VERONA, N.Y. -- The Turning Stone Resort Championship announced the first player commitments and sponsor exemptions for the PGA Tour Fall Series tournament September 29 – October 5 at Turning Stone's Atunyote Golf Club. Notah Begay III, Olin Browne, Joey Sindelar and the PGA of America's Central New York Section Champion, Jeff Reader have been invited to play in the tournament as sponsor's exemptions.
The Turning Stone Resort Championship will feature a field of 132 players competing for a $6 million purse with $1.08 million going to the winner. The winning purse is the largest among the seven PGA Tour Fall Series tournament and only five non-championship tournaments during the regular season offer larger purses.The field currently features 27 players who've collectively won 80 PGA Tour events including three Major Championships, six players in the top 50 on the current money list and five players who won in 2008 for the first time.
Notah Begay III is the most successful Native American on the PGA TOUR with four career victories. An ambassador for the Turning Stone Resort, Begay recently hosted the inaugural Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge at Atunyote Golf Club that raised $180,000 for Native American youth programs his foundation supports.
A native of Horseheads, New York, Joey Sindelar is a seven time winner on the PGA TOUR including two B.C. Opens. Sindelar is currently competing in his rookie season on the Champions Tour and has five top tens including a 3rd place finish to his credit.
"I am completely thrilled to be invited to play in the Turning Stone Resort Championship," stated Joey Sindelar. "It's awesome that the leading tournament of the PGA TOUR's Fall Series is held in Central New York and that I can compete in front of the people who cheered me on my whole career."
Olin Browne is a three time winner on the PGA TOUR the last in 2005 at the Deutsche Bank Championship. In early August, Browne was chosen by Paul Azinger as one of his three Captain's Assistants for the 2008 Ryder Cup.
"I'm honored to be invited to play in the Turning Stone Resort Championship," said Browne. "The resort is a magnificent complex and the course is one of the best conditioned we play all year. I'm glad for the opportunity to come back because the course is a pleasure to play."
Begay, Sindelar and Browne all competed in the 2007 Turning Stone Resort Championship.
Players Scheduled to Appear:
(* - Sponsor Exemption) (# - Career PGA TOUR victories) (Bold – Top 50 on Current Year Money List)
1. Woody Austin (3)
2. Rich Beem (3, including the 2002 PGA Championship)
3. Notah Begay III* (4 )
4. Olin Browne* (3)
5. Mark Calcavecchia (13,including the 1989 British Open Championship)
6. Daniel Chopra (2, including the 2008 Mercedes Benz Championship)
7. Brian Davis
8. Bob Estes (4)
9. Nick Flanagan
10. Steve Flesch (4, Defending Champion of the Turning Stone Resort Championship)
11. Harrison Frazar
12. Brian Gay (1, 2008 Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya Cancun)
13. Matthew Goggin
14. Dudley Hart (2)
15. Charley Hoffman (1)
16. Richard S. Johnson (1, 2008 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee)
17. Kent Jones
18. Cliff Kresge
19. Martin Laird
20. Frank Lickliter II (2)
21. Steve Lowery (3, including 2008 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
22. Will MacKenzie (1)
23. Parker McLachlin (1, 2008 Legends Reno-Tahoe Open)
24. Kevin Na
25. Joe Ogilvie (1)
26. Jeff Overton
27. Carl Pettersson (3, including the 2008 Wyndham Championship)
28. Jeff Reader*
29. Chez Reavie (1, 2008 RBC Canadian Open)
30. John Rollins (2)
31. John Senden (1)
32. Joey Sindelar* (7)
33. Kevin Sutherland (1)
34. Vaughn Taylor (2)
35. Kyle Thompson
36. David Toms (12, including the 2001 PGA Championship)
37. Johnson Wagner (1, 2008 Shell Houston Open)
38. Nick Watney (1)
39. Charlie Wi
Please Note: Players scheduled to appear. Under the PGA TOUR Tournament Regulations a player may withdraw at any time prior to the commitment deadline. Therefore these commitments should be considered provisional.
Media Contact:
Kevin Sniffen
The Hamilton Group
212-213-3144x208
ksniffen@thehamiltongroup.net
