Shocking James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational Unveils New Twist

Getting Ready for the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational

A unique event is coming to The Old Course at Broken Sound in Boca Raton when the “James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational” tees off from March 31 to April 6. The inaugural event features football and golf greats in the same pro-am tournament.

During Tuesday’s media day, Pro Football Hall of Famer and Pahokee native Rickey Jackson said his golf game has him excited to tee up. The former Super Bowl champion and Pro-Bowl linebacker plays four times a week. “You are trying to beat them. They are the best in the world at their job, and you are trying to beat those guys,” Jackson said.

Jackson is one of 48 Hall of Famers who will tee up with the Champions Tour’s best in the pro-am on Wednesday and Thursday. Twenty-six football legends will compete in the Friday and Saturday pro-am, with the tour individual crown decided Sunday.

The event benefits Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, and First Tee Gold Coast.

“It’s going to be a terrific week, and to have the icons of football together with the icons of golf is very special indeed,” said tournament executive director Ken Kennerly.

Juno Beach resident and world-renowned golf course architect Rees Jones redesigned the course three years ago, making it the perfect venue for the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational. The course is ideal for professionals and amateurs alike, offering a challenging yet enjoyable experience.

The Event Benefits and Impact

Charitable Connections

The James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational benefits Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, and First Tee Gold Coast, highlighting the tournament’s commitment to giving back to the community.

“We’re committed to making a positive impact in the community, and this event is a great way for us to do that,” said Ken Kennerly, tournament executive director.

Growing Ice Hockey in Palm Beach County

Palm Beach County Sports Commission Executive Director George Linley recently spoke with WPBF about the fastest growing sport in The Palm Beaches this year: hockey. Originally featured on WPBF 25, you can read the full article and watch the interview below:

Ice hockey has been making an impact in South Florida even before the Florida Panthers recent run at the Stanley Cup. The executive director for the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, George Linley, said the growth of ice hockey in the county over the last decade has been tremendous.

“Going back to 2019, we had one youth amateur hockey tournament at Palm Beach Skate Zone and Palm Beach Ice Works,” Linley said. “In 2024, by the end of the fiscal year, we will host 13 ice hockey events.”

Linley is excited to see the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final. But he adds, hockey was already the number one growing sport in the county.

“What we’ve seen with the sport of ice hockey has been youth hockey,” Linley said. “But amateur hockey has been phenomenal, and it is the number one growing sport right now in our county.”

Palm Beach County has three rinks and all together they provide six sheets of ice which allows for larger and more tournaments to come to the area.

According to tourism officials, during the first six months of the last fiscal year in Palm Beach County, ice hockey events generated 4,118 room nights. This fiscal year, that number increased to 9,300 room nights, an increase of more than 127%.

“We project at the end of this fiscal year to be up $4 million in direct visitors spending and that’s up significantly from just a few years about when we were at a couple of a million dollars,” said Linley.

The James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational Honoring the Best in Football and Golf

Share Copy Link Copy YOU KNOW WE LOVE GOLF IN THE PALM BEACHES. AND THERE’S AN EXCITING EVENT COMING UP IN LESS THAN A WEEK. THE JAMES HARDIE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME INVITATIONAL WILL TAKE PLACE RIGHT IN OUR AREA. IT’S A PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS EVENT WHERE THE LEGENDS OF GOLF MEET WITH THE LEGENDS OF FOOTBALL REALLY UNIQUE HERE. SO LET’S GET RIGHT TO IT. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KEN HENRY HERE.

“SO KEN, MANY PEOPLE AT HOME KNOW JAMES HARDIE AS THE BUILDING PRODUCTS COMPANY. BUT LET’S TALK MORE ABOUT THE EVENT HERE BECAUSE IT’S REALLY UNIQUE. PUTTING THESE TWO GROUPS OF LEGENDS TOGETHER. HOW IS THIS GOING TO GO? WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT. OH IT’S GOING TO BE TERRIFIC. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE BROUGHT IN THE NFL AND THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME, IT REALLY ATTRACTED JAMES HARDIE, THE TITLE SPONSOR, TO COME INTO THE INTO THE EVENT. I MEAN, IT HELPS SEPARATE THE EVENT FROM A LOT OF THE OTHER EVENTS ON THE PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS SCHEDULE. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU COMBINE THE LEGENDS OF FOOTBALL TOGETHER WITH THE LEGENDS OF GOLF AND YOU CREATE THIS JUST PHENOMENAL DYNAMIC OUT THERE, IT’S GOING TO BE TERRIFIC BECAUSE AGAIN, NFL IS THE MOST POWERFUL SPORTS ORGANIZATION IN NORTH AMERICA. CERTAINLY. AND WE BRING THAT ENTITY AND THAT FAN BASE TO THE PGA TOUR. IT’S GOING TO BE EXQUISITE. AND YOU KNOW BOCA RATON AND THE OLD COURE AT BROKEN SOUND IS ONE OF THE THE GREAT GOLF COURSES IN FLORIDA. AND IT’S GOING TO BE A TREMENDOUS WEEK. AND WE HAVE A LOT OF STARS COMING. JOHN DALY WILL BE HERE. FIRST TIME SINCE 2000 WHEN HE PLAYED IN THIS COMMUNITY. HE PLAYED, YOU KNOW, AT THE HONDA FOR FOR MANY YEARS. AND THEN OF COURSE THE, THE ALLIANZ. BUT THE FIRST TIME HE’S GOING TO BE BACK HERE FOR FANS TO SEE HIM. AND YOU KNOW DARREN CLARK, PAST CHAMPION MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ WHO IS A ALREADY A TWO TIME WINNER ON THE PGA TOUR CHAMPION JERRY KELLY AND SEVERAL OTHERS. BUT THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE ENTIRE ROSTER OF NFL HALL OF FAMERS COMING.

“WELL, I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED EARLIER ABOUT REALLY JUST EXPANDING THE SCOPE OF WHAT PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT GOLF. AND THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF BRINGING TWO WORLDS TOGETHER BECAUSE, LOOK, I IDENTIFY WITH A LOT OF THOSE PRO LEGENDS OF FOOTBALL. AND SO THAT GETS ME TO WANT TO GO SEE THEM. AND THEN I LEARNED MORE ABOUT HOW GOLF IS PLAYED AND THE DYNAMICS OF IT. WELL, I THINK YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF FOOTBALLS AND JERSEYS OUT THERE TO BE SIGNED WITH THESE KIDS AND PROBABLY ADULTS AND AND EVERYBODY. WE’VE GOT A GREAT MILITARY APPRECIATION PRESENCE AS WELL. SO WE’RE REALLY ENCOURAGING EVERYONE TO COME OUT AND ENJOY IT. BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU’VE GOT WARREN SAPP AND LAWRENCE TAYLOR AND RICKY JACKSON AND MARSHALL FAULK AND THURMAN THOMAS AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE GREAT PLAYERS THAT PEOPLE REMEMBER THROUGHOUT THEIR CAREERS, THEY’RE COMING IN, YOU KNOW, IN OUR MEDIA DAY, RICKY JACKSON THINKS HE’S GOING TO BEAT SOME OF THE SENIOR TOUR PLAYERS. SO HERE WE GO. YES.

“AND I WANT TO TALK MORE WITH YOU ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THEY’RE SORT OF PLAYING AGAINST EACH OTHER. RIGHT. BUT THIS IS STILL AN EVENT FOR THE PROS. HOW IS THAT WORKING OUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE COMPETITION? THE FRIENDLY COMPETITION BETWEEN THE LEGENDS AND THE PROS. SO OUR PRO-AM ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY FEATURES. IT’S A FIVESOME AS IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST, BUT THIS YEAR IT’S THREE AMATEURS, ONE NFL HALL OF FAMER AND ONE A PGA TOUR CHAMPION. SO THAT’S YOUR FIVESOME. AND THEN ON FRIDAY WE HAVE 26 HALL OF FAMERS IN THE ACTUAL COMPETITION. FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, YOU KNOW, ON THE GOLF CHANNEL LIVE COVERAGE PLAYING ALONGSIDE THEIR PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS IN A TWO MAN COMPETITION. SO THE PROS BALL WILL ALWAYS COUNT. BUT SIMILAR TO PEBBLE BEACH YOU KNOW A CELEBRITY GROUP. AND THEN WE’LL HAVE ON SUNDAY THE PROS ONLY. SO WE’LL GO BACK TO THREESOMES AND WE’LL HAVE PROS ONLY. BUT FRIDAY AND SATURDAY IS GOING TO BE TERRIBLY EXCITING. WATCHING THESE GUYS PLAY UNDER THE GUN ON LIVE TV WITH THEI