NEWS RELEASE
For Release: Friday, August 20, 2010
Contact: Jay Allen, Tournament Chairman
(479) 271-7007 or jaycom@sbcglobal.net
David Shoemaker, Director of Sales
(479) 657-6410 or david.shoemaker@octagon.com
Kristin Fowler, Marketing & Communications Coordinator
(919) 531-3123 or kristin.fowler@octagon.com
ROGERS, Ark. – The battle to secure the No. 1 spot in the Rolex Rankings is expected to continue in September at the P&G NW Arkansas Championship presented by Walmart. Tournament officials have announced today LPGA Tour professional Cristie Kerr, who currently holds the No. 1 position, has committed to play in the event. Kerr will be joined by Ai Miyazato (No. 2) and Suzann Pettersen (No. 4), as well as defending champion Jiyai Shin (No. 3), who previously announced her return. The P&G NW Arkansas Championship presented by Walmart will be held, Sept. 6 – 12, 2010.
“Our expectation this year is that we will have the best field of players ever for our event,” said Jay Allen, Tournament Chairman. “We have a championship caliber golf course at Pinnacle and a purse of $2 million this year, and the top players in the world are clearly responding to this.”
Kerr reclaimed the top-ranked position earlier this week. She originally held the position for three consecutive weeks in late June and early July due to her wins at the LPGA State Farm Classic and LPGA Championship presented by Wegmans, before losing it to Ai Miyazato, who now holds the No. 2 position. Kerr has carded six top-10 finishes for the year including another top performance as a runnerup at the 2010 HSBC Women’s Championship.
Miyazato, of Japan, began the 2010 LPGA Tour season strong, carding three wins in her first five events. Her fourth win at the Shoprite LPGA Classic propelled her to the No. 1 position, before losing it to Kerr. Miyazato has also carded six top-10 finishes for the year.
Norway’s Pettersen continues to search for her first LPGA victory of the season after carding six top-5 finishes on the year. Pettersen has runner-up finishes at the Honda PPT LPGA Thailand, the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the Bell Micro LPGA Classic and the U.S. Women’s Open. She has held the No. 4 position for four consecutive weeks.
Tickets to the tournament are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets online at www.nwachampionship.com or by calling (479) 715-6100. Daily tickets are $25 for championship play, Friday through Sunday. Week-long grounds badges can be purchased for $50. Admission is free to the public Monday through Thursday. Children 17-years old and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult.
About Procter & Gamble
Four billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun® and Fusion®. The P&G community includes approximately 127,000 employees working in about 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.
About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 8,400 retail units under 55 different banners in 15 countries. With fiscal year 2010 sales of $405 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. A leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity, Walmart ranked first among retailers in Fortune magazine’s 2010 Most Admired Companies survey. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://www.walmartstores.com/. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com/ and http://www.samsclub.com/.
About Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is a private, family-owned company founded in 1911 and employing more than 65,000 associates at over 370 sites, including 135 factories, in 68 countries worldwide. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, U.S.A., Mars, Incorporated is one of the world’s largest food companies, generating global sales of more than $28 billion annually and operating in six business segments: Chocolate, Petcare, Wrigley Gum and Confections, Food, Drinks, and Symbioscience. These segments produce some of the world’s leading brands: Chocolate – M&M’S(r), SNICKERS(r), DOVE(r), GALAXY(r), MARS(r), MILKY WAY(r) and TWIX(r); Petcare – PEDIGREE(r), WHISKAS(r), SHEBA(r), CESAR(r), NUTRO(r), GREENIES(r), and ROYAL CANIN(r); Wrigley – ORBIT(r), EXTRA(r), STARBURST(r), DOUBLEMINT(r) and SKITTLES(r); Food – UNCLE BEN’S(r), DOLMIO(r), EBLY(r), MASTERFOODS(r) and SEEDS OF CHANGE(r); Drinks – KLIX(r) and FLAVIA(r); Symbioscience – WISDOM PANEL(tm), SERAMIS(r), CIRKUHEALTH(tm) and COCOAPRO(r).
About the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association)
The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women. Founded in 1950, the association celebrates a diverse and storied membership with more than 1,700 members representing 29 different countries. With a Vision to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the very best of women’s golf, LPGA Tour Professionals compete across the globe, while dedicated LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP) directly impact the game through teaching, coaching and management. The Duramed FUTURES Tour serves as the official developmental tour of the LPGA, consistently producing a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. The LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida. Follow the LPGA on its television home, Golf Channel, and on the web via: www.LPGA.com, www.facebook.com/lpga.official, www.twitter.com/lpga, and www.youtube.com/lpgavideo.
About The First Tee
The First Tee (www.thefirsttee.org) is an initiative of the World Golf Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in St. Augustine, Fla. at World Golf Village, home of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Its mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf. Since its inception in 1997, The First Tee has introduced the game of golf and its values to more than 3.5 million participants in 50 states, 3,500 elementary schools and four international locations – Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and Singapore. Former President George H. W. Bush serves as honorary chairman. The First Tee Founding Partners are LPGA, the Masters Tournament, PGA of America, PGA TOUR and the USGA.
About Octagon Golf & Outdoors
Octagon Golf & Outdoors is a division of Octagon, the world’s largest sports and entertainment representation and marketing agency. Octagon Golf & Outdoors focuses on premium event/property management, developing key player relationships and providing strategic corporate solutions. The division currently manages two Champions Tour events, three LPGA Tour events, one Nationwide Tour event and the Toyota Texas Bass Classic. For more information, visit www.octagongolf.com.
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