Toms Among Latest Buick Open Commitments
FOR RELEASE: July 16, 2002Toms Among Latest Buick Open Commitments
GRAND BLANC, Mich. - Buick announced today that 1999 Buick Challenge champion David Toms is among the latest player commitments for the 2002 Buick Open, scheduled for August 5-11 at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc.
Toms, 35, is fourth on the 2002 PGA Tour money list with $2,145,999. The Louisiana native will be making his sixth appearance at the Buick Open. His best Buick Open finish was in 1993 when he tied for 9th place. Toms, who won three tournaments in 2001, including the PGA Championship, finished third on the 2001 PGA Tour money list with more than $3.7 million dollars. He is currently 11th on the PGA Tour's all-time money list with $11,558,685.
"David Toms is one of the top players on the PGA Tour and we're very pleased to have him back in the Buick Open field," said Larry Peck, Buick's golf marketing manager.
Other additions to the 2002 Buick Open field include 1998 Buick Classic Champion J.P. Hayes, Jay Williamson and Glen Day.
Previous commitments include 2002 Buick Invitational Champion Jose Maria Olazabal, two-time Buick Classic Champion Ernie Els, Buick Open Defending Champion Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk and Retief Goosen, who finished second at The Masters this year.
These and other PGA Tour players will compete for a record purse of $3.3 million, including the $594,000 winner's share. Players have until Friday, August 2 to commit to the tournament.
For Buick Open tickets and information, call 1 (800) 878-OPEN or go to www.buickopen.pgatour.com.
Now in its fifth decade as the PGA Tour's original corporate sponsor, Buick is title-sponsor of four PGA Tour events: The Buick Invitational (Feb. 4-10, La Jolla, Calif.); the Buick Classic (June 3-9, Harrison, N.Y.); the Buick Open; and the Buick Challenge (October 21-27 Pine Mountain, Ga.). Buick is an official sponsor of the domestic events of the World Golf Championships and a presenting sponsor of the Tampa Bay Classic in Palm Harbor, Fla.
The official car of the PGA Tour since 1984, Buick sponsors four touring professionals - Tiger Woods, David Berganio Jr., Matt Gogel and J.J. Henry. Through its five PGA Tour events Buick has raised more than $23 million for local charities.
In January, Buick assumed the title-sponsorship of the Buick Scramble, the world's largest amateur golf tournament with more than 100,000 participants each year.
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