Top Golfers Seek Top Prize

Twelve of the world’s best golfers, including six Americans, begin play today in the crater of an extinct South African volcano.

They will be chasing the $1 million first prize in the Million Dollar Challenge on the Gary Player Country Club course at Sun City, Africa.

The field includes all four winners of the major 1996 tournaments - U.S. Masters champion Nick Faldo, U.S. Open champion Steve Jones, British Open champion Tom Lehman and American PGA champion Mark Brooks.

In addition to Lehman, Jones and Brooks, the other Americans in the field are defending champion Corey Pavin, Mark O’Meara and Steve Stricker.

The purse is $2.5 million, with $100,000 going to the last-place finisher.

The people who produce the Skins Game are billing this weekend’s extravaganza at LaQuinta, Calif., as the best edition in the past 10 years.

Of course, having Tiger Woods, Tom Watson, John Daly and defending champ Fred Couples all wired for sound and playing 18 holes of golf for $540,000 can make you feel pretty confident.