(Atlanta, Georgia, USA) – The PGA TOUR and East Lake Golf Club today announced an agreement making the Atlanta, GA, club the permanent home of the season-ending TOUR Championship Presented by Coca-Cola.
“We are pleased to announce that East Lake Golf Club will be the permanent home of THE TOUR Championship Presented by Coca Cola,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. “This is an ideal partnership. Both East Lake Golf Club and the PGA TOUR share the same passion for the game and for giving back to the community.
“East Lake has been the site of this event on three occasions and we look forward to many more memorable championships at this historic club in the years to come.”
The 2004 edition of THE TOUR Championship will be held Nov. 2-7. Chad Campbell, who earned his first career PGA TOUR victory in last year’s event in Houston, is the defending champion.
THE TOUR Championship is the final official event of the PGA TOUR season. With a field comprised of the top 30 members from the Official PGA TOUR Money List, many of the PGA TOUR’s season honors are influenced by the outcome of the championship, including the Jack Nicklaus Trophy for the PGA TOUR Player of the Year, the Arnold Palmer Award for the leading money winner and the Byron Nelson Trophy for the year’s lowest scoring average.
East Lake Golf Club is the home course of legendary amateur golfer Bobby Jones. Celebrating its 100th anniversary, East Lake is not only a historic golf club, but a philanthropic one as well. Founding sponsors of the East Lake Golf Club have contributed more than $18 million to the East Lake Community Foundation to help turn one of the nation’s worst public housing projects into a thriving, mixed-income community. Net proceeds from THE TOUR Championship are funneled back into East Lake community programs and The First Tee. As part of the agreement, the Charlie Yates Golf Course at East Lake will become a First Tee facility.
“Georgia has a great golf tradition from Bobby Jones to Davis Love III. The game has helped build the character of many of our state's best ambassadors,” said Governor Sonny Perdue of Georgia. “We're excited that the PGA TOUR has selected East Lake Golf Club to become the permanent home of the THE TOUR Championship, and that Georgia will continue to be a favorite destination of golf fans everywhere.”
“The city of Atlanta is honored to host this prestigious event,” said Mayor Shirley Franklin. “Golf has played a key role in giving back to this community and THE TOUR Championship’s support means so much to the East Lake neighborhood.”
“In addition to being known as the home course of Bobby Jones, East Lake Golf Club will now also be known as home to THE TOUR Championship, ” said Ray Robinson, president of the East Lake Golf Club and chairman of the board of the East Lake Community Foundation. “The union is ideal because the heart of the PGA TOUR is about giving back and the soul of East Lake is about helping families succeed.”
East Lake has been the site of three TOUR Championships. In 1998, Hal Sutton defeated Vijay Singh with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff. Two years later, Phil Mickelson defeated Tiger Woods by two strokes in setting the tournament record with his 13-under-par 267 total. Singh, who had come so close in the first visit to East Lake, emerged victorious in 2002, defeating Charles Howell III by two strokes.
ABOUT THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA
This year marks the 18th playing of THE TOUR Championship Presented by Coca-Cola, the season-ending event on the PGA TOUR’s schedule. The championship features the top 30 PGA TOUR members from the Official PGA TOUR Money List. In addition to East Lake, now the permanent home of THE TOUR Championship, the event has been contested at such renowned venues as Pebble Beach GL, Harbour Town GL, Pinehurst No. 2, The Olympic Club, Southern Hills CC and Champions GC.
ABOUT THE PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers. Its primary purpose is to provide significant competitive earnings opportunities for past, current and future members of the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour; to protect the integrity of the game; and to help grow the reach of the game in the U.S. and around the world.
Approximately 110 events will be contested on the three Tours in 2004, for nearly $310 million in prize money. In addition to providing competitive opportunities for its membership, TOUR events also generate significant sums of money for charity. TOUR events have raised more than $840 million for charity since 1938, the first year such records were kept. The PGA TOUR’s Web site address is www.pgatour.com.
ABOUT EAST LAKE
East Lake Golf Club (www.eastlakegolfclub.com) is the home course of legendary amateur golfer Bobby Jones and now permanent home to THE TOUR Championship. Celebrating its 100th anniversary, East Lake is not only a historic golf club, but a philanthropic one as well. The golf club’s founding sponsors have contributed more than $18 million to the East Lake Community Foundation to help transform one of the nation’s worst public housing projects into a thriving, mixed-income community. Net proceeds from golf club operations and THE TOUR Championship are funneled back into East Lake community programs to help families succeed. Additional support is provided by foundations, governmental entities and individuals. The revitalized community includes a mixed-income apartment complex, a charter school, a YMCA, a child development center and the Charlie Yates Golf Course, home to the East Lake Junior Golf Academy for youth.
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Contacts: James Cramer
Director, Public Relations
PGA TOUR
Tel: 904-273-3293
Email: jcramer@pgatourhq.com
Debbie Mazur
Director, Public Relations
East Lake Golf Club
Tel: 404-931-2710
Email: debbiemazur@bellsouth.net