REUNION, Fla., March 14, 2006 – May Wood, who is a non-exempt LPGA rookie, has accepted a sponsor’s exemption to the inaugural Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open at the Reunion Resort & Club, April 24-30. The LPGA field will compete for one of the richest purses in history $2.5 million. Wood will compete against the prominent 144-player field, which is also expected to include No.1-ranked LPGA player Annika Sorenstam.
"I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to compete in the Ginn Open," said Wood. "It is going to be such a treat for me to compete in Orlando, practically in my backyard, and be able to play against the best players in the world. I can’t wait to see what success this tournament will bring to Orlando and to the LPGA tour."
"May’s talents and resume prove she is on the path to become a rising star on the LPGA," said Bobby Ginn, president and CEO of Ginn Clubs & Resorts. "Despite being a rookie, she will be a hometown favorite as the Orlando-resident will charm the crowds with her personality, appearance and length off the tee."
Wood joins 12-year-old Dakoda Dowd and Orlando-resident amateur player Andia Winslow as the third sponsor’s exemption.
Wood, a 22-year-old rookie on the LPGA, lives in Windermere, Fla. The 6’2" Chattanooga, Tenn., native was a three-time Tennessee State High School Champion. In 2002, she was a First-Team American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Polo All-American, Canon Cup participant and North-South Amateur Champion.
Wood played collegiate golf at Vanderbilt University and won the 2003 Bryan National Collegiate Championship. Wood is the 2004 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Champion and was named SEC Player of the Year and NCAA First-Team All-American. Wood, who earned four collegiate wins at Vanderbilt, was the runner-up at the NCAA Central Region Championship.
In July 2004, Wood turned professional. In 2005, Wood’s best finish on the Futures Tour was a tie for 10th at the Northwest Indiana FUTURES Golf Classic. She tied for 60th at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament Presented by American Airlines to earn non-exempt status for the 2006 LPGA Tour season.
Wood is an Atlanta Braves baseball fan and enjoys music, horses and dancing. She has her own Web Site at:
Tickets will be priced at $10 for each of the practice rounds and pro-am days and $30 for general admission for each of the four rounds. Parking is complimentary and included with each ticket. Weekly badges are available for $80 which allows guests access to all of the tournament events as well as the two evenings of music on Friday and Saturday night with concerts by the Pointer Sisters and Brooks & Dunn, to name a few. Practice rounds will be held on Monday, April 24 and Tuesday, April 25. The Pro-Am will be held on Wednesday, April 26 and the 72-hole competition will begin Thursday, April 27 and run through April 30.
Seniors will be admitted to Thursday’s first round of play for $15 and all military will be admitted to the final round on Sunday for $15. Fans interested in group sales and sponsorship information can call the tournament office at 877-GINNTIX.
The inaugural Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open will be played at Reunion Resort & Club on a composite layout of two of the resort’s courses, the Legacy Course designed by Arnold Palmer and the Independence Course by Tom Watson. CBS Sports and The Golf Channel will televise the event nationally.
Reunion is home to some of the greatest golf in Central Florida. The 7,154-yard
Independence Course, Watson’s first Florida design, has garnered many accolades since opening in February 2005. Equally beautiful and challenging is the 6,916-yard Legacy Course, designed by the legendary Palmer. Reunion’s third course, the Tradition Course, a Jack Nicklaus Signature design, is scheduled to open in early 2007.
The four-year agreement between Ginn Clubs & Resorts, tournament organizer Pantheon International and the LPGA, ensures that women’s professional championship golf will be prominently featured at a first-class Florida venue for years to come.
About Ginn Clubs & Resorts
The Ginn Company is a privately held resort development and management firm which specializes in exclusive leisure lifestyle and vacation destination communities across the
U.S. From private residential communities to resort destinations offering unparalleled ownership and vacation opportunities, the common denominator throughout every Ginn Club & Resort is service.
The company’s principals have more than three decades of experience in creating extraordinary large-scale, recreation-oriented communities. Current Ginn Clubs & Resorts communities include Cobblestone Park in Columbia, S.C. as well as Belvidere Club & Resort, which encompasses RiverTowne Country Club, The Cottages on Charleston Harbor and Patriot’s Point Golf Course in
the Charleston area. The company also owns and operates Hammock Beach, The Conservatory at Hammock Beach and Yacht Harbor Village near St. Augustine, Fla., Reunion Resort & Club of Orlando, Bella Collina north of Orlando and Tesoro and Tesoro Preserve in Port St. Lucie on Florida’s historic "Treasure Coast." The company also owns and operates Mahogany Run Golf Course in St. Thomas and has several projects under development in North Carolina, Vermont, Colorado and in the Bahamas.
About Pantheon International
Pantheon International is a privately held, Westport, CT-based sports marketing & event management firm that own event properties in California, Indiana, New York and
Florida. Pantheon specializes in providing unique corporate marketing platforms through its high profile sports events. The company is a niche leader at originating and producing
marquee live sports entertainment that create powerful bonds between corporations and the passionate affinity groups that permeate sports. The company’s core properties
include the prestigious John R. Wooden Classic and John R. Wooden Tradition college basketball invitational events, held in honor of the Hall of Fame coaching legend.
About Reunion Resort & Club of Orlando
Located on 2,300 gently rolling acres in Osceola County, the Resort is 25 minutes south of Orlando, Fla., immediately south of Disney’s Town of Celebration, 15 minutes from
Walt Disney World and 25 minutes from Orlando International Airport. In addition to championship golf, planned amenities include a five-acre, multi-pool water and swim
pavilion, a first-class tennis complex, stables and riding trails, a state-of-the-art spa and fitness center, walking and biking trails, and terrific boutique shopping and dining in
Reunion Square. More information about Reunion Resort & Club is available at (888) 418-9611 and www.reunionresort.com.
Contact:
Steve Brener/Dana von Louda
Brener Zwikel & Associates, Inc.
818-344-6195, ext. 103/107
Ryan Julison
Ginn Clubs & Resorts
321-939-4705
