Florida Woman Sues After Being Denied $90,000 Mercedez Benz Prize in Hole-in-One Golf Tournament

Linda Chen of Orange County has filed a lawsuit against the organizer of a golf competition that promised its participants a Mercedes Benz if they got a hole-in-one. 

According to the lawsuit obtained by the Miami Herald, Chen got a hole-in-one on the 11th hole at Isleworth Golf & Country Club in Windermere on May 22 and never received the $90,000 luxury car and its title.

The event was a fundraiser, "Fins on the Fairway," which benefits Nova Southeastern University Orlando. Competition organizers said the Mercedes E Class car was a prize for “amateur golfers only,” according to a complaint filed by Chen on Aug. 21 in Orange County. 

But Chen said in the lawsuit the competition “was rigged.” According to exhibits from the lawsuit, Galvin emailed Chen’s attorney on June 14, saying that Chen’s prize had been denied because she was formally a professional golfer. 

However, Chen’s complaint said she was a professional golfer over 15 years ago. Her complaint also says Chen has been officially registered as an amateur golfer with the U.S. Golf Association for over 15 years.

Chen sued Timothy J. Galvin, who the complaint says was one of the event’s organizers, his company Tournament Golf Events, Mercedes-Benz of South Orlando — which advertised the prize —  and ACE Hole in One, a company that provided hole-in-one coverage for the tournament. She is seeking to recover the title of the car or its equated value of $90,000. 

Chen accused Galvin of refusing to give her the car. According to the lawsuit, Galvin allegedly told Chen “she was never going to be able to claim the prize vehicle” and away. 

Galvin said he didn’t deny Chen’s claim to her prize, but ACE Hole in One did, according to McClatchy news. He said after he spoke with Ace Hole in One, he was told “(Chen) was not eligible.” 

The complaint says Chen is suing on several causes of action, including breach of contract.