N. Myrtle Beach, SC- May 21, 2009 – The National Golf Association’s Hooters Professional Golf Tour, presented by Hooters Restaurants and Naturally Fresh Dressings, Sauces and Dips announces an agreement with MGM MIRAGE’S Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica, Mississippi to be the official title sponsor of The Gold Strike Casino Golf Classic. This prestigious event will have a $200,000 prize purse and will be played June 8-14, 2009 on the 7,204-yard par 72 Tunica National Golf Course.
Located 20 minutes south of Memphis, Tenn., the Gold Strike Casino Resort, MGM MIRAGE’s resort in North Mississippi, recently completed the largest renovation and remodeling project in its history. The multi-million dollar upgrade included all of Gold Strike’s 1,133 oversized rooms and 125 suites, the conference and convention center, the Atrium Cafe, the Courtyard Buffet and the high-limit gaming and lobby area. The resort also features an award-winning steakhouse, a refreshing spa and salon, an 800-seat showroom and 50,000 square feet of gaming space with 52 table games and more than 1,400 slot machines.
“We are very excited about partnering with the Gold Strike Casino Resort for the Gold Strike Casino Golf Classic,” said NGA/Hooters Tour President Robin L. Waters. “Many of our players love our other casino-sponsored events and with Gold Strike’s reputation, I expect it to be a first-class event.”
“Gold Strike is pleased to partner with the NGA/Hooters Pro Golf Tour to bring a large scale golf competition to the Tunica area,” said George P. Corchis, Jr., president and chief operating officer of MGM MIRAGE’s Mississippi Operations, which includes Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica and Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi. “The Hooters Golf Tour has been instrumental in developing the games of many PGA tour professionals and Gold Strike is honored to take an active role and title sponsorship on this year’s tour.”
The NGA/Hooters Tour is the 3rd largest men’s 72-hole professional golf tour in the country behind the PGA and Nationwide Tours, and boasts alumni like 2007 Masters Champion Zach Johnson, 2003 PGA Champion Shaun Micheel, 2003 British Open winner Ben Curtis, 2003 US Open winner Jim Furyk, two time U.S. Open winner Lee Janzen, British Open and PGA Champion John Daly, as well as British Open winner Tom Lehman, PGA Champion David Toms, 2003 Tour Championship Winner Chad Campbell, 2004 & 2005 Reno Tahoe Open winner Vaughn Taylor and TPC winner Craig Perks to name just a few. All told, the NGA/Hooters Tour’s alumni have an incredible 10 “Majors” to their credit.
The NGA/Hooters Tour has helped more than 100 professionals acquire their PGA, Senior PGA, and Nationwide Tour cards. In fact, 42 percent of the players that earned their 2008 PGA Tour card, and 47 percent of the players that earned full exempt status on the Nationwide Tour started their careers on the NGA/Hooters Tour.
For more information about the NGA/Hooters Tour, please visit www.NGAHOOTERSTOUR.com. For reservations or information about the Gold Strike Casino Resort, call 888-24K-PLAY (7529) or visit www.goldstrike.com.
Contact:
Justin Sports Jernigan
Media Relations Director
NGA/Hooters Tour
550 Hwy 9 East, Unit B
Longs, SC 29586
Justin@hooterstour.com
1-800-992-8748
Covering the business of golf!
