LPGA star commits to play in Aug. 4-6 event at Granite Links Golf Club
QUINCY, Mass. (July 18, 2006) – Rosie Jones will make her Legends Tour debut at the BJ’s Charity Championship presented by OLAY, which will be played Aug. 4-6 at Granite Links Golf Club at Quarry Hills in Quincy, Mass. The 13-time LPGA Tour winner is the latest commitment to a field that already includes Nancy Lopez and a number of other legends of women’s golf.
Jones will team with Lori West for the event, which features 30 two-player teams competing for a $500,000 purse – a $100,000 increase from 2005. Jones, who made her farewell appearance on the LPGA Tour at the recent U.S. Women’s Open in Newport, R.I., intends to be a regular competitor on The Legends Tour.
"I’ve been looking forward to playing The Legends Tour for the last couple years,” Jones said. "To get started at the BJ’s Charity Championship will be a real thrill, as I’ve heard so many great things about the tournament since its debut last year.”
The BJ’s Charity Championship is one of four stops on The Legends Tour – the official Legends Tour of the LPGA. Sponsored by BJ’s Wholesale Club, the BJ’s Charity Championship consists of a one-day pro-am on Aug. 4 and two-day tournament Aug. 5-6.
The 2005 BJ’s Charity Championship, which raised over $1 million for the BJ’s Charitable Foundation, featured a riveting five-hole playoff and co-championship teams of Pat Bradley-Patty Sheehan and Jan Stephenson-Cindy Rarick. It also became the final event in the legendary career of Kathy Whitworth, golf’s all-time leader with 88 victories.
"We are honored that Rosie Jones has chosen the BJ’s Charity Championship for her debut on the Legends Tour," said Paul Bass, Executive Vice President of Merchandise for BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc. "The addition of Rosie to an already stellar field of players will create an exciting draw for golf fans throughout the New England area."
A seven-time member of the Solheim Cup team, Jones has been one of the LPGA Tour’s most consistent players over the last two decades. She has finished among the top 25 on the LPGA Tour money list in 17 of the last 19 years and has surpassed $8 million in career earnings. In addition to her 13 victories, she’s recorded 25 top-10 finishes in major championships.
Other recent commitments for the 2006 BJ’s Charity Championship include Hall of Famer JoAnne Carner, who will team with Tammie Green; former Golf Channel Big Break star Cindy Miller, who will team with Barb Moxness; Laura Shanahan Rowe of Bedford, N.H., who will team with Bobbi Salmon; and Hall of Famer Sandra Haynie, who will team with Missie McGeorge.
Single-day tickets are available for $10, while a three-day pass is $25. Tickets can be purchased by calling the BJ’s Charity Championship tournament office at (617) 721-3931 or by logging on to www.thelegendstour.com and clicking on the BJ’s Charity Championship logo.
About The BJ’s Charity Championship:
The BJ’s Charity Championship is a three-day Legends Tour event sponsored by BJ’s Wholesale Club, which consists of a one-day Pro-Am on Aug. 4 followed by a 36-hole tournament Aug. 5-6 featuring 30 two-player teams competing for a $500,000 purse. Funds raised from the tournament will be administered through the BJ’s Charitable Foundation to support community-based programs benefiting children and families. A $150,000 grant from the BJ’s Charitable Foundation earlier this year funded the first outdoor playground at Children’s Hospital Boston.
About BJ’s Wholesale Club:
Headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc. is a leading operator of warehouse clubs in the eastern United States. The Company currently operates 165 Clubs and 88 gas stations in 16 states. For more information about BJ’s, please visit www.bjs.com.
About the Legends Tour
The Legends Tour is the Official Legends Tour of the LPGA for LPGA professionals 45 and older. It was founded in 2000 with the mission of providing opportunities to professional women golfers and promoting women’s golf worldwide. The bourgeoning women’s tour has grown to over 100 members, including some of the most recognizable names in women’s golf. The Legends Tour members have combined to win over 600 tournaments, including 55 major championships. LPGA Professionals turn 45 virtually every year and become new Legends Tour rookies â?¦ contributing to the long-term growth and vitality of the Tour.
Contact:
Todd Graff
Conover Tuttle Pace
781-246-9300
tgraff@conovertuttlepace.com
