About a month ago, former Buena High and Ventura College golfer Nate Whitson was making dinner and contemplating his golf future, when he received a text message on his cell phone.

The message simply read, "Are you ready for the Big Stakes?"

The message was referring to the upcoming golf tournament dubbed "The Ultimate Game," a unique event being held in Las Vegas where the winner will walk away with $2 million.

The message that appeared on Whitson's phone came from a man who knows a thing or two about playing for big stakes, former NBA superstar Michael Jordan.

Jordan has opted to back Whitson in the tournament, giving him the $50,000 entry fee needed to compete in the tournament, which starts starting Tuesday.

"This guy is one if the premier athletes in history and has played golf with some of the greatest players in the world," Whitson said of Jordan.

"He's not doing it to get rich, obviously. He's doing it because it's fun and he has a chance to win $2 million bucks."

Whitson got hooked up with Jordan through Whitson's best friend and roommate, Jason Pridmore.

Pridmore is a former world champion motorcycle racer and got to know Jordan, an avid racing fan, when they were at racing events together.

Pridmore introduced Whitson to Jordan and the two men have played golf together several times.

Jordan saw enough in Whitson's game to back Whitson in the The Ultimate Game.

"Knowing he has such great trust in me and my game feels pretty good," Whitson said. "It's pretty unbelievable."

The timing for Whitson could not have been better.

At the start of the year Whitson was planning on playing The U.S. Pro Tour, a new national mini-tour.

Whitson had qualified for the tour earlier and had handed over $10,000 to organizers to cover his play in the 25 tournaments he planned on playing around the country.

But before the second tournament of the year, organizers told players they were out of money and the tour was folding.

"It wasn't just losing the money, but it was also losing the chance to play a full season of top-caliber events," Whitson said. "It was pretty devastating. I was at home thinking about what I was going to do for work when I got the message about being in the (Ultimate Game) tournament.

"Basically my golf career went from being down in the toilet to having all the motivation in the world to get my game ready."

The Ultimate Game event features both match play and stroke play. A total of 40 players are entered. The 10 players who win two matches, and two others who survive the consolation bracket, each win $100,000 and advance to a 36-hole stroke-play portion.

"I like the format, but I am most excited about the match play," Whitson said. "No matter what level you're at as a professional, we don't play a lot of match play. I have not played match play since my last year in junior golf but I think it suits me.

"I'm a grinder and I never give up no matter where I stand. The key in match play is to play the golf course and not your opponent."

Winner of the stroke play will be awarded $2 million, which will be the largest amount awarded to a golfer for any one tournament this year.

Since Jordan put up the entry fee, Whitson figures he would want some of the $2 million if he were to win.

While most people in this situation have a contract, Whitson said things are much less formal with him and Jordan.

"We have not really talked about it, but I am sure he will take more than good care of me," Whitson said.

"It does not matter what he gives me because he's already done so much by giving me a chance to be in the event."

No matter how much of a cut Whitson gets, he knows winning the event would change his life.

It would give him time to keep working on his game without having any financial worries for a while.

"I think it would be one of those deals that it wouldn't really sink in until after," Whitson said.

"I don't think there's a guy out there that it wouldn't change in a major way. We get to play for a few hundred thousand here and there, but we don't ever get the chance to play for $2 million. When I won on Gateway (Tour), it wasn't a lot it was $27,000 but it changed my life in the short term."

Since getting the word from Jordan that he was in, Whitson has been working hard.

He took a few days to travel to Palm Desert and work with former Olivas Park head pro Brad Benkey, who is now the head pro at the La Quinta resort.

The two men worked on the mental side of the game. Benkey caddied for Whitson when he won on the Gateway Tour, so he knows how to get him ready to win.

"Nate has the ability to play on (the PGA) Tour," Benkey said. "It's a matter of him continuing to work on his focus on believing in himself."

When he and Jordan went out and played a few rounds together a few weeks ago, the former Chicago Bull told him to enjoy the moment.

"He thinks it's going to be a great opportunity for me," said Whitson.

"He told me to go out and have fun."