Stellar line-up includes Jay Haas, Loren Roberts, Craig Stadler and Tom Watson
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (June 6, 2006) – The Greater Kansas City Golf Classic announced today that Gil Morgan and Jerry Pate have committed to play in Kansas City’s Champions Tour event. Morgan and Pate join an already stellar field that includes Jay Haas, Loren Roberts, Craig Stadler, and Tom Watson. This year’s event will be held June 26 – July 2, 2006 at The Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate in Overland Park, Kan. Sprint Nextel, HCA Midwest Health System, Garmin, and Cerner are the title sponsors.
"We are pleased that these two outstanding players on the Champions Tour, Gil Morgan and Jerry Pate, have committed to our event," said Bob Burris, Executive Director, Greater Kansas City Golf Classic. "We already had a very strong field, and the addition of Morgan and Pate enhances our list of players who have committed to play here. This is shaping up to be a great event for Kansas City golf enthusiasts."
Morgan, who won last week’s 2006 Allianz Championship, is currently 4th on the 2006 Champions Tour Official Money List with $886,459. The win gives Morgan 24 career Champions Tour victories. It was his first win this season.
Pate, who also has one win this season, is currently 10th on the Money List with $516,198. He has 8 career PGA Tour victories, including the 1976 U.S. Open Championship.
Currently, 9 of the top 10, and 25 of the top 30 from the 2005 Champions Tour Money List have announced they will play in the 2006 Greater Kansas City Golf Classic.
Following is an alpha list of Champions Tour players who have committed thus far:
Jim Ahern
Jim Albus
Hugh Baiocchi
Andy Bean
John Bland
Brad Bryant
Jose Maria Canizares
Bob Charles
Jim Colbert
Jim Dent
Ed Dougherty
Allen Doyle
R.W. Eaks
Bob Eastwood
David Edwards
David Eger
Dave Eichelberger
Jack Ferenz
Keith Fergus
Vicente Fernandez
Bruce Fleisher
Bob Gilder
Jay Haas
Walter Hall
Kirk Hanefeld
John Harris
Morris Hatalsky
John Jacobs
Mark James
Tom Jenkins
Mark Johnson
Rick Karbowski
Massy Kuramoto
Wayne Levi
Bill Longmuir
Graham Marsh
Scott Masingill
James Mason
Gary McCord
Mike McCullough
Mark McCumber
Tom McKnight
Mark McNulty
Hajime Meshiai
Gil Morgan
Lonnie Nielsen
Naomichi Joe Ozaki
Jerry Pate
Dan Pohl
Tom Purtzer
Dana Quigley
Mike Reid
Loren Roberts
Jay Sigel
Scott Simpson
Tim Simpson
Des Smyth
Craig Stadler
Dave Stockton
Ron Streck
Mike Sullivan
Bruce Summerhays
Doug Tewell
Leonard Thompson
Rocky Thompson
Jim Thorpe
Bobby Wadkins
Lanny Wadkins
Tom Wargo
Tom Watson
D.A. Weibring
The Greater Kansas City Golf Classic, will be held June 26 – July 2, 2006 at The Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate in Overland Park, Kan. The unique format of the Greater Kansas City Golf Classic offers golf fans the chance to see 76 Champions TOUR legends team up with 76 amateurs in a team format, similar to the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. The low 12 teams with scores posted during the Friday and Saturday Pro-Am will advance into Sunday’s final round.
The Greater Kansas City Golf Classic is managed by The Pride of Kansas City Foundation and benefits local children’s charities.
For additional information, please contact Bob Burris, Executive Director, at 913-814-7744, or email bob@prideofkc.org.
About The Pride of Kansas City Foundation
The Pride of Kansas City Foundation is a not for profit 501.C.3 private charitable organization initially formed to produce Kansas City’s annual Champions TOUR event and disburse the charitable proceeds raised. Ultimately, the Foundation will produce enriching community activities all-year-long that enhance the lifestyles of those who live in Kansas City, work in Kansas City and play in Kansas City. The Executive Board is made up of corporate and civic community leaders whose job will be to develop the guidelines for distributing charitable funds to the named charity.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business and government customers. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two robust wireless networks offering industry leading mobile data services; instant national and international walkie-talkie capabilities; and an award-winning and global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.
About HCA
HCA Midwest Health System operates 12 hospitals in the Kansas City metropolitan area, including Allen County Hospital, Menorah Medical Center, and Overland Park Regional Medical Center in Kansas; and Baptist-Lutheran Medical Center, Cass Medical Center, Independence Regional Health Center, Lafayette Regional Health Center, Lee’s Summit Hospital, Medical Center of Independence, Research Belton Hospital, Research Medical Center, and Research Psychiatric Center in Missouri. Nashville-based HCA (NYSE: HCA) formalized its $1.13 billion acquisition of Kansas City’s Health Midwest network of hospitals in April 2003. You may visit us online at www.HCAMidwest.com.
About Garmin
Based in Olathe, Kansas, Garmin International is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture, and sale of GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation, communication, and information equipment. The company has built and sold millions of products that serve automotive, consumer, wireless, marine, aviation, recreation, and fitness markets. From its StreetPilot(R) line of portable and easy-to-use automotive navigators – to the nuevi(TM), a groundbreaking personal travel assistant – to the Forerunner(TM) family of wrist-worn GPS training gear for fitness enthusiasts – Garmin makes products that improve people’s everyday lives. For more information visit www.garmin.com.
About Cerner
Cerner Corp. is taking the paper chart out of healthcare, eliminating error, variance and waste in the care process. With more than 1,500 clients worldwide, Cerner is the leading supplier of healthcare information technology. NASDAQ: CERN www.cerner.com.
About Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate
Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate is a private country club located in Overland Park, 10 miles southwest of Kansas City, Missouri. In addition to the 18-hole championship golf course, the club features a 21,000-square-foot clubhouse that includes full men’s and ladies’ locker rooms, golf pro shop, fine dining and grill rooms.
About ClubCorp
Founded in 1957, Dallas-based ClubCorp is the world leader in delivering premier golf, private club, and resort experiences. Internationally, ClubCorp’s affiliates own or operate nearly 170 golf courses, country clubs, private business and sports clubs, and resorts. ClubCorp has more than $1.5 billion in assets. Among the company’s nationally recognized golf properties are Pinehurst in the Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina (North America’s largest golf resort, home to the 1999 and 2005 U.S. Opens); Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio (site of the World Golf Championships – Bridgestone Invitational); Vista Vallarta in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (site of the 2006 Champions Tour Puerto Vallarta Blue Agave Golf Classic); Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California (home of the Kraft Nabisco Championship); and The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia (America’s first resort founded in 1766). The more than 60 business clubs and business and sports clubs include the Boston College Club; City Club on Bunker Hill in Los Angeles; Columbia Tower Club in Seattle; Metropolitan Club in Chicago; and the City Club of Washington, D.C. The company’s 18,000 employees serve the nearly 200,000 member households and 200,000 guests who visit ClubCorp properties each year. Visit www.clubcorp.com for additional company information.
About The Champions Tour
The Champions Tour is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older. Conceived in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour, it has grown to 29 official events offering a minimum of $52.7 million in prize money in 2005 and its highest average purse ever of $1.82 million. The Champions Tour’s primary purpose is to provide significant competitive and earnings opportunities for players age 50 and older; to protect the integrity of the game; and to help grow the reach of the game in the U.S. and around the world. In addition to providing competitive opportunities for its membership, Champions Tour events also generate significant sums of money for charity. On Oct. 30th, the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour and their tournaments announced they had reached the $1 billion milestone in charitable donations dating back to the first recorded donation in 1938. The commissioner of the PGA TOUR is Tim Finchem. Rick George is president of the Champions Tour. TOUR headquarters is in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Our web site address is PGATOUR.COM.
Contact:
Brian Wright
Media Director, Greater Kansas City Golf Classic
913-814-7744 / 913-484-7861
brian@prideofkc.org
www.greaterkansascitygolfclassic.com
