Local golf tournament exempts a couple of local golfers
PRESS RELEASE
Two Local Golfers Earn
Sponsor’s Exemptions into the
Athens Regional Foundation Classic
Peterson and Rymer are Former Champions on Nationwide Tour
ATHENS, Ga., March 6, 2007– Tournament organizers announced today that Northeast Georgia residents Matt Peterson and Charlie Rymer have been offered two of the sponsor’s exemptions for the 2nd Annual Athens Regional Foundation Classic (ARFC), scheduled for April 19-22 at Jennings Mill Country Club.
The Nationwide Tour event will not be an unfamiliar place for Rymer and Peterson, as both have experienced victory on the Tour in their professional careers.
“Matt and Charlie are two of this area’s most accomplished and well-known golfers, and we’re thrilled to have them in the field,” said Len Sapera, Chairman of the Athens Regional Foundation Classic. “We’re confident that our home town heroes will be able to play with the best when the tournament arrives in Athens in just over a month.”
Success came early for Rymer who, at the age of 17, stepped into the national spotlight as winner of the U.S. Junior Championship. He followed that with a decorated collegiate career at Georgia Tech, where he was a two-time All-ACC selection and two-time All-American while earning a degree in management. Now considered a “Tech Golf Great,” Rymer boasts 16 top-ten finishes in his college career, including five wins.
After graduation, Rymer experienced immediate success at the professional level, earning his first professional victory at the Nationwide (then Nike) Tour’s 1994 South Carolina Classic. Rymer earned his PGA TOUR card with a tenth-place finish in the 1994 Qualifying School, shortly after which he posted his best TOUR finish – third at the Shell Houston Open. Rymer spent three years on the PGA TOUR, earning in excess of $400,000 in his professional career. He is now widely recognized for his quick wit and down-home humor as a golf commentator for ESPN.
It won’t be all Yellow Jackets in Athens though, as Matt Peterson – one of the most decorated players in UGA history – will also be a member of the ARFC field. Peterson won two tournaments and had 16 top-ten finishes during his time at UGA, where he was an All-SEC and All-American player in 1988 and 1989. Peterson also excelled in the classroom, where he was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll three times.
Peterson’s professional highlights include a victory at the Nationwide (Nike) Tour’s Central Georgia Open in Macon, Ga. in 1995 and a victory at the 1993 Georgia State Open. A member of the Nationwide Tour from 1993-2001 and 2003-2004, he is still ranked in the top 30 in career earnings. Peterson earned his PGA TOUR card in 2002. He finished his career with $296,504 in earnings on the PGA TOUR.
Peterson now spends his days teaching the game as the head professional at the University of Georgia Golf Course. While he misses life on the Tour, Peterson is enjoying the benefits of staying close to home, which means more time with his wife Lisa, daughters Hanna and Lauren and son Jacob. “It’s nice being at home and sleeping in my own bed every night instead of sleeping in hotel rooms and eating restaurant food.”
The 2nd Annual Athens Regional Foundation Classic will be held the week of April 16 through 22 at Jennings Mill Country Club in Oconee County. The event will offer a $500,000 purse, with all profits going to support the Athens Regional Foundation. Two additional sponsor’s exemptions will be selected as the tournament approaches.
Athens Regional Foundation
All proceeds from the Classic will benefit the Athens Regional Foundation. The Foundation’s goals of community service and education are accomplished by providing the financial means to establish projects and programs to serve the long-term healthcare needs of area citizens. Recent projects of the Foundation include the Loran Smith Center for Cancer Support, which provides free resources to anyone affected by cancer; The Guest House, a home away from home for families of critically ill patients; a Mobile Mammography Unit, which provides screening mammograms to women who do not easily have access to mammograms; and the Breast Health Center, which includes one of the only all-digital mammography centers in the country.
The Foundation is currently embarking on a campaign to expand cancer care services. A highlight of the campaign will be the Griffin-DuBose Healing Lodge, named in memory of John E. “Buck” Griffin and Bolling DuBose, M.D., two beloved community members who served the hospital for many years. This building will provide additional space for support groups and programs such as Therapeutic Yoga and therapeutic creative arts. In addition, donations will increase funding for the existing endowment to insure that programs and services are available in the future.
The Nationwide Tour
The Nationwide Tour is part of the PGA TOUR family and was founded in 1990. Nationwide has served as the umbrella sponsor of the Tour starting with the 2003 season. The top 20 players on the Nationwide Tour graduate to the PGA TOUR annually, and to date, former players have won 193 PGA TOUR titles, including ten major championships. Among those who have honed their game on the Tour are Stewart Cink, John Daly, Chris DiMarco, David Duval, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Tom Lehman and David Toms. The PGA TOUR is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Its website is www.pgatour.com.
Nationwide
Nationwide, based in Columbus, OH, is one of the largest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the world with more than $157 billion in assets. Nationwide ranks #99 on the Fortune 100 list. The company provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto, homeowners, life, health, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities, mutual funds, pensions and long-term savings plans.
Nationwide and the Nationwide Framework are federally registered service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. On Your Side is a service mark of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.
* * * * *
Media Contacts:
Elaine Cook, Dir. of Corporate Communications
Athens Regional Health Services
(706) 475-3350
ecook@armc.org
Bryan Harris
Jackson Spalding
(706) 354-0470
bharris@jacksonspalding.com
Two Local Golfers Earn
Sponsor’s Exemptions into the
Athens Regional Foundation Classic
Peterson and Rymer are Former Champions on Nationwide Tour
ATHENS, Ga., March 6, 2007– Tournament organizers announced today that Northeast Georgia residents Matt Peterson and Charlie Rymer have been offered two of the sponsor’s exemptions for the 2nd Annual Athens Regional Foundation Classic (ARFC), scheduled for April 19-22 at Jennings Mill Country Club.
The Nationwide Tour event will not be an unfamiliar place for Rymer and Peterson, as both have experienced victory on the Tour in their professional careers.
“Matt and Charlie are two of this area’s most accomplished and well-known golfers, and we’re thrilled to have them in the field,” said Len Sapera, Chairman of the Athens Regional Foundation Classic. “We’re confident that our home town heroes will be able to play with the best when the tournament arrives in Athens in just over a month.”
Success came early for Rymer who, at the age of 17, stepped into the national spotlight as winner of the U.S. Junior Championship. He followed that with a decorated collegiate career at Georgia Tech, where he was a two-time All-ACC selection and two-time All-American while earning a degree in management. Now considered a “Tech Golf Great,” Rymer boasts 16 top-ten finishes in his college career, including five wins.
After graduation, Rymer experienced immediate success at the professional level, earning his first professional victory at the Nationwide (then Nike) Tour’s 1994 South Carolina Classic. Rymer earned his PGA TOUR card with a tenth-place finish in the 1994 Qualifying School, shortly after which he posted his best TOUR finish – third at the Shell Houston Open. Rymer spent three years on the PGA TOUR, earning in excess of $400,000 in his professional career. He is now widely recognized for his quick wit and down-home humor as a golf commentator for ESPN.
It won’t be all Yellow Jackets in Athens though, as Matt Peterson – one of the most decorated players in UGA history – will also be a member of the ARFC field. Peterson won two tournaments and had 16 top-ten finishes during his time at UGA, where he was an All-SEC and All-American player in 1988 and 1989. Peterson also excelled in the classroom, where he was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll three times.
Peterson’s professional highlights include a victory at the Nationwide (Nike) Tour’s Central Georgia Open in Macon, Ga. in 1995 and a victory at the 1993 Georgia State Open. A member of the Nationwide Tour from 1993-2001 and 2003-2004, he is still ranked in the top 30 in career earnings. Peterson earned his PGA TOUR card in 2002. He finished his career with $296,504 in earnings on the PGA TOUR.
Peterson now spends his days teaching the game as the head professional at the University of Georgia Golf Course. While he misses life on the Tour, Peterson is enjoying the benefits of staying close to home, which means more time with his wife Lisa, daughters Hanna and Lauren and son Jacob. “It’s nice being at home and sleeping in my own bed every night instead of sleeping in hotel rooms and eating restaurant food.”
The 2nd Annual Athens Regional Foundation Classic will be held the week of April 16 through 22 at Jennings Mill Country Club in Oconee County. The event will offer a $500,000 purse, with all profits going to support the Athens Regional Foundation. Two additional sponsor’s exemptions will be selected as the tournament approaches.
Athens Regional Foundation
All proceeds from the Classic will benefit the Athens Regional Foundation. The Foundation’s goals of community service and education are accomplished by providing the financial means to establish projects and programs to serve the long-term healthcare needs of area citizens. Recent projects of the Foundation include the Loran Smith Center for Cancer Support, which provides free resources to anyone affected by cancer; The Guest House, a home away from home for families of critically ill patients; a Mobile Mammography Unit, which provides screening mammograms to women who do not easily have access to mammograms; and the Breast Health Center, which includes one of the only all-digital mammography centers in the country.
The Foundation is currently embarking on a campaign to expand cancer care services. A highlight of the campaign will be the Griffin-DuBose Healing Lodge, named in memory of John E. “Buck” Griffin and Bolling DuBose, M.D., two beloved community members who served the hospital for many years. This building will provide additional space for support groups and programs such as Therapeutic Yoga and therapeutic creative arts. In addition, donations will increase funding for the existing endowment to insure that programs and services are available in the future.
The Nationwide Tour
The Nationwide Tour is part of the PGA TOUR family and was founded in 1990. Nationwide has served as the umbrella sponsor of the Tour starting with the 2003 season. The top 20 players on the Nationwide Tour graduate to the PGA TOUR annually, and to date, former players have won 193 PGA TOUR titles, including ten major championships. Among those who have honed their game on the Tour are Stewart Cink, John Daly, Chris DiMarco, David Duval, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Tom Lehman and David Toms. The PGA TOUR is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Its website is www.pgatour.com.
Nationwide
Nationwide, based in Columbus, OH, is one of the largest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the world with more than $157 billion in assets. Nationwide ranks #99 on the Fortune 100 list. The company provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto, homeowners, life, health, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities, mutual funds, pensions and long-term savings plans.
Nationwide and the Nationwide Framework are federally registered service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. On Your Side is a service mark of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.
* * * * *
Media Contacts:
Elaine Cook, Dir. of Corporate Communications
Athens Regional Health Services
(706) 475-3350
ecook@armc.org
Bryan Harris
Jackson Spalding
(706) 354-0470
bharris@jacksonspalding.com
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