News Room
Release: On receipt, May 20, 2008
Contacts: Jeff Starr, Tournament Director, (515) 279-4653, jeff@principalcharityclassic.com or
Beth Haag, Media Director, (515) 490-8890, beth@principalcharityclassic.com
Hale Irwin and Mark O’Meara commit to play in The Principal Charity Classic®
(WEST DES MOINES, Iowa) – Three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin and former Masters and British Open champion Mark O’Meara have committed to play in this year’s Principal Charity Classic® presented by Wells Fargo, May 28-June 1 at Glen Oaks Country Club.
“With the addition of Hale Irwin and Mark O’Meara, we now have 11 major championship winners playing in this year’s Principal Charity Classic,” said tournament director Jeff Starr. “Our fans are going to have the chance to watch arguably one of the most competitive Champions Tour fields of the year play at Glen Oaks.”
Irwin, the Champions Tour’s all-time career money leader, has 45 Champions Tour wins – including the 2007 MasterCard Championship at Hualalai. He has 20 PGA Tour titles, which includes U.S. Open titles in 1974, 1979 and 1990. He has three top-10 finishes in his previous four appearances at Glen Oaks Country Club.
During his 25-year career, O’Meara has won 16 PGA Tour titles, including the 1998 Masters and British Open titles. At age 41, he became the oldest player to win two major championships in the same year. O’Meara won the 1998 British Open in a four-hole playoff format at Royal Birkdale, England – the site of this year’s Open championship.
O’Meara has played in six Champions Tour events in 2008 and has two top-10 finishes in his last two events – Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (tied for 7th) and FedEx Kinko’s Classic (tied for 10th). Last year he was runner-up in four of the 16 events he played in during his Champions Tour rookie season. He ranks 13th on the Champions Tour all-time money list.
Tickets for The Principal Charity Classic can be purchased at www.principalcharityclassic.com or by calling (515) 279-4653.
About The Principal Charity Classic® presented by Wells Fargo
The Principal Charity Classic, presented by Wells Fargo, is an annual Champions Tour event at Glen Oaks Country Club in West Des Moines. The 2008 tournament will be held May 28-June 1. Greater Des Moines Community Foundation plays host to the event, which is focused on philanthropic giving for designated “FORE Our Kids” charities:
Blank Children’s Hospital
Bravo Greater Des Moines
Greater Des Moines Community Foundation
United Way of Central Iowa
Variety-The Children’s Charity.
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