FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 8, 2008 |
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Contact: Steve Gerrish, The First Tee
(904) 940-4314
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Dan Higgins, GOLF CHANNEL
(407) 355-4018 |
GOLF CHANNEL TO SPONSOR INVITATIONAL FOR THE FIRST TEE
ST. AUGUSTINE, FL – The First Tee and GOLF CHANNEL today announced details of a new partnership naming GOLF CHANNEL as the title sponsor of the Golf Channel Invitational for The First Tee. This year’s event, the sixth overall, takes place October 12-14 at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia. Callaway Gardens, which previously hosted the PGA TOUR’s Buick Challenge for over a decade, first hosted The Invitational in 2007.
“We are very proud to be able to take our long-time support of The First Tee to a new level through this new partnership,” said GOLF CHANNEL President Page Thompson. “This event will help grow the sport of golf and provide opportunities that will impact the lives of young people in a positive way.”
“We are very excited to have GOLF CHANNEL become a major part of this tournament, especially in time for our sixth anniversary,” said Bobby Rearden, co-chairman of Osprey Events, which produces the tournament. “The Callaway Family truly embraces the opportunity to host this event. With GOLF CHANNEL’s level of involvement, and continuing support from our other corporate partners, this tournament will provide added exposure and networking opportunities for our sponsors while doing what it was created to do, supporting the objectives of The First Tee.”
More than 30 participants from Alabama, Georgia, New York, South Carolina and Tennessee Chapters of The First Tee will attend a youth teaching clinic and the opening night dinner on Sunday. Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., chief executive officer of The First Tee, will be the featured speaker.
“GOLF CHANNEL’s reputation and ability to reach millions of golf fans worldwide will increase the awareness of The First Tee and introduce viewers to the young people who are benefiting from our life skills programs,” said Barrow, Jr. “We are delighted GOLF CHANNEL has joined us.”
A maximum of 36 four-person teams will participate in the two-day event. Event proceeds will support The First Tee in its mission 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.
GOLF CHANNEL will air a one-hour special about the tournament, “Celebrating The First Tee,” twice during the holiday season, at least once in prime time. Broadcast dates and times will be announced at a later date.
For more information about the Golf Channel Invitational for The First Tee, please call the tournament office at (404) 308-8231.
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, FL 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 2.2 million participants in 48 states and four international locations – Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and Singapore. The Founding Partners of The First Tee are the Augusta National Golf Club, LPGA, PGA of America, PGA TOUR and USGA. Former President George Bush serves as honorary chairman.
About GOLF CHANNEL
GOLF CHANNEL (www.GolfChannel.com), co-founded by Arnold Palmer and a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMSK), is available in more than 120 million homes worldwide through cable, satellite and wireless companies. It features a programming schedule that includes more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, as well as news, instruction and original productions, such as the popular Big Break. GOLF CHANNEL became the exclusive cable home of the PGA TOUR in 2007, and televises part or all of every PGA TOUR event. In addition, the network is exclusive television home of the Nationwide Tour, European Tour and Canadian Tour, and the exclusive cable home of the Champions Tour. Also featured is a generous mix of other competition from the LPGA Tour, USGA, PGA of America, Asian Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia and Sunshine Tour of Southern Africa.
About Callaway Gardens
Open since 1952, Callaway Gardens is the centerpiece of 13,000 acres nestled in the southernmost foothills of the Appalachians. Founder Cason Jewell Callaway longed for a place where man and nature could abide together for the good of both, and now more than half a century later, his retreat continues to offer solace, inspiration and discovery for all who come here.
Callaway Gardens® is owned by the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation™, a public, not-for-profit. For more information please call: 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292) or 706-663-2281 or visit www.callawaygardens.com.
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