GREENSBORO, N.C. – The inaugural Wyndham Championship begins with the AIG “Support our Troops” Pro-Am on Monday. Field information and pre-tournament notes are below.
■ Major Price Reduction on Concessions: In an effort to increase tournament hospitality for all fans, Wyndham Championship tournament have drastically reduced concessions pricing. With a new title sponsor in hospitality giant Wyndham Worldwide, the tournament is making food and beverage affordable for everybody. Dasani bottled water and all other Coca-Cola products have been reduced to $1 per bottle for all tournament patrons. In addition, hot dogs have been reduced to $2 while all beer and sandwiches will be $3. “We are taking a page out of Wyndham’s book by making our tournament more hospitable for our fans,” tournament director Mark Brazil said. “We want to be an open and affordable event for everyone. Cutting our concession prices will improve the overall experience for all our fans”
■ It’s Hot: In addition to the reduced concessions pricing, the Wyndham Championship is providing air-conditioned tents for the general public located between the ninth green and the first tee as well as behind the grandstands at the 18th green. Concessions will be available for purchase inside each of the tents. In addition, grandstands are partially covered with awnings to make fans more comfortable while watching the tournament.
■ Grey Goose Lounge: New at the Wyndham Championship this year is the Grey Goose Lounge, an upscale air-conditioned hospitality area located near the entrance to the Forest Oaks Country Club pro shop. Upscale beverages are available for purchase. Tournament patrons with Clubhouse Plus badges or hospitality tickets can also get into the Grey Goose Lounge. Fans with daily grounds tickets may purchase a Grey Goose Lounge upgrade for $25 per tournament day
■ British Amateur Champion: Drew Weaver, winner of the 2007 British Amateur will attend the Right Decisions, Right Now Youth Golf Clinic on Tuesday to sign autographs. Weaver’s schedule at the United States Amateur made it impossible for him to play the Wyndham Championship. The Youth Golf Clinic is part of Kids Day at the Wyndham Championship when all kids under the age of 18 are admitted to the tournament free of charge on Tuesday only. Kids ages 15 and under are admitted to the tournament free every day when they are with a paying adult.
■ Teacher’s Day: Saturday is Teachers Day at the Wyndham Championship. All Piedmont Triad teachers and a guest will be admitted to the tournament free of charge by showing a current teacher’s identification card. Teachers who instruct students at the high school age and lower at both public and private schools are eligible for this special offer.
■ Military Day: Sunday is Military Day at the Wyndham Championship. All Piedmont Triad veterans as well as active and reserve members of the military and one guest will be admitted to the tournament free of charge. To take advantage of this offer, each must show a current military identification card.
■ Wyndham winner goes to The Masters: Earlier this year, The Masters revised its eligibility requirements, and the winner of all full-field PGA TOUR events gets into The Masters the next year.
■ Food on the Range: Two local restaurants are providing lunch for players and their caddies while they practice on the driving range. On Tuesday, The Chop House will serve lunch for players and caddies, and on Wednesday, Libby Hill Seafood will provide the same service.
■ Exemptions: The Wyndham Championship has eight sponsor exemptions. Two are restricted to current PGA TOUR professionals, and two are restricted to PGA TOUR’s Qualifying School and Nationwide category. The tournament can fill its four unrestricted exemptions with any golfer who has a scratch handicap.
– Ryan Blaum
– Robert Damron
– Dan Forsman
– Jim Gallagher, Jr.
– Luke List
– Lee Janzen, two-time US Open Champion
– Mark Brooks, 1991 winner of the Piedmont Triad’s PGA TOUR event
– Len Mattiace, 1990 graduate of Wake Forest University
– Pablo Martin, 2006 collegiate player of the year from Malaga, Spain
– Chris Kirk, 2007 Hogan Award recipient and a recent graduate of the University of Georgia. He will play in the Walker Cup this year, and the Wyndham Championship is Kirk’s first PGA TOUR event. Kirk is the first player to participate in both the AJGA FootJoy Boys Invitational and the Wyndham Championship.
■ The Field: The Wyndham Championship field is set, but players can withdraw until the first round begins. Those spots will be filled with players on the alternate list. Notable withdrawals from earlier commitments include Chris DiMarco, K.J. Choi and Jesper Parnevik. The current field is available at www.pgatour.com.
The 2007 Wyndham Championship is set for Aug. 13-19 at Forest Oaks Country Club in Greensboro, N.C. Tickets can be purchased online at wyndhamchampionship.com, at Piedmont Triad Harris Teeter locations or through the tournament office. The tournament welcomes Wyndham Worldwide as its new title sponsor and thanks Premier Partners, AIG, Cadillac, Harris Teeter and VF Corporation for their continued support. Additional tournament information is available at wyndhamchampionship.com or through the tournament office at (336) 379-1570. For more information about Wyndham Worldwide, please visit www.wyndhamworldwide.com.
