News&Notes Going Downtown As part of this week s PLAYERS Championship, THE PLAYERS Downtown Experience returns to downtown Jacksonville today through Saturday. Mark McCumber, 1988 Champion This year s four-day festivities offer a celebration of one of Northeast Florida s most notable golfers along with golf-related activities and Stadium TV, Satellite Radio For the first time, fans at THE PLAYERS can rent a hand-held Stadium TV set and stay tuned to what is happening on site at THE PLAYERS Stadium Course. Stadium TV enables fans to watch the live broadcast and navigate between the additional video channels, course maps, individual hole layouts and player updates. The cost is $25 daily, $45 for the weekend and $75 for four days, and they are available 2007 PLAYERS Champion Phil Mickelson W E D N E S D A Y M A Y 7, 2 0 0 8 attractions for all ages. THE PLAYERS Downtown Experience kicks off today in conjunction with First Wednesday Art Walk, at the Jacksonville Landing with a celebration marking the 20th anniversary of local resident Mark McCumber s victory at THE PLAYERS Championship. Jacksonville s Mayor John Peyton will be in attendance with a proclamation recognizing THE PLAYERS Championship Week. Fans can enjoy video clips of McCumber s career. The festivities begin at 5 p.m. and continue throughout the evening, with live entertainment from Kort McCumber & the McCumberland Gap. For more information, visit jaxdowntownexperience.com. at the main entrance behind No. 17 (Gate P2) and near the first tee. Complimentary all-day trials of Satellite Radio sets will be available at the main entrance behind No. 17 (P2) and near the entrance to the Stadium Village. Stadium TV set 2007 FINAL LEADERBOARD Architect Dye Named To World Golf Hall As a life insurance salesman, Pete Dye turned out to be a pretty good golf course designer. Following a career change in his early 30s, where he left the insurance business behind him, Dye went on to become a prolific course designer, with one of his most famous works the TPC Sawgrass PLAYERS Stadium Course on display this week. Dye, one of golf s most influential architects, with more than 120 designs to his credit, capped his career Wednesday when World Golf Foundation Chairman David Fay announced at THE PLAYERS Championship that Dye has been elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in the Lifetime Achievement Category. His induction ceremony takes place November 10 in St. Augustine. I am surprised and extremely honored to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame and to be included with those who have contributed to the game I love, Dye, 82, said. Besides TPC Sawgrass, other notable Dye designs include Crooked Stick Golf Club in Indiana, Harbour Town Golf Links (with Jack Nicklaus) and The Ocean Course, both in South Carolina, The Honors Course in Tennessee, Oak Tree Golf Club in Oklahoma and the Straits Course in Wisconsin. Finish Player Score Round by Round 1. Phil Mickelson...-11 67-72-69-69 277 2. Sergio Garcia...-9 73-73-67-66 279 T3. Stewart Cink...-8 74-69-71-66 280 T3. Jose Maria Olazabal...-8 78-66-69-67 280 5. Jose Coceres...-7 73-70-68-70 281 T6. Robert Karlsson...-6 77-68-71-66 282 T6. Adam Scott...-6 74-71-70-67 282 T6. J.P. Hayes...-6 71-73-68-70 282 T6. Jeff Quinney...-6 71-74-64-73 282 T6. Peter Lonard...-6 69-72-68-73 282 TODAY This year s tickets are adorned with an illustration of 2007 PLAYERS champion Phil Mickelson, drawn by illustrator Chris Duke, and featuring a replica of Mickelson s autograph. Practice Round Gates open to public at 7:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m. PGA TOUR Lifetime Achievement Award presentation to Jack Nicklaus (Lifetime Achievement Award Terrace) 2-8 p.m. THE PLAYERS Preview, PGA TOUR Network (XM 146) 5-9 p.m. THE PLAYERS Downtown Experience (The Jacksonville Landing), Opening Ceremony 7-9 p.m. Live from THE PLAYERS 511 & 1700 AM For information on parking and traffic go to: 511: Call 511 or visit jax511.com to receive updates on traffic conditions throughout Northeast Florida and information on THE PLAYERS. 1700 AM: Tune in as you get closer to TPC Sawgrass for traffic, parking and other tournament information. WEATHER High of 80, low of 67. 10 percent chance of rain. Winds E-SE 14 mph. ABOUT THE COVER: Jack Nicklaus on his way to winning a third PLAYERS Championship in 1978 at Sawgrass Country Club. / Associated Press T H E P L A Y E R S C H A M P I O N S H I P 3
W E D N E S D A Y M A Y 7, 2 0 0 8 HONORING JACK WITH PGA TOUR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT World Golf Hall of Fame member Jack Nicklaus, whose 18 professional major championship wins is more than any player in history, will be honored as the eighth recipient of the PGA TOUR s Lifetime Achievement Award today. Nicklaus won the first PLAYERS Championship in 1974 at Atlanta Country Club and is the only threetime winner of the event. He also won in 1976 at Inverrary Golf and Country Club in Lauderhill, FL, and in 1978 at Sawgrass Country Club. Created in 1996, the Lifetime PGA TOUR Lifetime Achievement Award 4:30 p.m. Today LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD TERRACE (golf course side of clubhouse) Achievement Award honors individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the TOUR over an extended period of time through their actions on and off the course. Nicklaus joins Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, Jack Burke, Jr., Pete Dye and Deane Beman as recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award. Among Nicklaus 118 professional victories worldwide, he owns a total of 73 PGA TOUR wins, second only to Sam Snead s 82. Nicklaus was born Jan. 21, 1940, in Columbus, OH. Jack Nicklaus exemplifies the best qualities of golf, qualities that are at the heart of our sport, said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. On the course, he was an extraordinarily fierce competitor who also demonstrated gracious sportsmanship at every turn. That was never more evident than when he served as captain of the U.S. Presidents Cup Team, showing on more than one occasion that good will and friendship are just as important as winning. 1962: Nicklaus first PGA TOUR season. 1974: Nicklaus, with then PGA TOUR Commisioner Deane Beman (right) and former Commissioner Joe Dey, wins first PLAYERS Championship. 1986: Nicklaus wins the Masters, his final PGA TOUR victory. 2007: Nicklaus captains U.S. to Presidents Cup victory. Trophy: The Jack Nicklaus Trophy goes to the Player of the Year on all three Tours. 4 2005: President Bush presents Nicklaus the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 2005: Nicklaus plays his final PGA TOUR event, the British Open at St. Andrews. T H E P L A Y E R S C H A M P I O N S H I P
THE STADIUM VILLAGE W E D N E S D A Y M A Y 7, 2 0 0 8 THE PLAYERS Stadium Village, an area where fans gather for an interactive experience, debuted in 2007 and will move to a more central location adjacent to the clubhouse in 2008, with a focus on the 16th, 17th and 18th holes. Fans can still attempt to hit the 17th green on a one-quarter-scale 17th hole at the UBS 17th Hole Challenge. In addition, fans can relive famous shots on the par-5 16th hole at a swing simulator and try some of THE PLAYERS famous final putts on a replica of the 18th green. Finally, fans can have their photos taken with THE PLAYERS trophy that goes to the winner. 16TH HOLE SIMULATOR TROPHY PHOTO AREA CONCESSION MERCHANDISE UBS 17TH CHALLENGE SCOREBOARD ENTRY/EXIT ENTRY/EXIT The UBS 17th Hole Challenge under construction in THE PLAYERS Stadium Village last week. 18TH GREEN REPLICA World Golf Hall of Fame Features Nicklaus Exhibit Through December 2008, guests can revel in the stories behind Jack Nicklaus, one of golf s most treasured legends and the 2008 recipient of the PGA TOUR s Lifetime Achievement Award, at the World Golf Hall of Fame. Just a short drive from TPC Sawgrass, the Hall s feature exhibit, Jack Nicklaus: Golf s Golden Champion, is the latest member-focused exhibition and spotlights Nicklaus extensive career and life through a comprehensive collection of personal and professional memorabilia, photographs and video. The exhibition was created in collaboration with the Jack Nicklaus Museum and The Ohio State University in addition to support from Jack and Barbara Nicklaus and the Nicklaus Companies. Guests to THE PLAYERS can also get a taste of the World Golf Hall of Fame in the tournament s Welcome Pavilion, located near the tournament entrance. The pavilion illustrates the story of THE PLAYERS itself, as well as the Hall of Fame, its members and its annual induction ceremony. In addition, St. Johns County, home of THE PLAYERS and the World Golf Hall of Fame, is highlighted with stories and images of its tremendous golf, beaches and the historic town of St. Augustine. The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at World Golf Village off Interstate 95 at exit 323. The museum is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. For more information or to book a vacation package to World Golf Village, call (800) WGV-GOLF or visit wgv.com. Ask Us Approximately 2,000 volunteers will be on hand this week to support THE PLAYERS Championship. This group (clad in green golf shirts) plays a vital role in running all aspects of the tournament. Ron Natherson represents these volunteers as the Tournament Chairman this year. In addition, approximately 160 PGA TOUR employees will be on the grounds to serve as Ambassadors, directing spectators around the course. They can be identified by their blue golf shirts and caps. T H E P L A Y E R S C H A M P I O N S H I P 5
THURSDAY S PAIRINGS For Tournament Updates: PGATOUR.COM Time 7:20 7:30 7:41 7:51 8:02 8:12 8:23 8:33 8:44 8:54 9:05 9:15 Professionals 1st Tee Caddie Vest Color HEATH SLOCUM, Alpharetta, GA J.P. HAYES, El Paso, TX STEVE ELKINGTON, Sydney, Australia JASON GORE, Valencia, CA TIM PETROVIC, Tampa, FL JEFF QUINNEY, Scottsdale, AZ JEFF OVERTON, Evansville, IN JOHN MERRICK, Long Beach, CA NICHOLAS THOMPSON, Coral Springs, FL STEVE FLESCH, Union, KY JOE OGILVIE, Austin, TX FRED COUPLES, Palm Springs, CA MIKE WEIR, Brights Grove, Ontario, Canada NICK WATNEY, Las Vegas, NV KENNY PERRY, Franklin, KY GREG KRAFT, Belleair, FL DAVIS LOVE III, Sea Island, GA BRETT WETTERICH, Jupiter, FL STEPHEN AMES, Calgary, AB, Canada ANGEL CABRERA, Cordoba, Argentina BART BRYANT, Windermere, FL TREVOR IMMELMAN, Cape Town, South Africa PADRAIG HARRINGTON, Dublin, Ireland WOODY AUSTIN, Derby, KS STEVE LOWERY, Birmingham, AL SCOTT VERPLANK, Edmond, OK VIJAY SINGH, Fiji Islands JERRY KELLY, Madison, WI KEVIN SUTHERLAND, Sacramento, CA NATHAN GREEN, New Castle, NSW, Australia VAUGHN TAYLOR, Augusta, GA BO VAN PELT, Tulsa, OK SOREN HANSEN, Copenhagen, Denmark BEN CRANE, Beaverton, OR STEPHEN LEANEY, Perth, Australia NICLAS FASTH, Lysegarden, Sweden Time 7:20 7:30 7:41 7:51 8:02 8:12 8:23 8:33 8:44 8:54 9:05 9:15 Professionals 10th Tee RICH BEEM, Austin, TX IAN POULTER, Woburn, England KEN DUKE, Palm City, FL TOMMY ARMOUR III, Las Colinas, TX BERNHARD LANGER, Munich, Germany BRIAN DAVIS, London, England BOB ESTES, Austin, TX BRETT QUIGLEY, Barrington, RI BRINY BAIRD, Palm City, FL GEORGE MCNEILL, Ft. Myers, FL TROY MATTESON, Alpharetta, GA JOHN ROLLINS, Dallas, TX BRIAN BATEMAN, Monroe, LA FRED FUNK, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL TOM LEHMAN, Scottsdale, AZ CHARLEY HOFFMAN, Las Vegas, NV PAUL GOYDOS, Coto de Caza, CA ROD PAMPLING, Brisbane, Australia JUSTIN LEONARD, Dallas, TX STEVE STRICKER, Madison, WI SERGIO GARCIA, Castellon, Spain PHIL MICKELSON, Rancho Santa Fe, CA RORY SABBATINI, Ft. Worth, TX HENRIK STENSON, Gothenburg, Sweden GEOFF OGILVY, Melbourne, Australia DANIEL CHOPRA, Falun, Sweden AARON BADDELEY, Melbourne, Australia JASON BOHN, Acworth, GA RYAN MOORE, Tacoma, WA KEVIN STADLER, Scottsdale, AZ JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL, San Sebastian, Spain PAT PEREZ, Scottsdale, AZ RYAN ARMOUR, Silver Lake, OH JOSE COCERES, El Chaco, Argentina RYUJI IMADA, Tampa, FL CHARLES WARREN, Greenville, SC Caddie Vest Color Time 12:20 12:30 12:41 12:51 1:02 1:12 1:23 1:33 1:44 1:54 2:05 2:15 Professionals 1st Tee TIM CLARK, Scottsdale, AZ MATHIAS GRONBERG, Sweden RICHARD STERNE, South Africa ALEX CEJKA, Las Vegas, NV MICHAEL ALLEN, Scottsdale, AZ KEVIN NA, Diamond Bar, CA BILLY MAYFAIR, Scottsdale, AZ BUBBA WATSON, Bagdad, FL JOHN MALLINGER, Long Beach, CA DEAN WILSON, Kaneohe, HI MICHAEL CAMPBELL, Gulf Harbour, New Zealand SHAUN MICHEEL, Memphis, TN MARK CALCAVECCHIA, Palm Beach Gardens, FL HUNTER MAHAN, Plano, TX CARL PETTERSSON, Raleigh, NC BRIAN GAY, Windermere, FL BEN CURTIS, Orlando, FL TIM HERRON, Wayzata, MN ERNIE ELS, Wentworth, England K.J. CHOI, The Woodlands, TX STEWART CINK, Duluth, GA ADAM SCOTT, Queensland, Australia JOHNSON WAGNER, Charlotte, NC JIM FURYK, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL SEAN O'HAIR, West Chester, PA J.B. HOLMES, Campbellsville, KY ZACH JOHNSON, Cedar Rapids, IA ROCCO MEDIATE, Naples, FL JUSTIN ROSE, London, England ROBERT GARRIGUS, Scottsdale, AZ ROBERT ALLENBY, Melbourne, Australia CAMILO VILLEGAS, Medellin, Colombia PAUL CASEY, Surrey, England PETER LONARD, Sydney, Australia SHIGEKI MARUYAMA, Tokyo, Japan MATT JONES, Sydney, Australia Caddie Vest Color Time 12:20 12:30 12:41 12:51 1:02 1:12 1:23 1:33 1:44 1:54 2:05 2:15 Professionals 10th Tee MATHEW GOGGIN, Hobart, Australia NICK O'HERN, Perth, Australia CLIFF KRESGE, Heathrow, FL MARK HENSBY, Tamworth, Australia STEVE MARINO, Palm Beach Gardens, FL MIGUEL A. JIMENEZ, Malaga, Spain TOM PERNICE, JR., Murrieta, CA JESPER PARNEVIK, Stockholm, Sweden FREDRIK JACOBSON, Estero, FL MARK WILSON, Chicago, IL CHARLES HOWELL III, Orlando, FL DAVID TOMS, Shreveport, LA JONATHAN BYRD, Sea Island, GA JEFF MAGGERT, Houston, TX TODD HAMILTON, Westlake, TX JOHN SENDEN, Brisbane, Australia J.J. HENRY, Ft. Worth, TX CHRIS DIMARCO, Heathrow, FL ANDRES ROMERO, Tucuman, Argentina CHAD CAMPBELL, Colleyville, TX BRANDT SNEDEKER, Nashville, TN ANTHONY KIM, Dallas, TX BOO WEEKLEY, East Milton, FL D.J. TRAHAN, Mt. Pleasant, SC STUART APPLEBY, Victoria, Australia LUKE DONALD, High Wycombe, England RETIEF GOOSEN, Polokwane, South Africa MATT KUCHAR, Atlanta, GA CAMERON BECKMAN, San Antonio, TX BILL HAAS, Greenville, SC DUDLEY HART, Buffalo, NY LEE WESTWOOD, Worksop, England TIM WILKINSON, Palmerston North, New Zealand LUCAS GLOVER, Greenville, SC CHARLIE WI, Westlake Village, CA RICHARD JOHNSON, Ft. Smith, AR Caddie Vest Color WEATHER WARNING Inclement weather policy for spectators: Observe the leaderboards throughout the golf course for Weather Warning signs that will appear if the tournament becomes aware of inclement weather moving into the area. When this warning appears, spectators are advised to take precautions and seek shelter prior to play being suspended. If the siren sounds, put down your umbrella and seek shelter immediately. AVOID THE FOLLOWING: Hilltops/high places, isolated trees, open fields, golf carts, metal and wire fences. For alphabetical player list, see next page. T H E P L A Y E R S C H A M P I O N S H I P 7
W E D N E S D A Y M A Y 7, 2 0 0 8 ALPHABETICAL PLAYER LISTING ROUND 1 Tee Time Professional Tee Time Professional Tee Time Professional Tee Time Professional 1 12:30 Michael Allen 1 2:05 Robert Allenby 1 8:23 Stephen Ames 10 1:44 Stuart Appleby 10 9:05 Ryan Armour 10 7:30 Tommy Armour III 1 8:33 Woody Austin 10 8:44 Aaron Baddeley 10 7:41 Briny Baird 10 8:02 Brian Bateman 10 1:54 Cameron Beckman 10 7:20 Rich Beem 10 8:54 Jason Bohn 1 8:23 Bart Bryant 10 1:02 Jonathan Byrd 1 8:23 Angel Cabrera 1 1:02 Mark Calcavecchia 10 1:23 Chad Campbell 1 12:51 Michael Campbell 1 2:05 Paul Casey 1 12:30 Alex Cejka 1 1:23 K.J. Choi 10 8:44 Daniel Chopra 1 1:23 Stewart Cink 1 12:20 Tim Clark 10 9:15 Jose Coceres 1 7:51 Fred Couples 1 9:15 Ben Crane 1 1:12 Ben Curtis 10 7:30 Brian Davis 10 1:12 Chris DiMarco 10 1:44 Luke Donald 10 7:20 Ken Duke 1 7:20 Steve Elkington 1 1:23 Ernie Els 10 7:41 Bob Estes 1 9:15 Niclas Fasth 1 7:51 Steve Flesch 10 8:02 Fred Funk 1 1:33 Jim Furyk 10 8:23 Sergio Garcia 1 1:54 Robert Garrigus 1 1:12 Brian Gay 10 2:15 Lucas Glover 10 12:20 Mathew Goggin 10 1:44 Retief Goosen 1 7:30 Jason Gore 10 8:12 Paul Goydos 1 8:54 Nathan Green 1 12:20 Mathias Gronberg 10 1:54 Bill Haas 10 1:02 Todd Hamilton 1 9:05 Soren Hansen 1 8:33 Padraig Harrington 10 2:05 Dudley Hart 1 7:20 J.P. Hayes 10 1:12 J.J. Henry 10 12:30 Mark Hensby 1 1:12 Tim Herron 10 8:12 Charley Hoffman 1 1:44 J.B. Holmes 10 12:51 Charles Howell III 10 9:15 Ryuji Imada 1 8:33 Trevor Immelman 10 12:41 Fredrik Jacobson 10 12:30 Miguel A. Jimenez 10 2:15 Richard Johnson 1 1:44 Zach Johnson 1 2:15 Matt Jones 1 8:54 Jerry Kelly 10 1:33 Anthony Kim 1 8:12 Greg Kraft 10 12:20 Cliff Kresge 10 1:54 Matt Kuchar 10 7:30 Bernhard Langer 1 9:15 Stephen Leaney 10 8:02 Tom Lehman 10 8:23 Justin Leonard 1 2:15 Peter Lonard 1 8:12 Davis Love III 1 8:44 Steve Lowery 10 1:02 Jeff Maggert 1 1:02 Hunter Mahan 1 12:41 John Mallinger 10 12:30 Steve Marino 1 2:15 Shigeki Maruyama 10 7:51 Troy Matteson 1 12:41 Billy Mayfair 10 7:51 George McNeill 1 1:54 Rocco Mediate 1 7:41 John Merrick 1 12:51 Shaun Micheel 10 8:33 Phil Mickelson 10 8:54 Ryan Moore 1 12:30 Kevin Na 1 7:51 Joe Ogilvie 10 8:44 Geoff Ogilvy 1 1:44 Sean O'Hair 10 12:20 Nick O'Hern 10 9:05 Jose Maria Olazabal 1 7:41 Jeff Overton 10 8:12 Rod Pampling 10 12:41 Jesper Parnevik 10 9:05 Pat Perez 10 12:41 Tom Pernice, Jr. 1 8:02 Kenny Perry 1 7:30 Tim Petrovic 1 1:02 Carl Pettersson 10 7:20 Ian Poulter 10 7:41 Brett Quigley 1 7:30 Jeff Quinney 10 7:51 John Rollins 10 1:23 Andres Romero 1 1:54 Justin Rose 10 8:33 Rory Sabbatini 1 1:33 Adam Scott 10 1:12 John Senden 1 8:44 Vijay Singh 1 7:20 Heath Slocum 10 1:23 Brandt Snedeker 10 8:54 Kevin Stadler 10 8:33 Henrik Stenson 1 12:20 Richard Sterne 10 8:23 Steve Stricker 1 8:54 Kevin Sutherland 1 9:05 Vaughn Taylor 1 7:41 Nicholas Thompson 10 12:51 David Toms 10 1:33 D.J. Trahan 1 9:05 Bo Van Pelt 1 8:44 Scott Verplank 1 2:05 Camilo Villegas 1 1:33 Johnson Wagner 10 9:15 Charles Warren 1 8:02 Nick Watney 1 12:41 Bubba Watson 10 1:33 Boo Weekley 1 8:02 Mike Weir 10 2:05 Lee Westwood 1 8:12 Brett Wetterich 10 2:15 Charlie Wi 10 2:05 Tim Wilkinson 1 12:51 Dean Wilson 10 12:51 Mark Wilson For the ninth consecutive year at THE PLAYERS Championship, PGATOUR.COM brings unprecedented access to the legendary 17th hole at the TPC Sawgrass. LIVE@ THE PLAYERS gives golf fans around the globe complete coverage of every player and every shot on one of the most exciting holes on TOUR. For four consecutive days, every shot on the famed island green will be streamed in TV-quality video to your computer live. Go to PGATOUR.COM/livegolf. 2008 marks the second year of the FedExCup, a season-long points competition, consisting of the Regular Season and four Playoff events, all culminating with the crowning of the FedExCup champion. As players and fans saw last year, the FedExCup makes each week, including the THE PLAYERS Championship, critical for PGA TOUR players to ensure themselves a good seeding for the Playoffs and a better chance to take home the FedExCup trophy in September. Players this week will be competing for a total of 27,500 points. First place in the THE PLAYERS is worth 4,950 points, and the winner will have a significant advantage in the FedExCup standings. Tune in all season long to see who will be next to win the FedExCup. 8 T H E P L A Y E R S C H A M P I O N S H I P
W E D N E S D A Y M A Y 7, 2 0 0 8 Klauk s Corner Fred Klauk, course superintendent at TPC Sawgrass, has been affiliated with THE PLAYERS Championship since coming to Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, in 1986 from the same position at TPC Eagle Trace in Coral Springs, FL. This year will mark his 23rd and final PLAYERS preparing the course as Klauk will retire after more than 35 years in golfcourse maintenance. Klauk will be succeeded by Tom Vlach. Klauk sat down recently to discuss his tenure: First job interview. I was 24 years old in 1975 and interviewing to become head superintendent at Pine Tree Golf Club in Boynton Beach, FL. Sam Snead was on the committee that was interviewing me. He sat directly across the dinner table from me and grilled me about maintaining a course. They liked the interview and invited me back two weeks later to play golf with Sam. I was shaking like a leaf on the 10th tee and duck-hooked it right in the water. But I did hit it by him on 18. And I got the job. Most pleasant experience. The year Fred Funk won (2005). Fred was very gracious and played golf with my sons in some tournaments. That was a highlight for me. Most humorous PLAYERS experience. I was right there at 17 green in 1998 when Brad Fabel lost a ball to the seagull. The bird swooped down on the green, picked up his ball, flew off and dropped it in the water. The only reason I was watching Brad is my son Jeff cut Brad s yard at that time. Reserve your 2008 OFFICIAL FILM now! Reserve your copy of the 2008 PLAYERS Championship Official Film, complete with highlights, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, in High Definition. The cost is $19.95. To order, call 1-866-216-7965 or visit PGATOUR.COM/playersdvd. 09 TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE To order tickets and corporate hospitality packages to the 2009 PLAYERS Championship, scheduled for May 4-10, go to: PGATOUR.COM/THEPLAYERS THE PLAYERS Championship Charities PGA TOUR Wives to Honor Local Champions To celebrate its 20th anniversary of giving back, the PGA TOUR Wives Association will honor 20 local Champions nominated by various area community organizations. The nominees provided volunteer services, outstanding accomplishments or overcame significant personal adversity in Northeast Florida. These Champions range in age from 10-to 70-plus and were selected by representatives of the Wives Association and PLAYERS staff. The membership of the PGA TOUR Wives Association is celebrating 20 years of giving back at THE PLAYERS Championship where it all began, said Amy Wilson, Board President of the PGA TOUR Wives Association. We are thrilled to share our on-going commitment to charity and volunteerism by celebrating with community Champions who also represent our ideals of giving back. Immediately following a celebration breakfast this morning, members of the Wives Association will treat the Champions to a VIP tour of THE PLAYERS, where they will receive access to areas not open to the public. These Champions will then be guests of the tournament for the remainder of the day. Fred Funk, the 2005 PLAYERS champion, shows the UBS 17th Hole Challenge to a young fan on Tuesday. These Kids Can Play More than a dozen Community PedsCare patients, their families and caregivers were hosted for a day of golf and fun by families of PGA TOUR players, TOUR Academy instructors, The First Tee of Jacksonville and UBS employees on Tuesday. The children swung away at the 16th hole simulators, the UBS 17th Hole Challenge and putted their way to a PLAYERSstyle finish at the 18th green in the new Stadium Village. The event was spearheaded by Tabitha Furyk, wife of PGA TOUR professional Jim Furyk, and other families of TOUR players. More than 50 area charities benefit from the Birdies for Charity program. Monetary pledges are collected for each birdie made during the tournament, with the participant guessing the correct number of birdies made at the 2008 PLAYERS winning a fabulous getaway trip to Scottsdale, AZ. There were 1,370 birdies made at the 2007 PLAYERS and more than $161,000 was raised. The 2007 PLAYERS and the PGA TOUR made joint contributions totaling $2.8 million to Northeast Florida charities. Since 1977, when THE PLAYERS Championship moved to Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, more than $28 million has been contributed to charitable organizations in Northeast Florida. 10 T H E P L A Y E R S C H A M P I O N S H I P