Pebble Beach, CA – January 23, 2018 – Two, four-person teams bested the competition at the National Finals of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Konica Minolta Golf Classic held January 18-21 at the legendary Pebble Beach Resorts in California.
In the Handicap Index Division, the winning foursome from Richmond, VA, included Robin Akins, a registered nurse for VCU Health of Midlothian, VA; Bryant Akins, a general contractor for Red Bird Construction of Midlothian, VA; Kristopher Glasco, a dock worker for FedEx of Richmond, VA; and Larry Loving, Jr., a tax specialist for Financial Accounting Services of Richmond, VA. The first-place team shot rounds of 60-64-63 for a three-day total of 187 in the four-person scramble. They qualified for the National Finals by winning their local NKF Konica Minolta Golf Classic at Richmond Country Club.
The Richmond, VA, team won in the Handicap Index Division
In the Gross Division, a team from Southern California took top honors. Members included Mark Upchurch, an agent at State Farm Insurance of San Diego, CA; Daniel Mezich, CEO of Famoso Ltd., of Del Mar, CA; Richard Thompson, general manager of Giumarra of San Diego, CA; and Alex Wagner, an account executive for Simply Measured of Seattle, WA. They finished in first place with rounds of 60-57-59 for a three-day, 176 total in the event. The team qualified for the National Finals by winning their closest, local Golf Classic competition in Phoenix, AZ.
The Phoenix, AZ team, whose members hail from Southern California, won in the Gross Division
"Congratulations to the winning teams for their outstanding play at the Golf Classic's highest level," said NKF CEO and kidney transplant recipient Kevin Longino. "We thank all of the participating golfers from across the nation for their support of our continuing efforts to fight and prevent kidney disease."
Both foursomes qualified for the National Finals via their top finishes in NKF Konica Minolta Golf Classic events during the 2017 season. In the National Finals, they faced off against nearly 60 other amateur golf teams from across the country and played the fabled fairways and signature holes of the Monterey Peninsula: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course and The Links at Spanish Bay.
"We are honored to have taken part in what was both a fun and important event to support the National Kidney Foundation," said Rick Taylor, President and CEO, Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA, Inc. "We are grateful to everyone who participated and helped raise funds towards making a significant difference in the lives of many people afflicted."
The NKF Konica Minolta Golf Classic, a nationwide series of more than 30 golf tournaments held in major cities across the country, is The Premier Amateur Golf Event for Charity™ raising more than $3.5 million each year and exceeding $100 million to date. The event also works to raise awareness about kidney health by prominently displaying posters with key kidney facts and figures along the golf courses. NKF urges Golf Classic participants and the public to make an explicit commitment to "Heart Your Kidneys" by learning about the kidney's vital functions and help elevate the kidneys to the status of other vital organs such as the heart.
In 2017, NKF welcomed Konica Minolta as the national title sponsor of the Golf Classic. The national corporate partner is Insurance Auto Auctions / One Car One Difference. National Finals partners include HM Insurance Group, Michelob Ultra, AmeriHealth Administrators, Bridgestone Golf and Trinity Air Medical. National promotional partners are Global Golf Post, the Greg Norman Collection, PING, Skechers GO GOLF, and Tiffany & Co. For more information about the NKF Konica Minolta Golf Classic and the next opportunity to qualify for the National Finals at Pebble Beach, please visit www.NKFKonicaMinoltaGolfClassic.com.
About Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is reshaping and revolutionizing the Workplace of the Future™ (www.reshapework.com). With our comprehensive portfolio, we deliver solutions to leverage mobility, cloud services, and optimize business processes with workflow automation. Our All Covered IT Services division offers a range of IT strategy, support, and network security solutions across all verticals. Konica Minolta has been recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for 11 consecutive years and is proud to be ranked on the Forbes 2017 America's Best Employers list. Konica Minolta, Inc. has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for five years in a row. We partner with our customers to give shape to ideas and work to bring value to our society. For more information, please visit: www.CountOnKonicaMinolta.com and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter@KonicaMinoltaUS.
Kidney Disease Facts
30 million American adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease—and most aren't aware of it. 1 in 3 American adults are at risk for chronic kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and family history of kidney failure. People of African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian or Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. African Americans are 3 times more likely than Whites, and Hispanics are nearly 1.5 times more likely than non-Hispanics to develop end-stage renal disease (kidney failure).
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the largest, most comprehensive and longstanding organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease. For more information about NKF visit www.kidney.org.