The 11th annual Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Challenge concluded Tuesday afternoon with the third straight victory from the Ole Miss team. Ole Miss Football head coach Matt Luke and College Football Hall of Famer Wesley Walls teamed up to bring Ole Miss the trophy for the third year in a row.
The golfing tournament features eleven teams comprised of a university’s coach and a celebrity alumnus of that university. Finishing the tournament at a staggering eleven under par, Luke and Walls beat out the likes of huge names in the sports world such as Nick Saban, Mark Ingram, Dabo Swinney, Larry Fedora and Roy Williams.
“I never felt like we had it under control, but we were making some putts. There was maybe the long par 3 where we ran in a birdie, and that was probably the turning point right there,” said Luke. “With the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl being the most charitable bowl game, it is truly an honor to be out here.”
Matt Luke and Wesley Wells pose with Peach Bowl Challenge Trophy after winning the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Challenge at the Oconee Golf Course at Reynolds Plantation on Sunday. Photo courtesy: Paul Abell via Abell Images for Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Challenge
The first place trophy comes with a prize check of $110,000, which will be split between the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and an endowed scholarship at the University of Mississippi.
The victory by Luke and the former Ole Miss tight end marks the first-ever three-peat in the history of the event. The whole $650,000 purse is donated to endowed scholarships and charitable organizations chosen by the coaches who receive prize money.
Walls, a four-time All-Pro tight end and one-time Super Bowl Champion during his 14 years in the NFL, had high praise for Luke’s play during the tournament.
“I think we ham-and-egged it perfectly. When I was in trouble, Matt would hit a great shot. To be honest with you, when you’re rolling the putter well in a tournament format like this, you have a chance to win. He was dead on – bullseye with that putter,” Walls said.
In a tournament that pits coaches against their rivals in a completely new format, Luke has continued Ole Miss’ tradition of victory at the annual tournament held at the Reynolds Lake Oconee resort golf course on the outskirts of Atlanta.
Though the previous Ole Miss victories were, of course, captained by former head coach Hugh Freeze, Walls, an avid golfer and Rebel fan, has been a consistent participant for the Ole Miss contingent. Coach Luke will be looking to keep this prestigious winning streak alive next year in the tournament which has donated over $7.6 million since its inception in 2007.
