INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- K.J. Choi may not have grown up celebrating Thanksgiving, but that doesn't mean that the tradition of the LG SKINS GAME was lost on him. To the contrary, Choi regularly spent the final weekend in November glued to his television set in his native South Korea, watching some of the biggest names in golf compete for big prizes in the pristine setting of the Southern California desert.

That's why Choi is so excited to play in the LG SKINS GAME for the first time Nov. 29-30 at the Celebrity Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort.

"When I was growing up watching golf, the two tournaments that really stood out to me, and the ones that were shown in Korea, were the Masters and the SKINS GAME," Choi said. "I knew that the SKINS GAME historically invited the top players, and for LG to have invited me, I am very honored. It feels very good to have the chance to play this great event with these big names. I definitely appreciate it."

Renowned for its high entertainment value on Thanksgiving weekend, the LG SKINS GAME is in its 26th year and will be produced by ESPN and aired on ABC on Saturday, Nov. 29 from 1-3:30 p.m. EST and on Sunday, Nov. 30 from 3:30-6 p.m. EST (check local listings). This is the 18th year that ABC has served as the U.S. broadcast home to the LG SKINS GAME.

Choi, a seven-time winner on the PGA TOUR, will join an elite foursome in one of the strongest and most charismatic LG SKINS GAME fields in recent memory.

Choi will compete for his share of the $1 million purse against 34-time PGA TOUR winner and three-time major championship winner Phil Mickelson, 2008 U.S. Open runner-up Rocco Mediate and two-time defending LG SKINS GAME champion Stephen Ames.

"They're all very different, interesting personalities," Choi said. "I think that's what makes the LG SKINS GAME that much more interesting. It's a group of four guys that have done very well throughout the season, and they all have fun personalities."

Those strong games and engaging personalities should make for an entertaining weekend in Indian Wells.

Choi won the Sony Open in Hawaii this January and had four other top-10 finishes, playing well enough to finish 10th in the FedExCup points standings and sit 16th on the 2008 PGA TOUR money list entering November. He made hay early in the season and late as well. Following his January win, he tied for seventh at the Northern Trust Open and tied for fifth at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship during consecutive weeks in February.

Heading into the FedExCup Playoffs in 16th place in the points standings, Choi made up six spots by finishing T-12, T21, T5 and ninth, respectively, at The Barclays, the Deutsche Bank Championship, the BMW Championship and THE TOUR Championship.

Choi's successful 2008 campaign comes on the heels of his first two-victory campaign, in 2007. Those wins weren't minor ones, either. He captured trophies at the Memorial Tournament - Jack Nicklaus' event - and the AT&T National - Tiger Woods' event.

Choi is excited about the opportunity to play in Southern California again in front of a crowd he expects will welcome him with open arms.

"I think there's going to be a lot of support," Choi said. "There's a big Korean community in California, and the timing of the event - being on the holiday weekend … it's the first time for a Korean player to be playing in the LG SKINS GAME, so I think it's going to bring great crowds out there."

Choi's success will depend on how well he plays against Mickelson, Mediate and Ames.

Mickelson is playing in his third LG SKINS GAME and his first since 2003. His swashbuckling style is perfect for the format, though he is seeking his first victory, and he is sure to be followed by his legion of fans, who follow his every move.

Mediate is still riding the momentum of his performance in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, where he went toe-to-toe with Tiger Woods, eventually falling in a 19-hole Monday playoff.

Ames is the two-time defending champion of the LG SKINS GAME, and with a victory this year would match Payne Stewart's record of three consecutive wins in the event.

During the past 25 years, the list of participants in the LG SKINS GAME reads like a who's who of the greats in golf - Arnold Palmer, Nicklaus, Woods, Tom Watson, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Fred Couples, Curtis Strange, Nick Faldo, Raymond Floyd, Tom Kite, Paul Azinger, Vijay Singh, Colin Montgomerie, Stewart, Greg Norman, Mark O'Meara, Tom Lehman, Fuzzy Zoeller, John Daly, Sergio Garcia, Corey Pavin, Adam Scott, Peter Jacobsen, Jesper Parnevik, David Duval, Fred Funk, Zach Johnson, and the only female player in the event's history, Annika Sorenstam.

In the LG SKINS GAME, players compete for money for each hole rather than the low score for the round. A player must win a hole outright to win a skin. If a hole is tied, the skin(s) and money carry over to the next hole. Each of the first six holes (one through six) will be worth $25,000. Each of the second six holes (seven through 12) will be worth $50,000. Holes 13 through 17 will each be worth $70,000, and the 18th hole, the LG Super Skin, will be worth $200,000. The foursome will play for $300,000 on Saturday and $700,000 on Sunday. Twenty percent of the winnings ($200,000 total) will be donated to the players' favorite charities.

The photogenic Celebrity Course, which opened in November 2006 to rave reviews, hosts the LG SKINS GAME for the second consecutive year and will host the event through 2009. Last year, the par-72, 7,088-yard course lived up to expectations by giving the professionals a dramatic stage loaded with risk/reward scenarios. For example on the par-5 fourth hole, Couples went for the island green in two, managing to avoid the water, but instead finding a green-side bunker. Then, in what will certainly make highlight clips for years to come, Couples holed out for eagle and three skins, worth $75,000

In addition to competitive drama, the Clive Clark-designed Celebrity Course features aesthetic drama such as spectacular mountain views, streams, brooks and split-level lakes connected by cascading waterfalls. Vibrant desert wildflowers along with mature trees neatly frame the fairways and greens, adding yet another dimension to the Celebrity Course's alluring charm.

A limited number of tickets are available for the LG SKINS GAME. Fans can enjoy all three days of action with a three-day pass for $75. Individual day tickets are priced at $25 for Friday's LG SKINS GAME CELEBRITY PRO-AM; $45 for Saturday's first round and $35 for Sunday's final nine holes. There is also a daily VIP ticket for $150 per day, or enjoy the three-day VIP ticket for $300. Indian Wells residents will receive a special rate and can purchase their tickets at the Indian Wells Golf Resort Golf Shop or City Hall. Parking and shuttle service are free. Tickets may be purchased online at www.indianwells.com or in person at the Indian Wells Golf Resort, 44-500 Indian Wells Lane, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., seven days a week, or Indian Wells City Hall, 44-950 Eldorado Drive, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. Tickets may also be available for purchase during LG SKINS GAME weekend. Children under 17 years of age are admitted free.

The popular event was first played in 1983 at the Desert Highlands in Scottsdale, Ariz. for two years before moving to Bear Creek Golf Club in Murrieta, Calif. in 1985. The Coachella Valley became a permanent fixture for the event beginning in 1986. The TPC at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif. was home from 1986-1991 and then the site shifted to BIGHORN Golf Club in Palm Desert, Calif. from 1992-1995. Rancho La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, Calif. hosted from 1996-1998, followed by Landmark Golf Club in Indio, Calif. from 1999-2002. The LG SKINS GAME was played at Trilogy Golf Club in La Quinta, Calif. from 2003-2006.

About LG Electronics:
LG Electronics North America, based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the regional headquarters of LG Electronics, Inc., a global force in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances. In the United States, Canada and Mexico, LG Electronics sells a wide range of consumer electronics (digital display and digital media) products, mobile phones and digital appliances, under LG's "Life's Good" marketing theme. For more information about the title sponsor of the LG SKINS GAME, please visit www.LGusa.com or www.lgskinsgame.com.

About The City of Indian Wells:
The City of Indian Wells is a world-renowned residential and resort destination located in the heart of the Southern California Desert Resorts, only 20 minutes from Palm Springs International Airport. Indian Wells is home to the famed Indian Wells Golf Resort, which recently underwent an $80 million transformation. Owned by the city and professionally managed by OB Sports, this upscale public access resort features the IW Club, a stunning, new 53,000-square-foot upscale clubhouse; The Celebrity and Players' Courses; a lighted natural grass putting course; spacious Golf Shop and Callaway Golf Performance Center, dining and banquet facilities, and more. Four luxurious hotels are conveniently located adjacent to the Golf Resort campus — Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, Villas & Spa; Indian Wells Resort Hotel; Miramonte Resort & Spa; and the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa. The city's unique attractions also include the state-of-the-art Indian Wells Tennis Garden, home of the Indian Wells Tennis Tournament; and The Living Desert, the only zoo and botanical garden dedicated to preservation of the desert eco-system. Premier city amenities encompass outstanding spas, restaurants, boutiques, and country club communities. Indian Wells enjoys the benefits of being one of California's wealthiest and financially well managed cities, and sponsors many sporting and cultural events including the LG Skins Game, the Indian Wells Tennis Tournament, Desert Town Hall-Indian Wells lecture series, The Palm Springs International Film Festival, and Indian Wells Arts Festival.

About IMG Sports Media:
IMG Sports Media, the sports production and distribution division of IMG Worldwide, is the world's largest independent producer and distributor of sports programming. IMG Sports Media produces more than 8,000 hours of television, online, mobile and radio sports content across 240 categories of sports, including golf, football (soccer), tennis, cricket, cycling, motor sports and mixed martial arts. IMG Sports Media also represents the broadcast rights to many of the world's premier sporting events and maintains the world's largest sports archive with more than 250,000 hours of footage. More information is available at www.imgworld.com.

About ESPN Regional Television:
The nation's largest syndicator of collegiate sports programming, ESPN Regional Television (ERT) annually produces more than 900 sporting events. Programming includes football, basketball, NCAA events, golf and NHRA events accounting for more than 2,200 live and/or original hours of programming. In addition to event ownership, ERT is the production headquarters for ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network; syndication rights-holder and producer of national, regional and local shows for college conferences (e.g. - BIG EAST, Big 12, Mid-American, Sun Belt, WAC). ESPN Regional Television markets and/or owns several other sporting events, including collegiate football events: the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl; The Home Depot College Football Awards; the MEAC/SWAC Challenge; the New Mexico Bowl; the Papajohns.com Bowl; the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl; the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl; and the St Petersburg Bowl; collegiate basketball events: the Anaheim Classic (Calif.); the Charleston Classic (S.C.); the Old Spice Classic (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); the O'Reilly Auto Parts All-College Basketball Classic (Oklahoma City); the O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan); the O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters; and the SEC/BIG EAST Invitational; as well as the ESPN National Golf Challenge presented by Callaway. For more information, visit www.espnplus.com.

Contacts:
Steve Brener/Greg Ball/Damian Secore, (818) 462-5598/5611/5614
John Taylor, LG Electronics, (847) 941-8181, jtaylor@lge.com

Nancy Samuelson, City of Indian Wells, (760) 346-2489
Mark Mandel, ESPN/ABC, Mark.D.Mandel@espn.com