Palm Desert, Calif. – Chrysler Group and the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic have agreed in principle on a four-year extension of their contract for Chrysler to continue as title sponsor of the tournament through at least 2010, it was announced.
"This is our 42nd year and our plan is to be around for four more," said David Rooney, director of media operations and cross brand marketing for Daimler-Chrysler. "We are going to put some new energy into the tournament, and we think it is going to get bigger and better. If we all work together and do it right, we think we can actually increase the value of this whole package over the next few years.
"It’s a wonderful event," Rooney added. "It’s just a wonderful venue, and it’s unique. I’m not sure there is another tour event that combines the celebrity impact, the professional golf impact and, in our case, cars. You get to see the players and the athletes and the celebrities in a different light. That’s something special, and it’s something we want to be a part of."
"We started the week with the dedication of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic Medical Building in our honor on the campus of the Eisenhower Medical Center, and we are thrilled to be ending the week with the announcement of a continuation of our 42-year relationship with Chrysler during which we have raised nearly $42 million for charity in our community," said Steve Morton, president and tournament chairman of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. "We look forward to an exciting future with our title sponsor, Chrysler, which is and continues to be the longest running sponsor-tournament relationship on the PGA TOUR."
The five-day, 90-hole tournament features a $5 million purse with $900,000 to the winner in 2006, and is hosted for the first time by the Classic Club, a 250-acre course along Cook Street that has inspired this year’s tournament theme, "The Classic is Cookin.’" The Classic Club is joined in the tournament rotation by Bermuda Dunes Country Club, La Quinta Country Club and the Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA West.
Justin Leonard is defending champion. The tournament features a four-day, 72-hole pro-am, which includes sports and entertainment celebrities. This year’s celebrity list included Marcus Allen, Anthony Anderson, Yogi Berra, Michael Bolton, Glen Campbell, Roger Clemens, Alice Cooper, Carson Daly, Tom Dreesen, Mike Eruzione, Marshall Faulk, Samuel L. Jackson, Rush Limbaugh, George Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, Mark Mulder, Craig T. Nelson, Shawn Parr, Maury Povich, Ahmad Rashad, Darius Rucker, Burt Rutan, Sterling Sharpe, Justin Timberlake, Mark Wahlberg and Adrian Young.
Since its inception in 1960, the BHCC has donated nearly $42 million to local non-profit organizations including Eisenhower Medical Center, Shelter from the Storm and The Boys & Girls Clubs.
Further information on the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic is available at www.bhcc.com or by calling 1.888.MRBHOPE (672.4673).
Contact:
Toby Zwikel
(818) 344-6195
Pat Bennett
(760) 346-8184
