TEMECULA, Calif. -- Since the first California State Open Golf Championship in 1900, the list of competitors has been filled with outstanding players ranging from legends of the game such as Walter Hagen and Sam Snead to contemporary champions such as John Cook and Corey Pavin.

This year the 169 player field at Redhawk Golf Club in Temecula will include an eclectic mix of elite amateurs, up and coming tour professionals, aspiring Champions Tour members and one great competitor better known for his skill with a racquet than a golf club.

The California State Open will welcome former professional tennis champion Michael Chang to this year’s event. As a 34-time winner in singles on the ATP Tour, including the 1989 French Open title, Chang hopes to translate that experience to success on the links. “I’m very excited and a bit nervous of course about playing in the California State Open,” said Chang. “My golfing background pales in comparison to my tennis but I've come to enjoy and appreciate the game since I took up the sport just over six years ago. I have competed in various tournaments including the Celebrity Tour and local golf tournaments but competing here and at this level will be a new experience.”

Since retiring from professional tennis in 2003, Chang has played in tournaments with his brother Carl who is also in the field. Chang maintains a busy schedule overseeing his Chang Family Foundation, building a tennis academy in China, coaching on the WTA Tour and public speaking.

The field also includes a new generation of participants as Jason Cook, son of 11-time-PGA TOUR winner John Cook, competes in his first California State Open. John played in the State Open many times during his formative years leading up to an outstanding collegiate career at Ohio State and then on the PGA TOUR. Jason recently graduated from Pepperdine University and will also have the advantage of his famous father carrying his bag for him during the championship.

“It is great to have competitors with the professional success of Michael Chang or the pedigree of Jason Cook in the field for the California State Open,” said Tournament Director Brad Stormon. “Once again, we will have some outstanding up and coming players in the field. There are players with experience on the PGA TOUR, Nationwide Tour and the Champions Tour. We have several players here who have competed in golf’s major championships. We look forward to one of them stepping forward and using this event to launch their career.”

The field includes past champions Mark Wurtz of La Quinta (1992), Jeff Hart of Solana Beach (1994), Eric Meichtry or Murrieta (2005) and the defending champion Ji-Hwan Park of Fullerton. Park was the first Korean born champion and at age 17, was believed to be the youngest champion in the long and illustrious history of the championship. Some of the more notable past champions include Hagen (1915), Horton Smith (1934), Olin Dutra (1940), Lloyd Mangrum (1952), Gene Littler (1954), Jerry Barber (1959), Roger Maltbie (1974), Dennis Paulson (1990 & ’96), Kirk Triplett (1991) and Jason Gore (1997 & ’04).

The California State Open Golf Championship gets underway at Redhawk Golf Club on Tuesday, September 25 with the Pro-Am benefiting military families from Camp Pendleton through Operation Home Front. The Championship will be contested over 54-holes of stroke play and runs September 27-29. There will be a cut to the low 50 players and ties after 36 holes. Spectator admission to the championship is free. Scores and pairings will be available all week at www.scpga.com.

The California State Open Golf Championship is owned by the Southern California Section of the PGA of America and is managed by Stormon Golf Management.
September 24, 2007

Contact:
Greg Flores 714.227.0130 (mobile)