(PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - AUGUST 29, 2012)– Former PLAYERS champion and Ponte Vedra Beach resident Fred Funk has committed to play in the Web.com Tour’s Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters, scheduled for Oct. 18-21 at Dye’s Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass. It will be the 56-year-old Funk’s first-ever start in a Web.com Tour event.
“The more I thought about playing in the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters, the more excited I got,” Funk said. “I’ve witnessed the evolution of the Web.com Tour over the years and been incredibly impressed by it. We’ve seen a steady stream of talent come through this Tour every year and excel once they make the transition to the PGA TOUR. This will be the first time I play in a Web.com Tour event and I can’t wait to tee it up alongside the future stars of the PGA TOUR. Playing in my backyard and being able to support the tournament’s charitable efforts, which in the first two years have been remarkable, are a tough combination to top.”
“Fred Funk is a fantastic addition to the field of the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters,” said Executive Director Jeff Sanders. “He is one of golf’s most popular players and is sure to draw a strong following throughout the week. I can’t think of a more appropriate place for Fred to make his first Web.com Tour start than in his hometown and at TPC Sawgrass where the PGA TOUR is headquartered.”
“It will be exciting to see Fred Funk tee it up against the young guns on the Web.com Tour,” said Web.com Tour president Bill Calfee. “We invite First Coast area golf fans to come out and cheer Fred on and to enjoy all the other fun activities the tournament has planned for attendees of all ages from Monday until the last putt drops on Sunday.”
Funk has won eight titles on the PGA TOUR and seven times on the Champions Tour. At age 49 the University of Maryland grad and former golf coach became the oldest PLAYERS champion in 2005. Two years later, he won the Myakoba Golf Classic to become the fifth oldest champion in PGA TOUR history. With a Champions Tour win earlier that January, Funk became only the third player to win a PGA TOUR and Champions Tour event in the same season (Raymond Floyd, Craig Stadler). Were he to capture the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters he would become the seventh player to win an event on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Web.com Tour.
The Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters is the 26th of 27 Web.com Tour events in 2012 and is the final full-field event of the year, which means there will be a lot on the line for the 144 players in the field. Only the top 60 on the money list at the conclusion of the tournament will qualify for the season-ending Web.com Tour Championship at TPC Craig Ranch near Dallas, Texas. The top-25 money winners at the conclusion of the Championship will be awarded their PGA TOUR cards for the 2013 season.
In addition to spectacular golf, the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters has a full and fun week of activities planned for every member of the family. These events include the Junior Clinic on Monday, a free pancake breakfast on Saturday, and a Family Day full of games and mascots for the kids on Sunday. The tournament will once again host Patriots’ Outpost, which will include FREE admission for military personnel and their families, FREE parking, a prime hospitality and viewing area adjacent to the 18th green, and refreshments and complimentary lunch on Saturday and Sunday.
To buy tickets or get more information about the 2012 Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters, go to www.winndixiejacksonvilleopen.com. One-hundred percent of ticket sales will support local charities.
