2014 BMW Charity Pro-Am Announces Celebrity Participants

Twenty-five celebrities will be in Greenville the week of May 12 for the 2014 BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation, including 10 first-time participants.

Officials also announced two new celebrity components, including featured celebrity groupings and six celebrities to play in Sunday’s final round.

First-time participants include Jonathan Banks (“Breaking Bad”), Golf Channel broadcaster Lisa Cornwell, Debbe Dunning (“Home Improvement”), actor/comedian Bill Engvall, Allstate spokesman and actor Dennis Haysbert (“24”), actor Richard Karn (“Home Improvement”), Jordan Masterson (“Last Man Standing”), two-time Super Bowl champion Jim McMahon, sportscaster and model Win McMurry and Rob Riggle (“The Hangover”).

Returning celebrities include Anthony Anderson (“Guys with Kids”), musician Steve Azar, Catherine Bell (“Army Wives”), Andy Buckley (“The Office”),  Jeffrey Donovan (“Burn Notice”), Greg Ellis (“24”),  Oliver Hudson (“Nashville”), musician Josh Kelley, Greg Kinnear (“Rake”), Danny Masterson (“Men at Work”), John O’Hurley (“Seinfield”), Michael Pena (“Shooter”), Paula Trickey (“The O.C.”), Gary Valentine (“Here Comes the Boom” ) and Patrick Warburton (“Rules of Engagement”).

“This year’s celebrity list features a great group of new faces as well as names, like Catherine Bell and Greg Kinnear, who are returning for the first time in several years,” said Darin MacDonald, executive director of South Carolina Charities, Inc., the non-profit that manages the tournament. “Add to that a fantastic group of core names who love the Upstate and make a point to participate year after year, and I think we’ve got our best list to date.”

Tournament officials announced the news today in front of media, tournament sponsors and volunteers at the BMW Performance Center during Media Day presented by OOBE. Officials also announced two new elements of the tournament:  three featured celebrity groupings who will play together Thursday through Saturday and the six lowest-scoring celebrities will advance to Sunday’s final round.

The featured celebrity groups will pair two pro-celebrity teams together and will include the following pairs:  comedian duo O’Hurley and Engvall, Tool Time duo Karn and Dunning from “Home Improvement” and actor-brother pairing Danny and Jordan Masterson. The six low-scoring celebrities making it to Sunday’s final round will be posted after the third round of the tournament.

In previous years, the lowest-scoring 14 pro-am teams made the cut to Sunday’s round. This year, the 10 lowest-scoring pro-am teams and six lowest-scoring celebrities will make it to Sunday.

“Watching the celebrities interact with one another on the course is something we’ve never seen before. These changes are sure to make memorable moments for the spectators, Golf Channel viewers and the celebrities themselves,” said Bob Nitto, president of South Carolina Charities, Inc.

This year the public not only has the chance to see the celebrities on the course, but they are also invited to attend the Celebrity Walk of Fame presented by Piedmont Natural Gas on Thursday, May 15, from 6:45-7:45 p.m. The event, which will be emceed by actor/comedian Gary Valentine, will take place on Main Street in front of the Courtyard Greenville Downtown.

The 2014 BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation will take place May 15-18 at Thornblade Club, The Reserve at Lake Keowee and, new for 2014, Green Valley Country Club.