PALM HARBOR, Fla. -- Transitions Optical, Inc. President Brett Craig, PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem and Copperheads General Chairman Peter Jones announced a four-year title sponsorship that will keep the PGA TOUR event at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club.

The Transitions Championship For Healthy Sight will be held March 16–22, 2009 at Innisbrook's Copperhead Course, which is considered one of the favorite tournament courses by PGA TOUR members. The Transitions Championship For Healthy Sight will include a week of tournament-related events.

"Partnering with the PGA TOUR aligns well with our company and brand," said Brett Craig, president, Transitions Optical. "The tournament makes an important contribution to our local community, and the sponsorship presents a tremendous opportunity to educate consumers about the importance of healthy sight."

Finchem welcomed Transitions Optical as title sponsor. "As a hometown company with broad international reach and a global brand, Transitions Optical will be a great partner and through its sponsorship, both help showcase the appeal of the Tampa Bay area and raise millions of dollars for Tampa Bay-based charities that the tournament supports," Finchem said.

The Copperheads, previously known as Suncoast Golf Classic, Inc., will be responsible for promoting, organizing, managing and conducting the tournament. "While Transitions Optical has a global presence, this sponsorship demonstrates its commitment to the Tampa Bay area," Jones said. "The continuation of this event will benefit local charities that make a significant and positive impact on the community."

Sheila Johnson, owner of Innisbrook, is encouraged by the potential economic impact. "This sponsorship from Transitions Optical reinforces the commitment that all the partners in this event have to the Tampa Bay area," said Johnson. "Not only does a PGA TOUR event bring tremendous economic benefit to the community, it also will help to shine a global spotlight on Tampa."

The tournament has been part of the PGA TOUR schedule since 2000. Prior to becoming an individual stroke-play championship, the Copperhead Course hosted the JCPenney Classic from 1977 to 1999, a tournament that featured PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour professionals competing as teams.

Transitions Optical engaged IMG Golf Worldwide to evaluate and structure the sponsorship.
About Transitions Optical, Inc.: Transitions Optical is a joint venture of PPG Industries, Inc. and Essilor International. The first to successfully commercialize a plastic photochromic lens in 1990, today the company is a leading provider of photochromics to optical manufacturers worldwide. Transitions Optical offers the most advanced photochromic technology in the widest selection of lens designs, materials and brand names.

Transitions® lenses are the ideal everyday choice for healthy sight. They are clear indoors and at night. Outdoors, they automatically darken as light conditions change. Transitions lenses provide visual comfort, and enhance visual quality by reducing glare and enhancing contrast, helping you to see better today. Transitions lenses block 100 percent of harmful UVA and UVB rays – helping to protect the health and wellness of your eyes – so you can see better tomorrow as well.

Transitions Optical is sponsoring this PGA TOUR event as part of its ongoing commitment to educate consumers about the importance of healthy sight and the critical role it plays in overall health and wellness.

For more information about the company and Transitions lenses, the first to earn the American Optometric Association's Seal of Acceptance for Ultraviolet Absorbers/Blockers, visit Transitions.com or contact Transitions Optical Customer Service at (800) 848-1506 (United States) or (877) 254-2590 (Canada).

About The PGA TOUR:
The PGA TOUR is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers. Its primary purpose is to provide 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.

In 2008, the three Tours will compete in 108 events for approximately $355 million in prize money. Tournaments will be held in nine countries outside the U.S. and in 37 states.
In addition to providing competitive opportunities for its membership, TOUR events also generate significant funds for local charities. In fact, the three Tours have surpassed the $1 billion mark in overall charitable contributions. The PGA TOUR's web site address is www.pgatour.com and the company is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

About The Copperheads: The Copperheads, formerly known as Suncoast Golf Classic, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that has managed professional golf events in the Tampa Bay area for the last 31 years beginning with the 1977 JCPenney Classic. This mixed-team tournament was a popular fixture in November-December for 23 years. Since 2000, The Copperheads has sponsored six fall PGA TOUR events (the 2001 tournament was cancelled following the attacks of 9/11). Most of the top players on the PGA TOUR have participated in these events raising a total of more than $22 million for Tampa Bay area charities.

About Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club:
Situated on 900 wooded acres of rolling hills and 70 acres of lakes on Florida's Gulf Coast near Tampa, Florida, Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club is located just 30 minutes from Tampa International Airport. Innisbrook features 72 holes of championship golf, 620 spacious guest suites and rooms, four restaurants and three bars, the Innisbrook Golf Institute, 11 tennis courts, fitness and racquetball center, six heated swimming pool complexes, a nature preserve, and three conference halls with 65,000 square feet of meeting space. Innisbrook is owned and managed by Salamander Hospitality, a privately owned and operated company based in Middleburg, VA, just outside Washington, DC and built upon a uniquely entrepreneurial approach to the hospitality business. For additional information call (727) 942-2000 or visit www.innisbrookgolfresort.com.