LAKELAND, Fla., August 24, 2006 — The Duramed FUTURES Tour and Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today at a press conference in Cincinnati that a new $100,000 tournament will be added to the 2007 Tour schedule. The Duramed Championship will be played June 22 – 24, 2007 at The Golf Club at Stonelick Hills located in Cincinnati.
"As the proud sponsor of the Duramed FUTURES Tour, we are honored to be able to support the Tour’s efforts to rise to a new level of competitive play," said Bruce L. Downey, Chairman and CEO of Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the parent company of Duramed Pharmaceuticals. "By sponsoring the Duramed Championship, and providing the $100,000 purse, we are enhancing both the value of the Tour, and the overall nature of this competition."
Downey continued, "With play at the beautiful Stonelick Hills in Cincinnati, a home city for one of Barr’s principal manufacturing facilities, we will be able to increase the national exposure and recognition for this Championship, the city of Cincinnati and the significance of the Duramed FUTURES Tour as the Road to the LPGA."
"The Duramed FUTURES Tour is delighted to add Cincinnati to our official schedule for 2007," said Zayra F. Calderon, President and CEO of the Duramed FUTURES Tour. "There has never been a better time to showcase our young, talented professionals from around the world in this ever-growing golf community and surrounding areas. Cincinnati has seen great women’s golf in the past when it played host to the LPGA and now the area will have an opportunity to see the future stars of women’s golf and be part of their quest as they vie for a spot on the LPGA."
Calderon continued, "We are extremely privileged to have Duramed Pharmaceuticals as our tournament title sponsor. Their commitment to women’s golf and to the growth and development of our accomplished players is unparalleled in our organization’s history. Duramed’s goal is to give the local community the opportunity to experience firsthand the energizing excitement of our talented players as they compete on one of the finest venues in Cincinnati, Stonelick Hills. By partnering with the local First Tee program as the tournament charity and with Burch Riber and his company as the tournament organizer, I am confident the fans throughout the region will be treated to a fabulous week of great golf and hospitality at the Duramed Championship."
This inaugural tournament will be the second event on the Duramed FUTURES 2007 Tour schedule to offer $100,000 purse. It will feature a full field of 144 Tour professionals competing in a 54-hole tournament. This marks the first time the Duramed FUTURES Tour has played in Cincinnati.
About Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a holding company, whose principal subsidiaries, Barr Laboratories, Inc. and Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., develop, manufacture and market generic and proprietary pharmaceuticals. Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the proprietary products unit of the Company, currently markets 19 pharmaceutical products, including the recently launched SEASONIQUEâ?¢ extend-cycle oral contraceptive and ENJUVIAâ?¢ (synthetic conjugated estrogens, B) hormone therapy products. Additional products in the Company’s portfolio provide women with other contraceptive options, and also address such issues as hormonal therapy and the need for women to more effectively manage cholesterol levels. For more information about Duramed and Barr, visit the Company’s website at www.barrlabs.com.
About the Duramed FUTURES Tour
Celebrating 26 competitive seasons in 2006, the Duramed FUTURES Tour has remained committed to developing the skills and dreams of women golfers, establishing role models for youth and creating LPGA stars of tomorrow. With more than 280 alumnae as current members of the LPGA Tour, former FUTURES Tour players have won a total of 295 LPGA titles, including 31 major championships through 2005. Designated as "the official developmental tour of the LPGA," the Duramed FUTURES Tour has become the largest international developmental tour and the second largest women’s golf tour in the world. At season’s end each year, the top five players on the Tour’s Money List earn automatic LPGA Tour exemptions for the following year. Throughout its first quarter century, membership has increased from approximately 150 North American players to more than 300 players from 31 different nations. The Tour now conducts 19 tournaments in 14 states and has raised nearly $4 million for charitable organizations since 1989.
Contact:
Tracy L. Kerdyk
Duramed FUTURES Tour
863-709-9100, Ext. 3
Mobile (305) 794-2538
tracy@duramedfuturestour.com