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Arnold Palmer is serving as an honorary captain for Wake Forest when the Demon Deacons play in the FedEx Orange Bowl on Jan. 2 in Miami, Fla., Orange Bowl officials have announced. Muhammad Ali, a native of Louisville, Ky., is serving as honorary captain for Louisville.

Palmer, a member of the Wake Forest Hall of Fame and the World Golf Hall of Fame, was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year in 1960. Ali was the 1974 Sportsman of the Year and also the Sportsman of the Century.

Palmer played golf for Wake Forest from 1948 to 1950 before joining the U.S. Coast Guard for a three-year stint, then returned to Wake Forest and won the first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference Championship in 1954. Palmer served on the Wake Forest Board of Trustees from 1983 to 1986, 1988 to 1991 and 1993 to 1997, and the school honored him with its Distinguished Alumni Award in 1962 and an honorary doctor of laws degree in 1970.

WELCOME BACK, WENDY'S: The Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge has signed an agreement to remain officially sanctioned by the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and Champions Tour through 2012. In addition, tournament officials have signed a new three-year promotional agreement with The Golf Channel providing for a tournament Preview Show, Review Show and two half-hour "Big Break" Clinic Shows each contract year.

The Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge is the only professional golf tournament that pits three players from the PGA, LPGA and Champions Tours against each other in competitive, head-to-head threesomes. Each threesome consists of one player from each Tour competing in two separate, nine-hole stroke play matches.

In the event's 15-year history, more than $23 million has been raised for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, including a record-setting $3.85 million in 2006 alone, officials said.

CATEGORICALLY EXCELLENT: The season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship finalized the 2006 winners in the various Champions Tour statistical categories. Schwab Cup winner Jay Haas topped three categories, while runner-up Loren Roberts led two.

Arnold Palmer Award (money list): Jay Haas with $2,420,227. Haas' total was the highest since Hale Irwin won a record $3,028,304 in 2002. Haas finished $54,832 ahead of No. 2 Roberts. He also became the first player on Tour to win both the Arnold Palmer Award and the Charles Schwab Cup in the same year since Tom Watson did so in 2003.

Byron Nelson Award (scoring average): Loren Roberts at 69.01. Roberts' stroke average in 2006 was the lowest on the Champions Tour since Tom Watson in 2003 (68.81). Jay Haas finished second (69.07). Of his 67 rounds played this year, Roberts had 52 sub-par scores and recorded 40 rounds in the 60s. The .06 differential between Roberts and Haas was the closest race since 2000 when Gil Morgan (68.83) nipped Larry Nelson (68.87).

Driving Distance: Dan Pohl at 293.0 yards.For the second consecutive year, Pohl topped the circuit in Driving Distance. In 2005, his average drive was (300.5). Pohl led the PGA Tour in Driving Distance in 1980 (274.3) and 1981 (280.1).

Driving Accuracy Percentage: David Edwards at 83.79 percent. Edwards led the PGA Tour in Driving Accuracy in 1994 (81.6 percent). He topped the field in this category at four events (Senior PGA Championship, 3M Championship, Boeing Greater Seattle Classic, Jeld-Wen Tradition).

Greens in Regulation Percentage: Tom Watson at 76.42 percent. Watson's percentage was the highest on the Tour since Tom Kite in 2000 (78.0). Watson finished second in this category in 2002 with a previous-best of 74.87.

All-Around: Jay Haas at 87. Haas didn't finish lower than 26th (Driving Accuracy Percentage) in any individual stats category and was among the top five in Birdie Average (first), Putting Average (second), Scoring Average (second) and Greens In Regulation Percentage (fourth).

Total Driving: Mark James at 24. James claimed this stats category for the second time in three years, as he won in 2004 with 41. He became the first international player to claim this stats category twice. Scotland's Brian Barnes also was the Tour's leader in Total Driving in 1996 (30). Last year, James ranked 11th in Driving Accuracy Percentage (77.08 percent) and 13th in Driving Distance (278.7 yards per drive).

Putting Average: Loren Roberts at 1.726 putts per green in regulation. Roberts' average was the best on the Tour since Rodger Davis in 2003 (1.726). He was the PGA Tour's leading putter in 1994 (1.737). Roberts had 439 one-putts and only three-putted 19 times in 21 Champions Tour events in 2006.

Birdie Average: Jay Haas at 4.51 birdies per round. Haas had 302 birdies in his 67 rounds played on the Champions Tour this year. Last year, his birdie average was 4.33.

Eagles: Hajime Meshiai at 92.0 holes per eagle. Meshiai made nine eagles in the 828 holes he played on the Champions Tour this year.

Sand Save Percentage: Jerry Pate at 62.07 percent. Pate made 36 saves in 58 attempts from the sand in 2006. He was perfect getting it up and down out of the bunker in five of the 14 events he played this year before surgery shortened his season in mid-July.

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