GRAND BLANC, Mich. – 2006 U.S. Ryder Cup team member Chris DiMarco and 1988 Buick Open winner Scott Verplank are the latest commitments to the 2007 Buick Open field. The tournament is scheduled to take place at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc, June 25-July 1.
DiMarco, 38, will make his 10th consecutive start at the Buick Open and 12th appearance overall at Warwick Hills. He has two top-2 finishes (2001 and 2003) and is seventh on the tournament’s all- time earnings list with $748,619. DiMarco has three career PGA Tour victories and has participated on two consecutive U.S. Ryder Cup Teams. He is 18th on the PGA Tour’s career earnings list with more than $19 million dollars.
Verplank, 42, will try to become only the fifth player in Buick Open history to win the tournament at least twice (Julius Boros, Tony Lema, Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh are the others). He became the tournament’s youngest winner (24) when he captured the 1988 Buick Open. He has five career PGA Tour wins, including the 2007 EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Verplank is 15th on the PGA Tour’s all-time earnings list with more than $19.6 million. This will be his 19th appearance at Warwick Hills.
"It’s great to have two successful and well known PGA Tour veterans come back and entertain our fans at the Buick Open," said Larry Peck, Buick golf marketing manager.
Previous commitments to the Buick Open field include John Daly, Paul Azinger, Darren Clarke, Charles Howell III, John Rollins, Brett Wetterich, Lucas Glover, Trevor Immelman, and former Buick Open Champions Jim Furyk, Woody Austin, Rocco Mediate, Tom Pernice, Jr., Billy Mayfair and Justin Leonard.
Tiger Woods said he intends to play in the 2007 Buick Open, but has not officially committed to the tournament.
DiMarco, Verplank and rest of the 2007 Buick Open field will compete for a record $4.9 million purse, including an $882,000 first prize and a 2008 Buick Enclave.
For Buick Open tickets and information, call 1 (800) 878-OPEN or go to www.buickopen.pgatour.com.
Buick is the title-sponsor of two PGA Tour events in 2007. In addition to the Buick Open, Buick sponsors The Buick Invitational inLa Jolla, Calif., which was won by Tiger Woods during the week of January 22-28.
Buick has been the official car of the PGA Tour since 1984. Through its title-sponsored PGA Tour events Buick has donated more than $38 million to local charities in its tournament cities since 1982. More than $8.8 million has been donated to the Buick Open charities, including a record $832,000 in 2006.
Contact:
Al Abrams, Buick Open
(212) 367-4527
al.abrams@momentumww.com
