People vs. the Pros Returns in 2005

People vs. the Pros Returns in 2005

Amateur Golfers to Compete Head-To-Head Against Ben Crenshaw and Justin Leonard for $300,000 at Top-Ranked Barton Creek Resort & Spa on Sept. 12, 2005

Event Scheduled to Air in Prime Time on ESPN on Sept. 19, 2005

Key Sponsorships Announced With BASF, GCSAA and the Golf Digest Companies

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- People vs. the Pros, the riveting drama of amateurs competing head-to-head for $300,000 against professionals from the PGA Tour and Champions Tour in a unique reality television golf event on ESPN, will return for the third year and will be hosted by ClubCorp's Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas on Sept. 8-12, 2005, according to Andy Batkin, CEO of Innovative Media Solutions (IMS), who made the announcement today during the Golf Industry Show in Orlando. People vs. the Pros is a production of Manhattan Beach, CA-based IMS and Winnercomm, Inc., America's largest independent sports production company.

"Anyone who loves to play the game of golf has at one time envisioned themselves putting their skills to the ultimate test against the best in the sport," said Batkin. "People vs. the Pros is where those dreams can be realized, and they don't get much better than Ben Crenshaw and Justin Leonard, the 'dream team' that gave us all the thrill of a lifetime in 1999 with Ben's 'good feeling about today' and Justin's stellar pressure putt that resulted in the most stunning comeback victory in Ryder Cup history. This pair of Texans has been magic together and we expect them to add a great deal of excitement to People vs. the Pros in 2005."

Two amateurs had their dreams come true last summer at the 2004 BASF People vs. the Pros at Pinehurst, where John Sniegowski of Cadillac, Michigan defeated John Daly two and one in the 49-and-under age division and Phil Johnson of McKinney, Texas, defeated Gary McCord in a sudden death playoff in the 50-and-over age division.

Batkin announced that BASF would be presenting sponsor of the 2005 People vs. the Pros at Barton Creek Resort & Spa Presented by BASF. The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) has signed on for a second year and will be an official sponsor of the event that will be televised in prime time on ESPN on Sept. 19, 2005. The Golf Digest Companies will be the Official Magazine Group of the 2005 People vs. the Pros at Barton Creek Resort & Spa Presented by BASF and will initiate a major promotional and awareness program utilizing its Golf Digest and Golf World publications as well as its web site, GolfDigest.com .

Dr. Toni Bucci, Business Manager for BASF Turf & Ornamental said, "Sponsoring this event gives BASF a national platform to recognize the professional dedication of golf course superintendents. BASF is proud to sponsor local tournaments specifically for golf course superintendents, and host those winners during their 2005 People vs. the Pros tournament experience. It's our way of saluting the crucial work of superintendents to the golf industry."

Amateurs can play, pay or win a chance to compete in the 2005 People vs. the Pros at Barton Creek Resort & Spa Presented by BASF. U.S. and Canadian amateur golfers over 18 years of age with an established handicap have three ways to qualify: through local qualifying tournaments being held June 18-July 17, 2005; by bidding for a slot on eBay; or by entering the People vs. the Pros Sweepstakes on the event's web site, http://www.pvpgolf.com/ , to win one of ten slots in each division.

A total of 244 amateur golfers divided equally in two age categories, 18-49 and 50 & over, will travel to Austin to play a three-day, 54-hole handicapped stroke-play Finals competition at Barton Creek Resort & Spa on Sept. 8-11, 2005. Two winners - one in each age group -- will advance to the Grand Prize Match, an 18-hole match play round played on Sept. 12 on Barton Creek Resort & Spa's signature Fazio Foothills course. Total purse is $300,000 with $100,000 to each winner and $50,000 to the runners-up.

"We're thrilled to be the 2005 host site for such a prestigious nationally televised golf event," said Jack Bickart, Barton Creek Resort & Spa vice president of sales. "The reputation of People vs. the Pros as one of golf's most dynamic events paired with Texas' premiere golf resort is the perfect combination for an outstanding event!"

The 49 & under age division winner will face Justin Leonard, winner of the 2005 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, the 1998 Players Championship, the 1997 British Open Championship and six other PGA Tour titles as well as a member of the 1999 U. S. Ryder Cup team and the 1996 President's Cup team. The 50 & over age division winner will play the legendary Ben Crenshaw, a two-time Masters Champion and 19-time PGA Tour titlist who captained the victorious 1999 U.S. Ryder Cup team. Crenshaw is the former pro at Barton Creek Resort & Spa and built one of its four championship courses -- Crenshaw Cliffside -- with Bill Coore, his partner in their golf architecture firm, Coore & Crenshaw.

"I'm delighted to be playing in this great event with my good friend Justin Leonard at a course I know and love," said Crenshaw. "Barton Creek Resort & Spa is an outstanding facility and I'm sure all the golfers are going to have a great experience. After the first two years, the pros are down three to one. Justin and I plan to even that score on our home turf this year."

In addition, BASF announced that it would again sponsor qualifying tournaments for regional GCSAA chapters to send 18 golf course superintendents to compete in the three-day Finals at Barton Creek Resort & Spa. BASF will also host the second annual BASF Superintendent's Cup, where the two golf course superintendents with the lowest net scores from the three-day Finals event will compete in head-to-head match play for a grand prize of $10,000 in cash and free BASF products for their home course. The second place finisher in the BASF Superintendent's Cup will receive a cash prize of $5,000. The BASF Superintendent's Cup will be played on Barton Creek Resort & Spa's Fazio Foothills course in conjunction with the People vs. the Pros Grand Prize Match on Monday, Sept. 12. Highlights of that match will be featured in the prime time Sept. 19 ESPN telecast.

"We are pleased to be a sponsor for People vs. the Pros for a second year," said GCSAA president Mark Woodward, CGCS. "The event was enjoyable from the viewer's perspective, did an excellent job of showcasing the extraordinary commitment and talents of our superintendents, and stirred a lot of interest and excitement among our staff and members. This is a natural for us and we look forward to lending our support to grow the local qualifier program this year. We are grateful to BASF for all they are doing to recognize the efforts of our members. It's a good partnership."

BASF Turf & Ornamental introduced the BASF Superintendent's Cup in 2004 at Pinehurst. At that inaugural event played on the famed Pinehurst No. 2 course, Kip Wilson, a superintendent at American Legion Golf Course in Kokomo, Indiana, defeated Matthew Fitzpatrick of Dublin Country Club, Dublin, Georgia, for the $10,000 Grand Prize and an additional $10,000 in BASF products for his home course. Fitzpatrick earned a $5,000 cash prize for his second place finish.

Details on the 2005 People vs. the Pros at Barton Creek Resort & Spa Presented by BASF are on the event's web site: http://www.pvpgolf.com/ .

BASF is the world's leading chemical company. The BASF Agricultural Products business in North America, Specialty Products Department, markets a wide range of innovative products and active ingredients for the forestry, turf, ornamental, pest control and vegetation management markets. BASF Turf & Ornamental is a unit of the BASF Specialty Products Department. Its headquarters are in Research Triangle Park, N.C. It is a unit of the BASF Global Agricultural Products Division located in Mount Olive, N.J. BASF Turf & Ornamental information can also be found on the Internet at http://www.turffacts.com/ .

Since 1926, GCSAA has been the leading professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the United States and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to more than 21,000 individual members in more than 72 countries. GCSAA's mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. Visit GCSAA at http://www.gcsaa.org/ .

ESPN, Inc. is the world's leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring a portfolio of over 50 multimedia sports assets. The company is comprised of seven domestic television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPNU, ESPN Today), ESPN and ESPN2 HD, simulcast services, ESPN Regional Television, ESPN International (networks, syndication, radio, web sites), ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, SportsTicker, ESPN Enterprises, ESPN Zones (sports-themed restaurants), and other growing new businesses including ESPN360 (Broadband), ESPN Mobile, ESPN on Demand, ESPN Interactive and ESPN PPV. Based in Bristol, Ct., ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.

The Golf Digest Companies is an independent unit of Advance Magazine Publishers, Inc., an Advance Publications company, and includes Golf Digest, Golf World, Golf For Women, Golf World Business, Golfdigest.com, Golf Digest Research Resource Center, Golf Digest International, Golf Digest Sports Marketing, the Database of Golf in America, Golf Digest Schools, Golf Digest Licensing & Publishing and The Wrenfield Group, the second largest benefactor of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Located in Austin, in the heart of the glorious Texas Hill Country, Barton Creek Resort & Spa combines impeccable service with its classic brand of Austin casual elegance set in luxurious surroundings. Featuring 300 beautifully appointed rooms, Barton Creek Resort & Spa has something for everyone and boasts superior dining experiences, 72 holes of nationally acclaimed championship golf and the Chuck Cook Golf Academy, the industry's finest meeting facilities and a full-service spa, including a unique line of Texas-themed services.

The resort is one of nearly 200 clubs and resorts worldwide owned and operated by Dallas-based ClubCorp, which was founded in 1957 and has approximately $1.5 billion in assets.

For more information on Barton Creek Resort & Spa, call 1-800-336-6158 or 512-329-4000 or visit http://www.bartoncreek.com/ . Visit http://www.clubcorp.com/ for additional company information.

People vs. the Pros is a production of Innovative Media Solutions, LLC (IMS) and Winnercomm, Inc.

Winnercomm, Inc. is America's largest independent sports production, program development, marketing services and sales company. Winner of 12 EMMY Awards, Winnercomm producers create over 1,000 hours of programming annually for ESPN and 11 other networks.

Innovative Media Solutions, LLC (IMS), based in Manhattan Beach, CA, develops unique, compelling and custom designed integrated media programs for major corporations to reach specific and very targeted demographics. IMS creates dynamic value-added events that effectively blend the use of TV, print, radio, online, database development, event marketing and hospitality. The unique synergy of IMS strategic resources empowers sponsors and advertisers to maximize their investments by transcending common advertising clutter and delivering focused product or service messages to the right audience at the right time.

Media contact: Lynda Haschke at 972-740-3529 or LHaschke@pvpgolf.com .


Source: People vs. the Pros

CONTACT: Lynda Haschke, +1-972-740-3529, or LHaschke@pvpgolf.com , for
People vs. the Pros

Web site: http://www.winnercomm.com/
http://www.golfdigest.com/
http://www.pvpgolf.com/
http://www.turffacts.com/
http://www.bartoncreek.com/
http://www.clubcorp.com/
http://www.gcsaa.org/


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