That first year, in 1999, Dave Miller couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.
In mid-May, on the driving range at Morgan Run Club & Resort, some of the most memorable athletes from Miller’s childhood were lined up, hacking away with their quirky golf swings.
Johnny Bench, John Brodie, Stan Mikita, Mike Schmidt, Rollie Fingers, Steve Spurrier, Joe Theismann.
“I’m just this kid from New Jersey standing there,” Miller recalled recently, “and here are all these icons. I’m thinking, ‘How did this happen?’ ”
That was the best part. It was Miller who pulled them all together.
In the two decades since, pro athletes and entertainers have gathered in San Diego each year for the event that has raised more than $1.6 million for charity while outlasting nearly every other tournament of its kind in the country.
The only bigger celebrity tournament at this point is the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe.
This week, with the official competitive rounds scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at Morgan Run, the San Diego event celebrates its 20th staging.
It’s no small feat to get to that landmark.
“I used to have a full head of hair; now it’s all gone,” Miller joked.
Miller, 58, has prodded and cajoled many of the country’s great athletes — numerous Hall of Famers among them — to be open to making themselves look silly on the golf course in the name of charity, competition and good fun.
It’s meant being part salesman, part cheerleader for Miller, who, after graduating from San Diego State in 1983, worked in sales for the San Diego Sockers and later as a top seller for the San Diego Chargers.
It was through first running a charity tournament for the Chargers that Miller got a feel for the golf tournament business.
Unlike charity scrambles, however, this is a tournament in which they count every stroke for two rounds. No mulligans or gimmes. Proud men have to sign for some ugly scores — sometimes in the triple digits.
They pay their own travel expenses for minimal cash prizes, though Miller gets them hotel rooms. The players sign autographs and mingle with fans at parties and in VIP areas.
“I’m eternally grateful for these people, because without the celebrities, this doesn’t happen,” Miller said.
Just last year, Miller posed for a picture he should put in a gold-plated frame. On either side of him: Jerry Rice, Tim Brown, Eric Dickerson, Terrell Davis, Marcus Allen and Marshall Faulk.
Among some of the other names to have played that will get your attention: Jim Brown, John Elway, Mario Lemieux, Jerry Lucas, Emmitt Smith, Goose Gossage, Jose Canseco and Joe Morgan.
“I think they come for the competition, and because of their generosity,” Miller said. “I’m out there working them to do interviews and sign autographs. That’s their level of commitment to give back to the community.”
Ticket sales and sponsorships raise money to employ Miller and his colleagues at Integrated Sports Marketing, while Miller said the donations earned through the tournament’s auctions go to the event’s designated charities. The largest current beneficiary is the Junior Seau Foundation.
Miller recalled that in 2016, on the night of the auction, Rice surprised everyone by putting up two tickets to the 2017 Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. He tossed in dinner and a round of golf. The minimum bid was $10,000. It ended up going for $35,000.
“That’s the kind of stuff that these guys are capable of,” Miller said.
With a wide variety of skill levels in the field, the golf competition doesn’t mirror professional tournaments, but there have still been impressive performances.
Former major league pitcher Rick Rhoden, who played some events on the PGA Tour Champions, won six of the first 16 tournaments — the last in 2014 when Rhoden was 61 years old.
The greatest round was produced by former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer, who shot a stunning 9-under-par 62 in 2001 to set the Morgan Run course record on the combined North and South nines.
In 2002, former major league catcher Gary Carter — who would die of brain cancer in 2012 — made the only double-eagle in the tournament’s history when he holed out from the fairway on the par-5 16th.
One of Miller’s best stories comes from arguably the tournament’s biggest moment.
Tony Romo was the Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback in 2011 when he agreed to play.
Romo shot 70 in Saturday’s first round to be among the leaders, and then delivered some bad news to Miller. He said he couldn’t play the second round because he had to catch a flight on Sunday to attend a wedding.
“I was, like, ‘Oh my God, Tony, you can’t do this to me!’ ” Miller said.
In a few hours, Miller rearranged everything for Sunday, including earlier tee times and starting players off the first and 10th tees. Romo stayed and fired 67 to win and get the tournament some national print and broadcasting attention.
“That was so huge,” Miller said.
The tournament has suffered some setbacks.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees took over for Humphries as the celebrity presenter in 2011, but lasted only two years. He sued Miller in late 2012, contending Miller got favorable hotel rates when the tournament was at La Costa, but that Miller then made money off the rooms.
Miller countersued. He didn’t deny making a profit on the rooms, while also noting he raised $320,000 for Brees’ foundation.
They settled out of court, but Miller said of the litigation, “It was extremely painful. I still haven’t recovered from where we were before, but I’m just trying to keep it together because I believe in it.”
Miller took a kick to the gut again in December, when Faulk — who had taken over for Brees in 2013 as the face of the tournament — was suspended by NFL Network amid claims filed in a sexual harassment lawsuit.
Faulk and Miller had been working on a new contract for the event. Miller said Faulk decided to take a break from it this year. Miller has not ruled out a return by Faulk, pending the outcome of the lawsuit against him.
“Marshall was a great host,” Miller said. “I wanted to stand by him like he stood by me. Ultimately, it was his decision to take the year off.”
MIller has had five sponsors stick with him through all the years: Ralphs, Toyota, EDCO, Gatorade and TIG.
The tournament doesn’t have a celebrity name on it this year, but that doesn’t matter any to John and Eva Collins. The La Mesa couple has volunteered for all but one of Miller’s events, while also going farther back as key volunteers at the Farmers Insurance Open.
John recalled being able to caddie for one of his favorite Padres, Ozzie Smith. Eva was smitten by sitting next to Marcus Allen at party. “My boyfriend,” she joked.
They’ve been around the likes of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson on the PGA Tour, but there’s something different about the celebrity event.
“The Farmers is all business,” John said. “This is all fun.”
20th Celebrity Championship golf tournament
When: Friday-Sunday (official tournament rounds are Saturday-Sunday; free autographs, Saturday-Sunday)
Where: Morgan Run Club & Resort, Rancho Santa Fe
Charities: Junior Seau Foundation’s Adaptive Surfing Program with Challenged Athletes Foundation
Defending champion: Former NFL kicker Josh Scobee, who finished at 6 under and beat Rick Rhoden by one shot with a birdie on the final hole
Field: Among the celebrities are Marcus Allen, Charlie Joiner, Goose Gossage, Grant Fuhr, Terrell Davis, Garry Templeton, and former champions Mark Mulder and Jack Marin.
Admission: One- to three-day tickets are $15; entire family free with Ralphs Rewards card; Sunday, all military, first responders and teachers, and their families, are free
Website: Celebritychampionship.com
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