PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – The PGA Grand Slam of Golf, the season-ending showcase of the game’s premier foursome, will return to the island of Bermuda, Oct. 14-15, 2008.
The 36-hole championship, boasting the most difficult qualification requirement in the game – a major championship – will once again be televised to a worldwide audience by TNT.
The PGA Grand Slam of Golf concluded its 25th edition, Oct. 17, with U.S. Open Champion Angel Cabrera defeating British Open Champion Padraig Harrington in a three-hole playoff at Mid Ocean Club.
"The island of Bermuda not only is one of the more beautiful places in the world, but it also displayed unmatched hospitality as the first site outside North America to host the PGA Grand Slam of Golf," said PGA of America President Brian Whitcomb. "The combination of a classic venue that challenged major champions, a large gallery and the outstanding support from the island’s corporate community produced one of our all-time best PGA of Grand Slam of Golf events. We look forward with great excitement to bringing golf’s major champions back next fall to Bermuda."
"We’re delighted that the PGA Grand Slam of Golf is coming back to Bermuda," said Dr. The Hon. Ewart F. Brown, J.P., M.P., The Premier of Bermuda. "Its first visit created a lot of excitement and produced an overwhelmingly positive impact on our tourism product. So we’re looking forward to doing it all over again and doing it even better than last time."
This year, the PGA Grand Slam of Golf featured a $1.35 million purse, with the winner receiving $600,000, second place $300,000, third place $250,000 and fourth place $200,000.
TNT’s broadcast of the event reaches a worldwide audience of 88.9 million U.S. homes and international viewers in more than 100 countries.
The 26th PGA Grand Slam of Golf is hosted by the Bermuda Department of Tourism, Mid Ocean Club and the Fairmont Southampton Hotel.
The 6,666-yard, par-70 Mid Ocean Club, designed in 1921 by Charles Blair Macdonald, was modified in the 1950s by the late Robert Trent Jones Sr. Mid Ocean Club received a No. 45 ranking by Golf Digest for courses outside the United States, and has hosted such heads of state as Winston Churchill, Dwight Eisenhower, The Duke of Windsor, President George H.W. Bush and baseball icon Babe Ruth.
Established in 1979, the PGA Grand Slam of Golf has grown from an 18-hole, single-day charity event to a 36-hole annual showdown that matches professional golf’s best against each other.
The winners of the 2008 major championships qualify to play in the PGA Grand Slam of Golf: The Masters April 10-13; at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.; the U.S. Open Championship, June 12-15; at Torrey Pines Golf Course (South) in San Diego, Calif.; the British Open Championship, July 17-20; at Royal Birkdale in Lancashire, England; and the PGA Championship, Aug. 7-10, at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Mich.
Past Champions include: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Ernie Els, Tom Lehman, Ben Crenshaw, Greg Norman, Nick Price and Ian Woosnam.
Corporate hospitality opportunities are available beginning February 1, and tickets will go on sale April 7. Visit www.PGA.com or www.pgagrandslamofgolf.com for more information. PGA Grand Slam of Golf week begins Monday, Oct. 13, with the Champions Clinic and Pro-Am Tournament. First round action begins Tuesday, Oct. 14, and the final round concludes Wednesday, Oct. 15.
The PGA of America
The PGA of America is the world’s largest working sports organization comprised of 28,000 men and women golf Professionals who are the recognized experts in growing, teaching and managing the game of golf while serving millions of people throughout its 41 PGA Sections nationwide. Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has enhanced its leadership position in a $62 billion-a-year industry by growing the game of golf through its premier spectator events, world-class education and training programs, significant philanthropic outreach initiatives, and award-winning golf promotions. Today’s PGA Professional is the public’s link to the game, serving an essential role in the operation of golf facilities throughout the country.
The PGA of America also conducts four professional golf events: the PGA Championship, Ryder Cup, Senior PGA Championship and PGA Grand Slam of Golf.
Contact:
Julius Mason
561/624-8444
jmason@pgahq.com