Golfweek pro-am marks beginning of weeklong event
ORLANDO, Fla. (April 6, 2011) – Golfweek, the most authentic, authoritative and independent voice in golf, will host the second-annual Golfweek Pro-Am as the opening event of the 2011 Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am. Held April 11 at TPC Tampa Bay, the Golfweek Pro-Am – which pairs renowned Champions Tour professionals with teams of amateur players for 18 holes of competitive golf – will kick off the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am tournament’s weeklong series of events.
“Golfweek has been a vital partner of the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am for the past two years,” said Amy Hawk, tournament director. “The continued support of such a respected and esteemed company is what continues to make our tournament a success.”
“We are thrilled to be returning to the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am after the overwhelming success of last year’s event,” said Jason Redditt, publisher of Golfweek. “At Golfweek, we are always looking to connect with our audience, and the Golfweek Pro-Am really enables us to engage serious golfers on a personal level.”
In addition to providing players with a memorable day of fun and friendly competition, the Golfweek Pro-Am affords participating companies the opportunity to entertain clients and reward employees. Each amateur will receive a package of credentials including:
• Two Golfweek Pro-Am badges, which include daily grounds admission and access into the Michelob Ultra Watering Hole (Wednesday-Sunday), 11th Green Beach Bar (Friday-Sunday) and 16th Green Lounge (Friday-Sunday)
• Ten One-Day Passes
• One invitation to the Tuesday evening Aussie Bash (each invitation admits two attendees)
• Clubhouse valet parking (valid Monday only)
• One preferred parking pass (valid entire week)
The Golfweek Pro-Am is the first of many exciting events that will take place during the 2011 Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am, which will extend from April 11 through April 17 at TPC Tampa Bay in Lutz, Fla. Craig T. Nelson, Joe Don Rooney, John O’Hurley, Sterling Sharpe, Vince Gill, Stone Phillips, Joe Theismann, Emmitt Smith, Derrick Brooks and Rondé Barber comprise the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am celebrity commitments to date. Meanwhile, some of the tournament’s high-profile professional commitments include Nick Price, Tom Watson, Fred Funk, Tom Lehman, Mark O’Meara, Hale Irwin and Loren Roberts.
Tickets are available for purchase by calling the tournament office at 813.265.4653 or visiting www.OutbackProAm.com.
About Golfweek
Founded in 1975, Golfweek is the most authentic, authoritative and independent voice in golf. Serving enthusiasts who are truly passionate about the game of golf, the Golfweek brand includes Golfweek magazine, Golfweek.com, Golfweek OnDemand, Golfweek Mobile, Golfweek Custom Media, The Golf Wire, The Apparel Wire, The Tour Van and TurfNet.com. Golfweek is part of Turnstile Media Group, which specializes in developing diverse media platforms that engage and strengthen the communities they serve. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Orlando, Fla., Turnstile Media Group is also the parent of Professional Artist, Community Media Holdings, The Seminole Voice, The Winter Park/Maitland Observer and Turnstile Connect.
About the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am & Tournament Format
The Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am won the 2010 Tournament Business Affairs Award. The Champions Tour Tournament Business Affairs department rates and grades several different categories that determine what makes a successful event, and the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am, played for the 19th consecutive year at TPC Tampa Bay in Lutz, Florida, earned the highest overall score.
In its first seven years, the Tampa Bay Pro-Am Foundation, Inc. has raised over $3.7 million through corporate sponsorships and other charitable donations. Since its inception 23 years ago, this tournament has contributed over $8.7 million to Tampa Bay area charities. The 2011 recipients are The Special Operations Warrior Foundation and Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (With Contributions Going to the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative at University of South Florida).
The Tampa Bay Pro-Am Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization founded in October of 2003.
Bernhard Langer was crowned the 2010 Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am champion after finishing 36-holes.
The 2011 Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am will be played at TPC Tampa Bay in Lutz, FL, April 11-17 will be broadcast on the Golf Channel (Friday, 4/15) and NBC Sports (Saturday, 4/16 and Sunday, 4/17).
About the Champions Tour
Collectively, the Champions Tour has the most recognizable and accomplished players in the game with more than a dozen World Golf Hall of Fame members actively competing in its events and numerous other major championship winners among its members. The Champions Tour is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older. Conceived in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour, it started with just four events and purses totaling $475,000. The Champions Tour will conduct 26 official Charles Schwab Cup events in 2010 offering $51.5 million in official prize money, with the average tournament purse of $1.98 million. The Champions Tour’s primary purpose is to provide significant competitive and earnings opportunities for its members, to protect the integrity of the game; and to help grow the reach of the game in the U.S. and around the world. In addition to providing competitive opportunities for its membership, Champions Tour events generate significant sums of money for charity. The Commissioner of the PGA TOUR is Tim Finchem. Mike Stevens is President of the Champions Tour. TOUR headquarters is in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. The Web site address is PGATOUR.com.
Contact:
Elizabeth Hawkins, Marketing Director | 407.563.7006 | EHawkins@Golfweek.com
