North Carolina (Larry Fedora / B.J. Surhoff) | -3 | $20,000 |
| 13 | Houston (Tom Herman / Andre Ware) | -1 | $20,000 |
| SKILLS COMPETITION RESULTS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Drive (Coach Division) | Dave Doeren, NC State | 261 yards | $5,000 |
| Long Drive (Celebrity Division) | Jon Barry, Georgia Tech | 285 yards | $5,000 |
| Closest to the Pin (Coach Division) | Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech | 5'2″ | $5,000 |
| Closest to the Pin (Celebrity Division) | Cam Young, Virginia Tech | 12'6″ | $5,000 |
Team winnings will be split evenly between endowed scholarships at the universities and foundations or charities of the coach's choice. The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Challenge is the country's premier head coach and celebrity charity golf event featuring NCAA head coaches and former athletes and celebrities from the same school competing against their rivals for a share of a $540,000 scholarship purse.
In addition to the $540,000 charity and scholarship purse, another $124,500 was generated for charitable organizations. Over the last nine years, the event has contributed a total of $6 million in scholarship and charity, helping make the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl college football's most charitable bowl game.
Past Champions:
| YEAR | TEAM | SCORE | MARGIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Ole Miss (Hugh Freeze / Wesley Walls) | -11 | 2 strokes |
| 2015 | Georgia Tech (Paul Johnson / Jon Barry) | -9 | 1 (playoff) |
| 2014 | Georgia Tech (Paul Johnson / Jon Barry) | -13 | 4 strokes |
| 2013 | Miami (Al Golden / Gino Torretta) | -11 | 1 stroke |
| 2012 | Georgia Tech (Paul Johnson / Jon Barry) | -10 | 1 stroke |
| 2011 | Georgia Tech (Paul Johnson / Jon Barry) | -11 | 3 strokes |
| 2010 | Florida State (Jimbo Fisher / Terrell Buckley) | -7 | 1 stroke |
| 2009 | South Carolina (Steve Spurrier / Sterling Sharpe) | -12 | 1 (playoff) |
| 2008 | South Carolina (Steve Spurrier / Sterling Sharpe) | -12 | 5 strokes |
| 2007 | Virginia Tech (Frank Beamer / Dell Curry) | -10 | 1 stroke |
Follow Ole Miss Football on Twitter at @OleMissFB, as well as Facebook and Instagram. For more information, visit www.OleMissSports.com.