(Ponte Vedra Beach, FL) – Peek’n Peak Resort & Conference Center and the PGA TOUR today announced an extension of the Peek’n Peak Classic tournament agreement through 2011.
Tournament officials also announced an increase in the purse from $560,000 to $600,000 this year, escalating to $725,000 in 2011.
The 2007 edition of the Nationwide Tour event will be played June 25 – July 1 at the Peek’n Peak "Upper Course" in Findley Lake, NY, near Erie, PA. GOLF CHANNEL will televise the event, one of 16 Nationwide Tour tournaments they will air in 2007.
"This tournament is one of the most significant events we do at Peek’n Peak. It brings national exposure to our resort and to the region, and it’s a real pleasure for all of our staff members to work with the PGA TOUR staff and players," said Brad Gravink, General Manager of Peek’n Peak.
"Winning at Peek’n Peak helped my career a great deal," said former champion and current PGA TOUR member Kevin Stadler. "It did wonders for my confidence. I didn’t have much of a career prior to winning there, so it launched the career I now have. I love the area around Findley Lake and the whole week is so nice. The community does a wonderful job embracing the tournament and making the players feel welcome."
"The Nationwide Tour has enjoyed an excellent relationship with Peek’n Peak Resort since 2002 and we are very pleased to announce we will return through 2011," said Nationwide Tour president Bill Calfee. "The players love the golf course as well as the wonderful hospitality that is extended to them. With two playoffs and two other single-shot victories in the first five playings, the tournament always provides great drama and excitement for the fans and I’m sure this year will be no different."
The Peek’n Peak Classic was first played in 2002. Its past champions include Stadler, Patrick Moore, Guy Boros, Esteban Toledo and John Merrick last year in a playoff. All five were played on the "Upper Course".
The tournament’s charitable recipients are the American Cancer Society and The Foundation for Cancer Research and Education. They are two of the hundreds of organizations that benefit from Nationwide Tour events across the United States and contribute to the PGA TOUR’s umbrella support of charity.
About Peek’n Peak Resort
Established in 1964, Peek’n Peak Resort & Conference Center, in Findley Lake, NY, is a regional destination for golf and snow sports, 30 minutes east of Erie, PA. The resort features two highly acclaimed golf courses, 27 ski slopes and trails, 10 miles of cross country terrain, fine dining, and a vast selection of accommodations and other amenities, as well as a prestigious RCI Gold Crown rating. A new, full-service day spa is slated to open in April 2007, which complements other recent renovations, totaling about $8 million, including 150 new electric golf carts with Global Positioning System (GPS), the complete renovation of 70 hotel rooms, a $2 million snowmaking system expansion, two additional terrain parks and a new half pipe cutter. Each year, the Peek welcomes about 200,000 visitors. For more information, visit www.pknpk.com.
About the Nationwide Tour
As an extension of the PGA TOUR, the Nationwide Tour identifies and transitions those few, select golfers whose games are ready to compete and win on golf’s greatest stage. With Mark Wilson’s recent win at the 2007 Honda Classic, Nationwide Tour alumni reached the 200th PGA TOUR win milestone, which includes 10 major championships. Twenty-five PGA TOUR cards will be at stake over the course of 33 Nationwide Tour tournaments this season, with a record $18.6 million in prize money available. Recognizing this growing stature and the PGA TOUR’s commitment to charity, Nationwide, one of the largest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the world, renewed its umbrella sponsorship of the Nationwide Tour through 2012. The PGA TOUR, through the efforts of its three tours and their tournaments, sponsors, players and volunteers, supports over 2,000 local charities and recently surpassed the $1 billion mark in charitable giving. To learn more about the Nationwide Tour’s rich history and the PGA TOUR’s next stars, visit www.PGATOUR.com.
About Nationwide
Nationwide, based in Columbus, OH, is one of the largest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the world, with more than $157 billion in assets. Nationwide ranks No. 98 on the Fortune 100 list. The company provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto, homeowners, life, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities, mutual funds, pensions and long-term savings plans. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.
Nationwide and the Nationwide Framework are federally registered service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. On Your Side is a service of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.
Contact:
Jeff Adams
Director of Communications
Nationwide Tour
Tel: 904-273-3397
Email: jadams@pgatourhq.com
Linda Warnshuis
Tournament Director
Peek’n Peak Classic
Tel: 716-355-4141, ext. 7370
Email: lindaw@pknpk.com
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