PRATTVILLE, Ala, July 6, 2006 — Officials from Navistar International Corporation, the State of Alabama, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail today announced the creation of the Navistar LPGA Classic. The LPGA event will be played in the fall of 2007 and feature a full field of players. The Navistar LPGA Classic will be played on the Senator Course at the Capitol Hill location on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Prattville, Alabama. The tournament is scheduled to be televised nationally and internationally.
"Today, we announce another milestone for Alabama, one that will have a tremendous economic impact to this River Region, but will also bring in untold tourism dollars to our state," said Governor Bob Riley, Governor of Alabama. "We are pleased that Navistar, one of the most dynamic companies in the transportation industry and a company with operations in Huntsville, will bring this prestigious tournament to one of the world-class courses on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. It will be quite a sight to see the LPGA professionals taking on this challenging course in the midst of our beautiful state. The new tournament will be a tremendous economic boon to the River Region and showcase the area internationally."
"We are proud to be named the Title Sponsor of the Navistar LPGA Classic and to link the proud tradition of Navistar’s heritage to the great popularity, growth and dynamic play have become synonymous with the LPGA Tour," said Daniel C. Ustian, President, CEO and Chairman of Navistar International Corporation. "With great leadership from Commissioner Carolyn Bivens and the great players, who are setting new standards and taking their sport to new heights, we are excited to be a part of this upcoming season."
"With the national exposure of the LPGA, we’re confident that we can continue to build excitement around our business for 2007 and beyond," added Ustian.
Dr. David G. Bronner, CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama and visionary behind the RTJ Golf Trail, applauds the Navistar announcement. "I’m especially proud today that Navistar, a company with local ties that produces diesel truck engines at its plant in Huntsville, has chosen to step up and sponsor this wonderful new event for the River Region. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with Navistar. The Trail has hosted the Mitchell Company LPGA Tournament of Champions on Mobile’s Magnolia Grove courses for the past seven years and the LPGA and the sponsors have been tremendous partners. We look forward to adding the new tournament in Prattville and are confident it also will be a tremendous success. By fall of 2007, we’ll have a wonderful new hotel to show off in Montgomery, as well as our expanded one here in Prattville. So we’ll have plenty of room to house the influx of tourists and LPGA fans coming in for this event."
"We are pleased to welcome Navistar to the LPGA sponsor family as the title sponsor of our second Tour stop in Alabama," said LPGA Commissioner Carolyn F. Bivens. "And, to showcase the LPGA on one of the finest Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail courses – Capitol Hill’s Senator course – will make for an exciting week for the players and the fans alike."
"We are thrilled to partner with Navistar and the Retirement Systems of Alabama on this event. There has never been a better time to showcase the breadth and depth of LPGA talent and personalities. With the support demonstrated by Governor Riley, Dr. Bronner and the greater Montgomery community, I am confident the fans throughout the state will be treated to a fabulous week of great golf and hospitality at the Navistar LPGA Classic."
About The Navistar LPGA Classic
The Navistar LPGA Classic is a multimillion dollar event showcasing a full field of professional LPGA golfers. The inaugural tournament will be held in the fall of 2007 on the Senator Course at the Capitol Hill location on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. The event is sponsored by Navistar and will be one of two LPGA tournaments played on the RTJ Golf Trail next year.
About Navistar
Navistar International Corporation, through its subsidiary, International Truck and Engine Corporation, produces commercial trucks, school buses, and mid-range engines. The company is also a provider of truck and diesel engine parts and service sold under the International® brand. A wholly owned subsidiary offers financing services. Additional information is available at www.InternationalDelivers.com.
About the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
Twenty-four world-class courses on ten sites – 432 holes of breathtaking golf – comprise Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Offered the opportunity to tackle the world’s largest contemporaneous golf construction project, legendary designer Robert Trent Jones, Sr. emerged from semi-retirement to create distinctive courses challenging golfers from first-timers to pros. The resulting miles and miles of golf have turned Alabama into a golfer’s paradise and earned the Trail accolades from sources as diverse as Frequent Flyer Magazine and Golf Digest to Southern Living and The New York Times. The Trail is an investment of the Retirement Systems of Alabama and features eight hotels in its resort division. For more information on the RTJ Golf Trail, visit www.rtjgolf.com.
About the LPGA
Featuring the world’s best women golfers, the LPGA’s membership includes touring, teaching and club professionals. The LPGA Tour in 2006 features 36 events, with total prize money of more than $50 million. Since 1981, the LPGA and its tournaments have raised approximately $170 million for charity. From the dreams of its 13 founders in 1950, the LPGA has evolved into the world’s pre-eminent women’s professional sports organization. The LPGA has grown from its roots as a playing tour into a non-profit organization involved in every facet of golf. In addition to the LPGA Tour members, the LPGA membership includes nearly 1,200 certified Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP) who serve the golf industry in teaching, coaching and management positions. The LPGA T&CP member programs focus on increasing the involvement of women, girls and youth in golf, as well as contribute to the growth of the sport overall. The LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla. For more information on the LPGA, log on to www.LPGA.com.
Contact:
Connie Wilson, LPGA
(386) 274-6271
connie.wilson@lpga.com
Michael Cerilli, Navistar
(630) 753-2229
Michael.Cerilli@NAV-INTERNATIONAL.com
Bill Lang, Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
(205) 298-7128
bill.lang@pchresorts.com
