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VALLARTA GREENS©
Puerto Vallarta Blue Agave Golf Classic 2006
Puerto Vallarta Blue Agave Golf Classic 2006 - Leer en Español
With each day Puerto Vallarta’s most important golf event of the year is coming closer. Such an excitement has not been felt in the city since the World Cup in 2002. The rendezvous will be from March 27th until April 2nd, in the Vista Vallarta Golf club designed by Jack Nicklaus.
K.C. Krandall, one of the heads of the tournament  announced the confirmation of the event while presiding a meeting with the region’s most important media. Miguel González, General Director of the Tourism of Puerto Vallarta was present during that meeting expressing his satisfaction for being in this conference. Gonzalez said: "Forming part of this grand endeavor of bringing the best veteran golf players that the golf world offers to Puerto Vallarta – and having them enjoy Puerto Vallarta, the Vista Vallarta Golf Club and an exceptional golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus during one week - is a motive of big pride for the Trusteeship”
K.C. Krandall expressed that "for the tournament’s organization it is one of the most important pieces of news that the Trusteeship will participate in this golf event in Puerto Vallarta. This corresponds to what we all would like to announce: that in Mexico and particularly in this beautiful city, people know how to enjoy life and how to take advantage of the best things we have in order to offer them to our visitors so that they may have an unforgettable experience during their visit of Puerto Vallarta ".
An important matter of the Puerto Vallarta Blue Agave Classic that was mentioned during the press conference celebrated in the Marina Golf Club, was the issue of the volunteers. Joe Johnston, who was in charge of this aspect during the past 2002 World Cup and had handled it very successfully, now has the same responsibility for the Blue Agave.
The mechanics of the registration process was explained in detail as well as the different types of jobs that will be available and the requirements for each one of them, but above all the benefits that the volunteers will obtain just for registering and for working during the week of the tournament were confirmed..
When Johnston was asked why volunteers were necessary during a golf tournament, he answered: "There are many reasons. You do not know everything that has to be done behind the scenes. The public that comes to the golf course and walks along it following the players, or the people who will be watching this tournament on television, do not know everything that goes on offstage. Since it is a tournament that will directly benefit our economy, we would like the people from Vallarta to get involved and to support us. It has already been announced that the organizing committee will donate more than 50 thousand US Dollars to local charity causes because the spirit of golf and more so of the PGA is to give a lot to those that have little.
 Johnston finished by saying: “If we get 300 volunteers for the tournament we are on the safe side. There are jobs for those who are in very good physical condition, and there are office jobs. It is not necessary to speak English nor do you not need any experience in golf, since we will take care of the necessary training for the job you are assigned. The work schedule is between 4 to 5 hours a day. The advantage of a volunteer is that he is close to all the players. There are a total of 19 listed categories where we need the help of volunteers.”
The Committee asks for a contribution of USD $75.00 and informed us that this fee for participating as a volunteer is merely symbolic. Every volunteer will receive the following things in exchange for his contribution: three T-shirts with the logo of the Puerto Vallarta Blue Agave Golf Classic, which will be used during the tournament; two passes to play golf at the Vista Vallarta or the Marina golf course; two caps with the logo of the tournament; passes for friends and relatives to assist the tournament; a 50 % discount in certain restaurants of Puerto Vallarta during the week of the tournament, continental breakfast and lunch on those days you are working during the event and the volunteers get to go to the volunteers’ party which will take place at the end and which will be a lot of fun. The committee informed that the package has an approximate value of USD $750.00, which is ten times more than the contribution asked for originally.
For all those people interested in participating or simply, in finding out what jobs are available, please visit: www.vistavallartagolf.com Once you have entered the page, click on "Volunteers" and complete the filing card for registration and inscription. It is in English and Spanish. In addition you can ask for information at the Tourist Office. Their telephone number is 01 [322] 290-2672.
On the other hand, it was reported that there are still some spaces available to play the Pro-Am, which is a very entertaining tournament that is played for two days before the official tournament. Teams of three or four amateurs headed by a professional golf player are competing for the prizes that are given to the best teams in the form of Low Ball. There will also be a package with gifts which easily exceeds the inscription fee. To play a Pro-Am together with the best golf players of contemporary history is an opportunity that you should not miss.
 Another very important topic that was mentioned during this conference was the charity causes that will benefit from the contributions donated by the organizing committee of the Puerto Vallarta Blue Agave Golf Classic and the Champions Tour. Two of the six organizations that will receive donations during this event were present: Make a Wish, which was represented by Angélica Inurreta and Scholarships Vallarta, represented by Carlos Fregoso.
Both representatives that attended the event, expressed their happiness for having being chosen to receive funds for their work and they expressed their desire to collaborate with a lot of enthusiasm so that this tournament may be a both a sports as well as an economic success.
Up to now we can count on the help of charity organizations such as:
• MAKE A WISH
• BECAS VALLARTA A.C (scholarships vallarta)
• TOYS FOR TOTS
• REFUGIO INFANTIL SANTA ESPERANZA (Children’s shelter)
• INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP CLUB
• CHILDREN OF THE DUMP
 With the contribution and presence of "Puerto Vallarta Blue Agave Golf Classic 2006" in our event, a part of the net profits will be donated to the above mentioned institutions. This will generate funds for these organizations and depending on the success of this project the number of participating organizations will multiply year after year and it will contribute a major benefit for the society of Puerto Vallarta. It will grant the organizations a better position in the community due to the exposure in the media, the printed as well as the electronic media, thus assuring their continuity and generating donations from other companies that become aware of the existence of the above mentioned organizations through our tournament, amongst other benefits.
The conference finished with a thank you to the present media for their support and coverage, a service that they give to the tournament. "You know how important it is to make these efforts known; without your support nobody would find out about it and golf would not have transcended the borders of language, culture and geography. Therefore we thank all of you in advance". This was the final comment of Mike Feild on behalf of the Organizing Committee.
• Vista Vallarta Golf Club Photo Gallery
2006 Champions Tour Fact Sheet
Name:
PGA TOUR’s Champions Tour (first reference)
Headquarters:
112 PGA TOUR Boulevard, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082, Phone: 904-285-3700
Commissioner:
Timothy W. Finchem (since June 1, 1994)
President:
Rick George (since January 24, 2003)
Web Site:
PGATOUR.com
Overview:
 Formerly the Senior PGA Tour, the Champions Tour is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older. Since its inception in 1980 with just four sanctioned events and purses totaling $475,000, the Champions Tour now has 29 official Charles Schwab Cup events, offering a minimum of $52.75 million in official prize money in 2006 and its highest average per tournament purse of $1.82 million. The Tour has an additional lineup of three Challenge / unofficial-money events that are played in February, November and December. The Champions Tour operates under the umbrella of the PGA TOUR, which includes the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour. The Champions Tour’s primary purpose as a component of the PGA TOUR is to provide significant competitive and earnings opportunities for players age 50 and older, to protect the integrity of the game and to help grow the reach of the game in the U.S. and around the world. In addition to providing competitive opportunities for its membership, Champions Tour events also generate significant sums of money for charity.
History:
1980 – 2006. The Tour enters its 26th season in 2006.
Charity:
Champions Tour events generate significant sums of money for charity. On Oct. 30, 2005, the three Tours of the PGA TOUR and their tournaments announced they had reached the $1-billion milestone in charitable giving, dating back to the first recorded donation in 1938 (see “Charity” below).
2006 Schedule:
There are 29 official Charles Schwab Cup events, plus a lineup of three Challenge / unofficial events that are played in February, November and December. The 2006 Champions Tour plays in 17 states in the U.S., plus Mexico and Scotland.
Major Championships (5):
Ford Senior Players Championship, JELD-WEN Tradition, Senior British Open, Senior PGA Championship and U.S. Senior Open.
Prize Money:
$52.75 million (minimum) – Official Charles Schwab Cup (29 events)
$2.77 million (minimum) – Challenge / Unofficial (3 events)
Charles Schwab Cup:
The Charles Schwab Cup, designed to recognize the Champions Tour’s leading player, rewards both top finishes and week-in/week-out consistency in all official events. Players receive points for top-10 finishes and ties based on each week's money distribution, with $1,000 earned being the equivalent of one Charles Schwab Cup point, with double points awarded at the five major championships and triple points at the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship. The program offers $2.1 million in annuity payouts to its five leading performers. Tom Watson won the Cup in 2005 for the second time in three years.
Size of Field:
In 2006, the field size for Champions Tour events will be 78 players, except at those tournaments that have specific eligibility criteria. See “Eligibility” below for details of a 78-player field.
Eligibility:
In order to be eligible for an official Champions Tour event, a player must be at least 50 years of age prior to his first tournament obligation. The field size at the majority of Champions Tour events in 2006 will be 78 players based on the following eligibility requirements:
1) 30 players — Available from Prior-Year Money List, floor of 50
2) 30 players — Available from All-Time Money List (not exempt in No. 1),
floor of net 70
3) 4 players — PGA TOUR Career Victory Category, ages 50 and 51 (not
exempt in No. 1 or No. 2)
4) 7 players — Available from National Qualifying Tournament (replaced by
Reorder Category on August 8)
5) 5 players — Invited by the Tournament:
+ Two spots restricted: players with one PGA TOUR or Champions Tour win and Veteran Member status
+ Three spots unrestricted
6) 2 players — Open Qualifying
Up to three players (to a field maximum of 81 players) may be added to the field based on:
+ Tournament winners not already exempt
+ Committed and eligible players from the All-Time Victory category
+ Major medical extensions
The 2006 National Qualifying Tournament National Finals (six rounds / 108 holes), held annually in November, will be played at the Tournament Players Club at Eagle Trace in Coral Springs, FL. The top seven players will earn fully-exempt status and the next eight conditionally-exempt status. The Finals are preceded by one set of regional qualifiers.
Membership:
Champions Tour members hail from around the globe. In 2006, 24 international players have full or partial Tour exemptions. Thirteen countries are represented, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, the United States and Zimbabwe.
Hall of Fame Members:
The following 20 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame are members of the Champions Tour: Isao Aoki, Deane Beman, Tommy Bolt, Billy Casper, Ben Crenshaw, Roberto De Vicenzo, Raymond Floyd, Hale Irwin, Tony Jacklin, Tom Kite, Gene Littler, Johnny Miller, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Charlie Sifford, Peter Thomson, Lee Trevino and Tom Watson. Deceased members who were active on the Champions Tour include Julius Boros, Paul Runyan and Sam Snead.
Fan Features:
Initiated in 2003, the Champions Tour's Fan Features are designed to give the Tour a distinct identity and complement the high level of skill displayed by its members in tournament play. The Champions Tour seeks to be the most approachable, accessible and fan-friendly arena, not only in golf, but in all of sports. In three years, the program has had significant impact as evidenced by the positive feedback received weekly from tournament promoters, sponsors and fans, with players going out of their way to support the program. Fan Features include live television interviews during play, gallery in the fairway, honorary observers, caddie for a day, player Q&A sessions, behind-the-scenes tours, a game-improvement platform, and more.
TV:
The Golf Channel, available in more than 70 million homes,  is the exclusive cable television home of the Champions Tour through 2008. It will provide three-day coverage of 54-hole events, plus four-day coverage of the JELD-WEN Tradition and Friday/Saturday coverage of the Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. The Golf Channel will also re-air all telecasts the same day, often in prime time. ABC, CBS and NBC will televise six official events, thus all 29 official Champions Tour events, plus the three Challenge events, will be on television in the United States. The coverage summary of the 29* official Charles Schwab Cup tournaments is as follows:
TGC 24 ABC 2 CBS 1 NBC 3
* The Golf Channel and NBC provide Friday/Saturday and Sunday coverage, respectively, of the Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach.
International TV:
Outside the United States, the majority of Champions Tour events are seen in the United Kingdom and continental Europe, Latin America, Canada, Middle East, Africa, Japan, Australia and Pan Asia. The events air live, tape-delayed or in a highlights-package format. The amount of coverage for any given event varies from country to country and coverage area to coverage area.
Awards:
The Champions Tour presents the following awards annually:
• Champions Tour Player of the Year/Jack Nicklaus Trophy
• Charles Schwab Cup
• Champions Tour Rookie of the Year
• Champions Tour Comeback Player of the Year
• Arnold Palmer Award (leading money winner)
• Byron Nelson Award (scoring leader)
• CTTA “Bruno” Award (contributions to the Champions Tour)
• Champions Tour Charity of the Year
• Champions Tour Volunteer of the Year
In addition, the Champions Tour recognizes a Player of the Month (February
through October).
“Rookies”:
The Champions Tour “rookie” class of 2006 includes exempt players Scott Simpson (Sept. 17, 2005), Scott Hoch (Nov. 24, 2005), David Edwards (April 18), Fred Funk (June 14) and Chip Beck (Sept. 12).
Additional future-year “rookie” prospects include: 2007 – Mark O’Meara, Nick Price, Nick Faldo, Jeff Sluman, John Cook, Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer. 2008 – Sandy Lyle, Joey Sindelar, Mike Hulbert, Hal Sutton, Dan Forsman, Larry Mize, Blaine McCallister, Ian Woosnam. 2009 – Steve Jones, Tom Lehman, Bob Tway, David Frost, Fred Couples. 2010 – Corey Pavin, Paul Azinger, Mark Calcavecchia, Kenny Perry.
Georgia-Pacific Grand Champions:
A “tournament within a tournament” for Champions Tour players age 60 and over who are entered in the full-field tournament. The winner is determined by scores posted during the first two rounds of competition. Georgia-Pacific Grand Champions compete for $175,000, with the winner receiving $30,000. In 2006, there are five events, plus the season-concluding $400,000 Georgia-Pacific Grand Champions Championship for the year's 16 leading money winners, plus two sponsor invitees, with the winner taking home $85,000.
Champions Tour Communications Contacts:
Bob Combs, Senior Vice President, Comm. & Public Relations / 904-273-3500
Jeff Adams, Director of Public Relations / 904-273-3397
Colin Murray, Media Relations Assistant / 904-273-3298
Dave Senko, Media Official / 904-273-3252
Phil Stambaugh, Media Official / 904-273-3516
• Vista Vallarta Golf Club Photo Gallery
Source: Blue Agave Tournament Committee
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