Livermore, CA (January 8, 2008) – Hometown favorite Todd Fischer of Pleasanton and Stockton’s Ricky Barnes are among the Nationwide Tour players who have made early commitments to return to the 2008 Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship March 31-April 6, when Northern California’s premier golf, food and wine event returns to The Course At Wente Vineyards.
Two of the most prominent Northern California-bred golfers of recent years, Barnes and Fischer both played in last year’s event, with Barnes finishing in a tie for 20th. Other local players in the preliminary field are Matt Bettencourt of Modesto, Jeff Brehaut of Los Altos and Spencer Levin of Elk Grove. They are to be joined by three members of the Northern California PGA Section who have earned spots — Rick Leibovich of Tehama Golf Club in Monterey, Tim Huber of Sierra Meadows Ranch in Ahwahnee and Mitch Lowe of Del Rio Country Club in Modesto.
The third annual Wine Country Championship is to attract an international field of 144 players for the sixth event of the 2008 Nationwide Tour season, which begins Jan. 24. The tour opens in Panama, Mexico, New Zealand and Australia before hitting U.S. soil March 27 in Louisiana, one week prior its only stop in Northern California.
Tripp Isenhour, winner of the inaugural Wine Country Championship, is on the list of early commitments, as are former PGA Tour winners Keith Clearwater, Gary Hallberg and Chris Riley. (The field is subject to change.)
The Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship features a total purse of $600,000, with $112,500 going to the winner. Competition is 72 holes. The family oriented event is expected to attract more than 20,000 spectators for the week, with event proceeds benefiting The Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center and other Northern California non-profit organizations and education foundations. For more details contact (925) 447-2200 or visit www.winecountrychampionship.com .
About Wente Vineyards
2008 marks Wente Vineyards’ 125th Anniversary! As the country’s oldest continuously operated family-owned winery, Wente Vineyards maintains its leadership role in California winegrowing under the ownership and management by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family. Blending traditional and innovative winemaking practices, the winery draws from 3,000 acres of sustainably farmed estate vineyards to create an outstanding portfolio of wines. Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards is recognized as one of California’s premier wine country destinations, featuring wine tasting, fine dining and championship golf.
About The Course at Wente Vineyards
The Course at Wente Vineyards opened in July 1998. Designed by golfing great Greg Norman, the 18-hole championship course is a picturesque 7,181-yard, par-72, upscale, daily-fee golf course tucked away in the scenic, rural Livermore Valley, 50 minutes east of San Francisco. With three distinct topographies-native woodlands, mature vineyard and rolling hills of natural grasslands-The Course at Wente Vineyards offers extraordinary visual panoramas and a diversity of play unmatched in the Bay Area. Designed for both novice and pro, The Course is host of the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship, part of the PGA Tour’s Nationwide Tour. For tee times call (925) 456-2425 or visit online at www.wentegolf.com . The Course is located at 5040 Arroyo Road in Livermore, CA.
About the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Foundation
The Livermore Valley Winegrowers Foundation was founded in 1994 as way for the Valley’s wine industry to give back to the community and increase awareness of this generous wine region. Though its primary activities, the Livermore Valley Wine Auction and now the Wine Country Championship, the Foundation has contributed more than $3 million dollars for local charities ranging from providing funds for the pediatric unit at ValleyCare Medical Center, to funding the Oakland East Bay Symphony’s programs for underserved children, and to supporting Camp Arroyo, a summer camp for children with life-threatening illnesses.
About The Nationwide Tour
Formed in 1990, the Nationwide Tour has been recognized as a virtual extension of the PGA Tour. The Nationwide Tour is owned and operated by the PGA Tour and will be in its 19th season in 2008, when players will compete for a record $18.95 million in prize money. The focus of the Nationwide Tour membership will once again be to secure one of the 25 PGA Tour cards for 2009 that will be awarded at the end of the 2008 season based on the final money list. Nationwide Tour alums have now won 217 PGA Tour titles, including 21 in 2007.
Contact:
Ed Vyeda
Hunter Public Relations
(831) 375-1747
evyeda@hunter-pr.com
