Press Release
HOMETOWN FAVORITE HOPES TO PLAY SOLID DURING WINE COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP AT WENTE VINEYARDS
Fischer Loyal Supporter Of Northern California's Premier Golf, Food and Wine event
Livermore, CA (March 20, 2008) - Todd Fischer enjoys being an unofficial "Goodwill Ambassador" for the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship, since the Nationwide Tour event is played virtually in his back yard.
Raised in Pleasanton and still a part-time resident there, the 38-year-old pro golf tour veteran is one of the event's biggest supporters. And he plans to be back home for the third edition of the Wine Country Championship at Wente Vineyards when Northern California's premier golf, food and wine event returns March 31-April 6.
"It's always nice to have a tournament like this at home," Fischer said, "but there is that added pressure because you want to do so well for your family and friends."
Fischer has played in all four Nationwide Tour events so far this year, finishing in a tie for seventh at the Mexico Open. He would love to have that type of performance at the Wine Country Championship, where he missed the cut last year, his first appearance in the event (in 2006 Fischer was playing full-time on the PGA Tour).
The elite field of Nationwide Tour players who have committed to play includes each winner of the first four events on the Nationwide Tour this year, as well and 19 of the top 20 leading money winners have committed to compete in the Wine Country Championship.
"The caliber of play on the Nationwide Tour is great," said Fischer, who returns to action next week in the tour stop in Louisiana. "This tour is not the same as it was when I first started (in 1998). I look at the fields now and can see that it is not a 'developmental tour' anymore."
Other Northern California products in the field include Matt Bettencourt of Modesto, Joel Kribel of Pleasanton, Jeff Brehaut of Los Altos, Matt Hansen of Atwater and Tom Johnson of Weaverville, who is 13th on the money list going into next week.
They all will be part of in their only stop in Northern California, which has proved to be the toughest test on the tour the past two years. The Greg Norman-designed course, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2008, averaged 75.235 for four rounds last year. In 2006, following a month of rain that extended into tournament week, The Course At Wente Vineyards averaged 74.881.
"The tournament is so good for the community," Fischer said, "and I think it really says something about Livermore and Wente Vineyards that so many of the tour players want to play in this event."
Besides hosting the best field of professional golfers to visit the Bay Area in 2008, the Wine Country Championship also will feature gourmet food and wine tasting each day at the Diablo Magazine Food & Wine Pavilion presented by Viking. The AT&T Tech pavilion presented by Logitech will host some of the latest gadgets and electronics for business and the home.
The family oriented Wine Country Championship has averaged 20,000 spectators annually, with event proceeds benefiting local non-profit organizations. Sponsored by Wente Vineyards and hosted by the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association, the event is to benefit the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center, among other organizations.
While it is a tour-tested layout, the Course at Wente Vineyards also provides tour-quality conditions year round. It has been awarded top honors for Best Playing Conditions in the East Bay Region by Greenskeeper.org and ranked No. 1 on Fairways and Greens magazine's 2008 rankings of non-resort courses in the Bay Area (No. 16 overall in the state).
TOURNAMENT NOTES
Winners head to Livermore
Currently there are five tour winners from 2008 heading to the Wine Country Championship, which includes the top four money winners on the Nationwide Tour this year - Jarrod Lyle of Australia (Mexico Open), Ewan Porter of Australia (Moonah Classic), Darren Stiles of the U.S. (New Zealand PGA Championship) and Scott Dunlap of the U.S. (Panama Movistar). The fifth winner is Arjun Atwal of India, who won the Malaysian Open two weeks ago on the PGA European Tour. Also in the field is 2006 Wine Country Championship winner Tripp Isenhour.
Knost to stop on his way
Reigning U.S. Amateur champion Colt Knost makes his competitive return to the Bay Area in the Wine Country Championship, but won't arrive on site until the day before competition. Knost, who won the national amateur title last summer at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, is playing April 1 in the 2008 Georgia Cup Match, which pits the U.S. Amateur champ against the British Amateur champ. Knost, of Dallas, faces Drew Weaver, of North Carolina, in an all-USA matchup to be shown on The Golf Channel.
Comedian Ready for festivities
Standup comedian Henry Cho, an avid golfer, is to be the special guest at Wednesday's pro-am. Known for being "an Asian with a Southern accent," the Tennessee-born Korean comic also is to perform at the pro-am awards function Wednesday evening.
Pro-Am spots gone
All three Wine Country Championship Pro-Am events have been sold out. They will be played on Monday, March 31, at 1 p.m., Wednesday, April 2 at 7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. and are open to the public.
Popular VIP Passes Still Available
There are a limited number of VIP Hospitality Passes still available. The popular pass provides access to the luxury VIP Hospitality Tent, with private food and beverage service, overlooking the 18th green. Each ticket is $125 and valid one day only. VIP passes or Hospitality packages must be purchased before March 31.
Ticket Update
Passes for the entire week are $20 each, available only in advance; daily tickets are $5 each for the first two days of tournament play (April 3-4) and $10 each for the final two days (April 5-6). Admission is free for practice rounds. Children 12-younger are free (limit of two) with a paid adult admission.
Tournament hotlines
For tickets and more information about the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship, visit www.winecountrychampionship.com, call (925) 447-2200 or fax (925) 447-2900.
About The Course at Wente Vineyards
The Course at Wente Vineyards opened in July 1998. Designed by golfing great Greg Norman, the 18-hole championship course is a picturesque 7,181-yard, par-72, upscale, daily-fee golf course tucked away in the scenic, rural Livermore Valley, 50 minutes east of San Francisco. With three distinct topographies-native woodlands, mature vineyard and rolling hills of natural grasslands-The Course at Wente Vineyards offers extraordinary visual panoramas and a diversity of play unmatched in the Bay Area. Designed for both novice and pro, The Course is host of the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship, part of the PGA Tour's Nationwide Tour. For tee times call (925) 456-2425 or visit online at www.wentegolf.com. The Course is located at 5040 Arroyo Road in Livermore, CA.
About Wente Vineyards
2008 marks Wente Vineyards' 125th Anniversary. As the country's oldest continuously operated family-owned winery, Wente Vineyards maintains its leadership role in California winegrowing under the ownership and management by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family. Blending traditional and innovative winemaking practices, the winery draws from 3,000 acres of sustainably farmed estate vineyards to create an outstanding portfolio of wines. Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards is recognized as one of California's premier wine country destinations, featuring wine tasting, fine dining and championship golf.
About the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Foundation
The Livermore Valley Winegrowers Foundation was founded in 1994 as way for the Valley's wine industry to give back to the community and increase awareness of this generous wine region. Though its primary activities, the Livermore Valley Wine Auction and now the Wine Country Championship, the Foundation has contributed more than $3 million dollars for local charities ranging from providing funds for the pediatric unit at ValleyCare Medical Center, to funding the Oakland East Bay Symphony's programs for underserved children, and to supporting Camp Arroyo, a summer camp for children with life-threatening illnesses.
About The Nationwide Tour
Founded (1990), owned and operated by the PGA TOUR, the Nationwide Tour identifies those players who are ready to compete and win on golf's greatest stage. As the official proving ground of the PGA TOUR, 67 percent of the current PGA TOUR membership played on the Nationwide Tour. Tour alumni have won more than 200 PGA TOUR titles, including a grand slam. Twenty-five PGA TOUR cards and a record purse approaching $19 million will be at stake over the course of 30 events in 2008. Recognizing the Tour's growing stature, Nationwide Insurance has renewed its umbrella sponsorship of the Nationwide Tour through 2012. The PGA TOUR, through the efforts of its three tours and their tournaments, sponsors, players and volunteers, supports over 2,000 local charities and has surpassed $1 billion in charitable giving. To learn more about the PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour and to follow the season-long quest for a PGA TOUR card, visit www.PGATOUR.com.
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Press Contacts
| Kristen Hunter Hunter Public Relations West Coast Office P.O. Box 1049 Pebble Beach, CA 93953 (831) 375-1747 khunter@hunter-pr.com |
Ed Vyeda Hunter Public Relations West Coast Office P.O. Box 1049 Pebble Beach, CA 93953 (831) 375-1747 evyeda@hunter-pr.com |