Ponte Vedra Beach, FL – Members of the Champions Tour Tournament Association (CTTA) presented the 2005 "Bruno Award" to the Champions Tour’s longest-running title sponsor, Liberty Mutual Group, last night at their Annual Meeting Dinner in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
Phil Garcia of the Boeing Championship at Sandestin, chairman of the CTTA Board of Directors, presented the Bruno Award to John Cusalito, Liberty Mutual’s Vice President, Manager of External Relations, on behalf of Liberty Mutual.
The "Bruno Award" is presented annually to an individual or organization judged to have made special contributions to the Champions Tour.
Liberty Mutual Group has played an instrumental role in the development of the Champions Tour. In 1980, the same year the Champions Tour (then Senior PGA Tour) was born, Liberty Mutual assumed title sponsorship of the then two-year old Legends of Golf. Twenty-six years later the Boston-based diversified international group of insurance companies continues as title sponsor and has been associated as title sponsor longer than any other sponsor in professional golf with the exception of Buick’s involvement in the PGA TOUR’s Buick Open since 1958.
The Liberty Mutual tournament brought the legends of golf together and showcased the talents of players who had long been out of the spotlight. Its success proved to others there was a place on the sports landscape for an entertaining, competitive brand of golf played by stars age 50 and above. Golfers who figured their competitive careers were over began to rethink their plans.
Fred Raphael, the 2002 Bruno Award winner, was the visionary behind the Legends of Golf, along with World Golf Hall of Fame member Jimmy Demaret. He served as the event’s tournament director for its first 20 years.
In 2006 the Champions Tour will play 29 official events for a minimum of $52.7 million. Since 1980, the Tour has raised well over $100 million for charity.
The Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf has had homes in Austin, TX, Palm Springs, CA, Amelia Island, FL, St. Augustine, FL and since 2003, Savannah, GA, and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity. Many of the game’s greats have won the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf including Sam Snead, Julius Boros, Gene Littler, Tommy Bolt, Lee Trevino and Hale Irwin in either team or individual competition. The tournament has been on network television every year since 1978 and always offered one of the highest purses on Tour. In April, Liberty Mutual and the Champions Tour announced a four-year tournament contract extension through 2010.
"The Champions Tour has grown into a highly successful sports venture since it was launched in 1980," said Garcia. "It is no coincidence that Liberty Mutual was its first title sponsor and remains a mainstay 26 years later, and that during this era the Tour has evolved into the highly entertaining, competitive and successful charitable entity it now is. Liberty Mutual has provided great continuity for the Tour, and importantly, a link to all of our roots. On behalf of Champions Tour events past and present, we thank Liberty Mutual for their long-term commitment and support of the Tour. They truly have been a special partner to the Champions Tour."
The Bruno Award is named in honor of Brian "Bruno" Henning, formerly Vice President, Competitions for the Champions Tour. Henning was a pioneer for the Champions Tour, handling a myriad of tournament-related details, including course selection and set-up, sponsor recruitment and conduct of the competition from 1981 to 2001. The South African native was named the inaugural recipient of the Award in December 2001. Deane Beman won it in 2003 and Mark Kizziar last year.
Nominations for the award are solicited from the Champions Tour, Champions Tour Tournament Association, its tournaments and sponsors, Champions Tour players and the media. One representative from each organization participates on a panel to determine each year’s recipient. A permanent bronze statuette and plaque identifying the winners is on display at the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass, home of the PGA TOUR, in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
Contact:
Lana Manning
Executive Director
CTTA
(904) 285-6650
