(Stockbridge, Georgia, March 14, 2006) — Cristie Kerr and Jeong Jang, who ranked third and fifth respectively on the 2005 LPGA money list, will play in the Atlanta Charity Championship hosted by Nancy Lopez. They join defending champion Annika Sorenstam, Paula Creamer, Natalie Gulbis, Morgan Pressel, tournament host Nancy Lopez and other top professionals in the 15th annual event. Scheduled for April 17-23 at Eagle’s Landing Country Club in Stockbridge, GA, the event offers a first-place check of $240,000 and a total purse of $1.6 million. Here are additional facts and figures about Kerr and Jang:
Cristie Kerr:
â?¢ Thanks in no small way to an extraordinary level of consistency, Kerr enjoyed the best year of her nine year career in 2005, banking $1,360,941 to rank third. That was due to missing just two cuts in 22 starts and collecting 11 top 10s in the process. Among them were wins at both the Michelob ULTRA Open and the Wendy’s Championship for Children, the fifth and sixth titles of her career.
â?¢ Among the other top 10’s was a tie for third at the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship hosted by Nancy Lopez where she fired rounds of 68-73-70-65. In seven prior Atlanta appearances she had never finished higher that 41st. She also finished tied for second at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay and tied for second at the State Farm Classic. The latter enabled her to cross the $5 million mark in career earnings.
â?¢ She made her third appearance on the Solheim Cup team last year, helping to lead the U.S. to victory with a 2-2 record. She also established her career low-round with a sparkling 62 at the Longs Drugs Challenge.
â?¢ She is off to a rock solid start this year with a tie for eighth at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay, and ninth place ties at both the Fields Open in Hawaii and the MasterCard Classic. Eight of her nine rounds have been under par with four of them in the 60’s.
Jeong Jang
â?¢ Jang also enjoyed her best earnings total in 2005, finishing at $1,131,986 to rank fifth. She missed just one cut in 27 events; the second year in a row that she missed only one. The big highlight was her first career win and it was a major, the Weetabix Women’s British Open.
â?¢ She had an amazing 14 other top 10’s including a second at the Safeway Classic and a tie for second at the Sybase Classic. This remarkable consistency was helped by her leading the tour in birdies with 331 and finishing second in the rounds under par category at 54.8%.
â?¢ In other 2005 statistical categories she ranked fifth in rounds in the 60’s (30/93), 9th in greens in regulation (71%) and 12th in putts per green hit in regulation (1.79). Over the past five years she has progressed from 85th to 34th to 25th to 12th to 5th on the money list.
â?¢ In five appearances at the Atlanta Charity Championship hosted by Nancy Lopez her best finish was a 28th in 2004. Last year she shot a three-under-par total of 285 to finish tied for 31st.
â?¢ Jang is a native of Dae Jon, South Korea and currently resides in Orlando. She holds a degree in Kinesiology and Physical Education.
Proceeds from the Atlanta Charity Championship benefit the Henry Medical Center; Dayton, Ohio-based AIM for the Handicapped, the favorite charity of Nancy Lopez; and the East Lake Foundation.
Contact:
John Marshall
Marshall & Associates
(770) 436-2643
Torrey Gane
Atlanta Charity Championship hosted by Nancy Lopez
(770) 474-4653
