NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 15, 2005
CONTACT: Suzy Abrams-Jones, SBA Public Relations
(203) 618-1864 office / (407) 256-6200 mobile / soozabrams@aol.com
Champions Tour Great Craig Stadler To Replace The Injured
Peter Jacobsen at The Sovereign Bank Charity Golf Classic
Monroe Township, NJ - Golf legend Peter Jacobsen, who was scheduled to make his third consecutive appearance at the Forsgate Foundation's upcoming Charity Golf Classic, has been sidelined by emergency knee surgery and will be unable to attend this year's event. PGA Professional Craig Stadler, affectionately known throughout the golf world as "The Walrus," will replace Jacobsen at the Sovereign Bank Charity Golf Classic set to take place on September 25-26, 2005, at the private Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township, New Jersey.
Stadler will join PGA fan-favorite John Daly, LPGA phenom Natalie Gulbis, and television personality Matt Griesser for two days of golf and fund-raising for Special Olympics New Jersey and other local charities designated by the Forsgate Foundation.
Jacobsen was forced to withdraw from the August 29 - September 4, Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach because of knee pain and underwent knee surgery for the second time this season on September 7, 2005. He will be out of action until in mid-October.
"When Peter learned he would not be able to join us, he immediately called on his friend Craig Stadler, who generously agreed to take his place," said Forsgate Foundation Executive Director Dave Wasenda. "We hope golf fans throughout the community will come out and and enjoy a great day with Craig, John and Natalie and help us raise money for very worthwhile charities."
Craig Stadler is one of golf's most colorful personalities and gallery favorites. Stadler displayed a competitive instinct early when he claimed the 1973 U.S. Amateur and was recognized as a two-time All-American at the University of Southern California. As a professional, Stadler has won 13 career PGA Tour victories including the 1982 Masters and the 1991 TOUR Championship and was named to the 1983 and 1985 U.S. Ryder Cup Teams. Stadler became eligible to play on the Champions Tour in June of 2003 and was the leading money winner in his first full season on Tour in 2004.
The Sovereign Bank Charity Golf Classic will start the evening of September 25th with a VIP Reception and The UBS Financial Services Live and Silent Auction Reception held in the clubhouse at Forsgate.
The following day on September 26th at 8:30AM, event participants will compete in an 18-hole golf tournament on Forsgate Country Club's renowned Banks Course, named the #2 private golf course in the Garden State by New Jersey Monthly magazine.
At 2:00PM, the general public is welcome to come out and watch Stadler entertain the crowd, Daly drive the ball, and Gulbis demonstrate her LPGA Tour skills in an hour long Malouf Auto Group Celebrity Exhibition. Entertainer Matt Griesser, best known for his role as "Sign Boy" in FootJoy's national television commercials, will serve as a commentator throughout the event.
The Sovereign Bank Charity Golf Classic will conclude with the nine-hole Bud Light Skins Game where Stadler, Daly, Gulbis will battle it out on the links for a total purse of $9,000.
Tickets for the Malouf Auto Group Celebrity Exhibition and The Bud Light Skins Game are $15 (entry for both events) and are available for purchase by calling (732) 656-8911.
To learn more about the Sovereign Bank Charity Golf Classic and the celebrity guests, visit www.forsgatefoundation.org