BRAZIL, LONG HONORED FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN RETAINING THE PIEDMONT TRIAD'S PGA TOUR STOP

GREENSBORO, N.C. – – Chrysler Classic of Greensborotournament director Mark Brazil and Robert E. “Bobby” Long, chairman of the Greensboro Jaycees Charitable Foundation Board of Directors, have been awarded honorary membership in the prestigious Green Coat Club for their role in helping the Piedmont Triad keep its longstanding PGA TOUR event. Bill Brady, president of the Green Coat Club, made the announcement at the Greensboro Jaycees Charitable Foundation Board meeting this morning.
Green Coat Club members are comprised of past general and honorary chairmen of the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro and past presidents of the Greensboro Jaycees. Honorary Green Coat Club members receive the same membership rights and privileges as any other member. Brazil and Long are credited, in large part, with keeping the Piedmont Triad’s only major league sports endeavor in the mainstream of tournament golf.
“These two visionary leaders are worthy of this honor,” Brady said. “When you look at the 2007 PGA TOUR schedule, we benefited more than any other TOUR event. Major metropolitan areas such as Washington, D.C. and Hartford, Conn. wanted the dates, but our tournament got them because of what Bobby and Mark accomplished. That’s why they’re being honored; they helped us save the golf tournament.”
Long has been recognized as a leader in the field of corporate life insurance for more than 20 years. He was a founder and partner of Long, Miller & Associates in Greensboro, which was purchased by Clark Consulting, Inc., in 2002. He is now associated with Granville Capital, Inc., a Greensboro investment firm. He presently serves on the board of Aeroglide Corporation and Clark Consulting, and he also is a member of the board of the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation of Greater Greensboro, the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro and the United Way of Greater Greensboro.
Brazil became the Chrysler Classic Tournament Director in 2001 after a nearly decade-long stint with the American Junior Golf Association where he was executive vice president of development at the time of his departure. He now reports directly to the Greensboro Jaycees Charitable Foundation Board. Brazil serves on the board of the Greensboro Sports Commission and the American Junior Golf Association. He is also a member of the Greensboro Sports Council.
Prior to today’s announcement, the Green Coat Club honorary membership distinction had only been bestowed three times in the tournament’s 67-year existence. The most notable honoree was eight-time tournament winner, Sam Snead, after whom the Chrysler Classic winner’s cup is named. In addition to Snead, the other two honorary members are Joe Antonini from K-Mart and Chester Brown from Allied Chemical. Each was given honorary membership into the Green Coat Club because of their support for the tournament through their companies, both of which were tournament sponsors at the time their honorary memberships were awarded.
The 2006 Chrysler Classic of Greensboro is set for Oct. 2-8 at Forest Oaks Country Club in Greensboro, N.C. Additional tournament information is available at www.chryslerclassic.org or through the tournament office at (336) 379-1570.