Charles Barkley, Dan Jansen and Ron Jaworski to Try a Different Sport At 1999 Legg Mason Classic.

PHILADELPHIA--(BW SportsWire)--July 20, 1999--

Houston Rockets Basketball Center Charles Barkley, U.S. Olympic Gold Medal Winner Dan Jansen and former NFL Football Quarterback Ron Jaworski will play in the 1999 Legg Mason Classic "Celebrity Skins Challenge".

The celebrity skins challenge is one of the biggest crowd-drawers in the 12th Annual, Pro-Am golf tournament to take place on July 26 and 27 at the Philmont Country Club in Huntingdon Valley, PA.

Barkley, a former Philadelphia 76er, is known as one of the strongest players in the NBA. In the 1998-99 season, he was named to the NBA All-Interview First Team, and he ranked second in the league with 12.3 rebounds per game. He ranked second on his team in scoring and assists.

Besides his basketball talent, Barkley is known for having appeared in the movie He Got Game and for co-authoring the books, Outrageous with Roy Johnson, Jr., and Wit and Wisdom of Charles Barkley with Rick Reilly.

Jansen holds the 1994 Gold Medal for speedskating in the 1000 meter. He is best known for his perseverance, having competed in the previous three Olympics before his win. Jansen has criss-crossed the country delivering more than 300 corporate motivational speeches since his win in 1994.

He also started the Dan Jansen Foundation which contributes to leukemia research, and serves as a CBS Sports on-air personality.

While playing on several NFL teams, Jaworski is best known locally for having spent ten years with the Philadelphia Eagles. In 1980, "Jaws" led the Eagles to a 12-4 record, the NFC championship and their first run in a Super Bowl. Today, Jaworski is a broadcaster for ESPN and WTOG-TV, Tampa Bay, FL, and is involved in numerous civic and charity organizations including the United Way.

Barkley, Jansen and Jaworski will play nine holes with PGA tour pros Robert Gamez, Gary McCord and Fuzzy Zoeller in the challenge for $20,000. Other pros that have committed to compete in the tournament for a $300,000 purse include Trevor Dodds, Bradley Hughes, Sandy Lyle, Gary Nicklaus, Mark Wiebe, and defending champion Duffy Waldorf.

In addition to the skins challenge, there will be a $1,000,000 shootout contest, a junior clinic, a long-drive competition and a $10,000 putting contest at the tournament. An exclusive black-tie gala auction sponsored by Bailey Banks & Biddle will follow the first day of play.

Proceeds from all events throughout the tournament will benefit three local charities: Angel Flight East, Plymouth Meeting, PA; The MBF Center, Norristown, PA; and Inner-City Games Philadelphia.

Tickets for the Legg Mason Classic are on sale now through www.tickets.com. For more information, or to volunteer at one of the events, call 610/566-1171, or visit the website www.lmc.proam.org. The Classic is celebrating its 12th year and is managed by Executive Diversions, a sports-marketing firm based in Media, PA.