SIOUX FALLS — Combining a pair of Pro Football Hall of Famers with two legends of the golf world was sure to bring out the competitive nature of everyone involved, but the meaning behind it all was front and center Saturday at Minnehaha Country Club.
For the first time ever, the Sanford International hosted the EMC Greats of the Game, a nine-hole exhibition with a charity component that paired golf greats with former NFL stars in a fun and engaging setting for fans to enjoy.
On one side was former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Cris Carter and six-time major champion Sir Nick Faldo, and on the other side was Super Bowl champion Ronde Barber and two-time U.S. Open champion Andy North.
“Any time you put together something like this, there are no losers,” Carter said. “For one, we’re trying to create experiences for fans in this region, and it’s about appreciation for the people. People spend a lot of time working hard during the week. What else can we do for them? … I always like to do great things with great people who have done great things.
“There’s nothing worse than what we have with the internet, with people talking about doing great things and ain’t done s—. I like being around people who have a story, have been through some stuff, overcame some stuff and got a trophy on the wall to be able to prove it.”
Ronde Barber, Cris Carter, Andy North and Sir Nick Faldo take part in media availability ahead of the EMC Greats of the Game nine-hole exhibition at the Sanford International on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, at Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls.
Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
The four participants in the Greats of the Game spoke with the media before heading out onto the course Saturday to get their first look at the lay of the land. Carter and Barber traded friendly jabs throughout the presser, while all four expressed immense gratitude for the opportunity to put on a show for the Sanford International fans.
The nine-hole exhibition, which started on the No. 10 tee box, featured a chance for fans to receive autographs on the course, while a driving range exhibition with fans also took place following the completion of their round.
“We’re up there to entertain people this afternoon,” said North, who won the U.S. Open in 1978 and 1985. “Whoever happens to win, it’s awesome. We’re going to have some fun and give each other some grief and some laughs and try to have some fun.
“Even as old as we get, you still like to show off in front of some people. You still like to hit good shots. You still like to do stuff that brings some joy to some people, so we’re going to have a great time. Hopefully we’ve got a bunch of people up there and we really show off.”
Andy North talks during a media availability ahead of the EMC Greats of the Game nine-hole exhibition at the Sanford International on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, at Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls.
Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
North has worked for ESPN since joining the company as an on-course reporter in 1992. He has also served as the host for the Sanford International since its inception.
“It really is great to get these three guys here to town. It’s special,” North said. “This is about playing some golf and having some fun, but these are also great human beings who have done an awful lot to help communities and people who need assistance once in a while. Golf is probably the greatest sport to be able to give back in that way.”
Meanwhile, Barber was in South Dakota for the first time ever but is certainly no stranger to the game of golf. He currently serves as general chairman of the Valspar Championship, a PGA Tour event held annually in Palm Harbor, Florida.
A 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee and five-time Pro Bowler, Barber is the NFL’s all-time sack leader among cornerbacks. He spoke about his admiration for the execution of Sioux Falls’ annual PGA Tour Champions event and how grateful he was to be a part of it.
“I’ve got a two-time U.S. Open champion as a partner,” said Barber, who spent his entire 15-year playing career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “I’m going to let him do his deal, and hopefully I contribute.”
Ronde Barber watches his shot from the No. 11 tee box during the EMC Greats of the Game nine-hole exhibition at the Sanford International on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, at Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls.
Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
Faldo was also on hand to discuss his opportunity to be a part of the Sanford International. The 68-year-old English golfer is now retired after winning three Masters Tournaments and three British Open Championships. He competed in 11 straight Ryder Cups during his career and was ranked No. 1 for a total of 97 weeks before being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1998.
A longtime friend of North, Faldo discussed the impact golf has had on the trajectory of his life.
“I say in jest, ‘I chose wisely.’ I was looking for a game, and I chose wisely,” Faldo said. “Golf just suited me perfect. … It’s an impossible dream when you think of where you started to what you’ve lived, and there’s more, which is good news.
“I hope there’s a few decades more of cool stuff to do.”
Sir Nick Faldo talks during a media availability ahead of the EMC Greats of the Game nine-hole exhibition at the Sanford International on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, at Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls.
Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
Perhaps the biggest fan favorite of the event, Carter spent 11 of his 15 seasons in the NFL with the Vikings. In total, he played in 234 NFL games and finished his career as the league’s second all-time leading receiver with 1,101 receptions for 13,899 yards.
“I love coming back here, love seeing the purple fans,” Carter said. “We’re off to a good start with the Monday night win and everything, so there’s a lot of good energy. Everyone’s asking me about J.J. Typically that’s Justin Jefferson, but now it’s the new quarterback, J.J. McCarthy. So I’m very excited.
“The people in this area are special people in the upper midwest. I was born and raised in Ohio, so a lot of the same traits we share with people in this region.”
Cris Carter watches his approach shot on the 11th hole during the EMC Greats of the Game nine-hole exhibition at the Sanford International on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, at Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls.
Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
Carter also reflected on the influence of a familiar face at Sanford in Steve Bliss, who served as his strength and conditioning coach during his college days at Ohio State. Carter began college with intentions of playing both basketball and football for the Buckeyes, but after a record-breaking performance in his freshman year at the Rose Bowl, he was urged by Bliss and then-head football coach Earle Bruce to stop playing basketball and focus his efforts exclusively on the gridiron, hitting the weight room with Bliss even harder in order to do so.
“I immediately went from like 179 pounds to 198 pounds. He was one of the real people in my life foundationally that gave me a work ethic and let me understand about weight lifting and how to transition into football,” Carter said about Bliss, who co-developed what is now known as Sanford Sports Performance and currently serves as senior exercise specialist at Sanford. “He projected me in places that I couldn’t see myself. Coach Bliss is unbelievable.
“The people here in South Dakota and North Dakota have access to him. You have one of the best in sports right here in your backyard. Utilize him because he has stories like that. He affected me in a way where I wouldn’t have a Hall of Fame career and ideology if I hadn’t met people like coach Bliss.”
Cris Carter talks during a media availability ahead of the EMC Greats of the Game nine-hole exhibition at the Sanford International on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, at Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls.
Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
Since 2018, the Sanford International has given back more than $1.3 million in charitable contributions. A year ago, the tournament raised more than $130,000 for various local charities and organizations.
In addition to that, the Sanford Health Foundation has raised more than $400,000 through fundraising activities at the Sanford International to support the Sanford Children’s Hospital. The funds support Child Life Programming at the Sanford Children’s Hospital, which impacts patients like the Sanford Children’s Hospital Ambassador.
