OCTOBER 5th - 8th
It's more than just a tournament – it's a powerful swing towards creating brighter futures for children in need.
Buy Live Pro Auction tickets or volunteer now!
Watson Children’s Shelter and Scott have put in tremendous effort to ensure this event is all-encompassing. When discussing the various ways to participate and contribute throughout the weekend, Scott emphasized that while playing with a pro can be costly, the event offers an incredible opportunity to watch former world-class players in an exciting pro/pro doubles tournament on Friday night.
Additionally, attendees can actively engage in the experience by bidding on silent auction items and even have a chance to win guided fishing trips on Thursday. For the enthusiastic young ones, there's the junior pro-am on Friday morning, and for those who wish to contribute their time, volunteering is also an option.
This makes the entire weekend exceptionally special, especially knowing that the funds raised will be directed toward supporting underprivileged children in Western Montana who have faced challenging circumstances.
MEET THE PROS
3rd Year Watson Tennis Pro Am Participant
No sooner had Swedes grieved the retirement of Bjorn Borg, and wistfully wished for his sixth French title in 1981, than an unheralded young countryman conquered Paris the following year. Unseeded 17-year-old Mats Arne Olof Wilander beat powerful one-time champ Guillermo Vilas at his own baseline game, became the youngest of French champs. It was the first of seven singles majors for Wilander over a seven-year stretch when he competed at the top of the game, reaching No. 1 in 1988.
Although Michael Chang, a younger 17 in 1989, usurped his male precocity record for the majors, Wilander won the French again in 1985 (dethroning Ivan Lendl, 6-2 in the fourth) and 1988, and the Australian, on grass, in 1983 and 1984. But it was 1988, an all-time season, that stands as his masterpiece. He won three majors, starting with a magnificent five-set Australian final-round victory over hometown hero Patrick Cash in Melbourne's newly opened Flinders Park. It was the Aussie Open's first year on hard courts, and victory meant that Mats was only the second man (emulating Jimmy Connors) to win majors on grass, clay and hard. While he won the French without much trouble, his dreams of a Grand Slam were pierced by Miloslav Mecir in the Wimbledon quarters. An arduous U.S. backcourt duel with Lendl, who'd beaten him for the title in 1987, lasted over four hours before at last Wilander showed more offensive initiative to win.
As the first winner of three majors in a year since Connors in 1974, he completed 1988 with six victories in 15 tournaments, with a 53-11 record, and personal prize money of $1,726,731.
His career Stats: 33 tournament wins; a 524-164 match record, and earnings of $7,976,256. Eight Career Grand Slam titles (7 in Singles & 1 Doubles)
MAJOR TITLES (8) - Australian singles, 1983, 1984, 1988; French singles, 1982, 1985, 1988; US. singles, 1988; Wimbledon doubles, 1986.
DAVIS CUP - 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990; record 36-14 in singles, 7-2 in doubles.
8 year Watson Tennis Pro Am Participant
Born in the Netherlands, Brenda left home at age 11 to pursue her tennis career. Brenda earned 12 top-ten wins during her career and shares the second-fastest-recorded women's serve of all time with Venus Williams at 130 MPH! She holds 7 singles titles and 9 doubles.
After taking time off to recover from an injury, she returned in 2006 and made a strong comeback by defeating Dominika Cibulkov. She currently runs tennis and wellness camps in Ferrum, VA and Jupiter, FL.
11 year Watson Tennis Pro Am Participant'
Born and raised in Fresno, California, Robert began playing tennis at age five, Since 2015, he has been the Assistant Director at Winter Park Racquet Club in Florida He trains and supervises players of all ages and abilities, whether working with seniors, beginners or with our nation's top junior prospects. Robert also works part time with USTA to develop athletes on the men's side.
Robert holds 77 double titles and 69 singles titles.
9 Year Watson Tennis Pro-Am Participant
Born in Naples, FL, Jesse picked up a tennis racket for the first time at age 6. A die-hard Miami Heat and Dolphins fan, Jesse started and now runs a tennis academy in his hometown o Naples, Florida. He and tennis pro, Jordan Vaughn, also started and run a non-profit called "ace the future," a program to help kids reach their goals of going to and playing college tennis.
He holds 274 doubles titles and 163 single titles.
1st Year Watson Tennis Pro Am Participant
Born & raised in San Diego, Abigail Spears began playing tennis at age 8. At 19, she joined the pro tour, where she would remain for the next 20 years, winning 21 WTA Titles and reaching a career-high world ranking of #10 in doubles and #66 in singles. She played most of her career with Raquel Atawo reaching a career high team ranking of #5 in the world. Spears also won the 2017 Australian Open Mixed Doubles title and was a two-time US Open mixed finalist and 3-time Wimbledon ladies doubles semi-finalist. Spears was a finalist in singles at the Quebec Open and reached the 3rd round of the Australian Open. When she is not playing tennis, she enjoys the mountains of Colorado or the beaches of California, Australia and Florida.
“Watson and Scott have worked hard to make this an inclusive event. When asked about options to participate and donate over the weekend, Scott said, “Yes it can be expensive to play with a pro for the weekend, but the fact that you have the ability to do a clinic for $10, buy a raffle ticket for $50 for a chance to play with a pro, or come for free to watch former world class players in an exhibition match makes this event pretty cool.”
“In addition to the Pro-Am doubles tournament, the adult clinic, and the exhibition game, folks can also participate by bidding on items in a silent auction!”
- Neighbors of Missoula Article , 2021
