News & Events

University Of Maryland to Serve as Host Site for 2010 & 2011 Melwood Prince George’s County Open Friday, October 09, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 9, 2009

 

University of Maryland to serve as host site for

2010 & 2011 Melwood Prince George's County Open

College Park, Md. - (October 9, 2009) – The Melwood Prince George's County Open, in a unique partnership with the University of Maryland, College Park, will play its Nationwide Tour event on the University's Golf Course for both 2010 and 2011, it was announced today by tournament officials. The 2010 Melwood Prince George's County Open will be played May 31^st - June 6^th, 2010.

 

""The tournament has quickly become one of the premier events on the Nationwide Tour, and we believe the partnership with the University of Maryland will help us continue to grow this community event for years to come,"" said Teo Sodeman, Tournament Director. ""Maryland will be an excellent venue and we are very pleased with the overwhelming support we have already received from the University, club members and the local business community.""

 

The Golf Channel will once again broadcast the tournament live. Last year all four days of the tournament were broadcast live to 33 countries, including , , , , and .

 

"As an alumnus of the University of Maryland, I am very proud to be a part of this partnership that is bringing the Nationwide Tour to College Park and the University golf course," said Nationwide Tour president Bill Calfee.  "I have many fond memories of my days at Maryland and my participation on the golf team.  I know the University will be a wonderful host to the Nationwide Tour and its players next June.  We hope to get as many members of the University community involved as possible as volunteers, spectators and sponsors in support of the Melwood Prince George's County Open."

 

Guests for this event include: Fred Funk, PGA TOUR and Champions Tour Professional and former University of Maryland golf coach; Thomas V. (Mike) Miller, Maryland State Senate President; C.D. (Dan) Mote, Jr., President of University of Maryland; Bill Calfee, President of Nationwide Tour, Tim Benton, Vice President PGA Tour and University of Maryland Alumni; Jack Johnson, Prince George's County Executive; and Teo Sodeman, Melwood Prince George's County Open Tournament Director. Linda Clement, Vice President of Student Affairs, University of Maryland, Jeff Maynor, Director of Golf Operations, University of Maryland.

 

""We are thrilled to bring back world class entertainment to Prince George's County for the next two years,"" said Johnson. ""It gives Prince George's County another opportunity to show the world what a great place Prince George's County truly is.""

 

Maryland native Fred Funk, an eight-time winner on the PGA TOUR — including THE PLAYERS Championship — will again serve as Co-honorary chair with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD).

 

""I'm thrilled to once again serve as the Honorary Chairman of the Melwood Prince George's County Open at the University of Maryland, ""said Funk.  ""This is an outstanding course and I know the Nationwide Tour players will face a tough test of golf.""

 

""Golf fans in the region should come out and see this Nationwide Tour event because they're going to see some great players who will compete on the PGA TOUR in the very near future. The tournament also benefits Melwood, a great organization in the region that helps a lot of people,"" added Funk.

 

Tournament Director Teo Sodeman said, ""Fred Funk is a true hometown hero. Those of us who've had the pleasure and excitement of watching his career since his days at the University of Maryland are thrilled with Fred's continued support of this Nationwide Tour event here in Prince George's County.""

 

The University of Maryland's 18-hole, semi-private golf course is located within the Washington D.C. Capital Beltway making it an ideal spot to host this event. The 7,030- yard championship course consists of tree-lined fairways and a newly-built clubhouse featuring a full-service golf shop, Mulligan's Bar and Grill, locker rooms and banquet facilities.

 

WHAT

The future location site announcement for the 2010 and 2011 Melwood Prince George's County Open. The tournament will once again draw the top players on the Nationwide Tour.

WHERE
The University of Maryland - College Park Golf Course, located at the intersection of MD Rt. 193 and Stadium Dr., College Park, MD 20742.

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Tournament Office: (301) 599-2732

Tournament Director: Teo Sodeman
Website:  http://www.melwoodgolf.org/

     

MEDIA CONTACT

Fried Communications·Winter·Brotman

(703) 534-4600

Shaun May ext. 213

smay@bwfcom.com

 

About Melwood

Melwood Horticultural Training Center is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit serving more than 2,100 people with disabilities with job training, employment, housing and recreation in the Washington D.C. area. Melwood employees support more than 65 contracts made possible by the AbilityOne Program, which encourages federal agencies to contract with approved, qualified organizations that provide job training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities. This federal effort is emphasized by the fact that 62 percent of Americans with severe disabilities are unemployed. For additional information about Melwood capabilities and services for people with disabilities, call Melwood at (301) 599-8000, or visit www.melwood.org.

 

ABOUT THE NATIONWIDE TOUR

Founded (1990), owned and operated by the PGA TOUR, the Nationwide Tour identifies those players who are ready to compete and win on golf's biggest stage.  As the ""official proving ground"" of the PGA TOUR, two out of three PGA TOUR members are Nationwide Tour alumni.  As of Oct. 5^th, Tour alumni have won 257 PGA TOUR titles, including 13 majors and three PLAYERS Championships.  Twenty-five PGA TOUR cards and total prize money of $18.5 million will be at stake over the course of 29 events in 2009.  Recognizing the Tour's growing stature, Nationwide Insurance has renewed its umbrella sponsorship of the Nationwide Tour through 2012.  The PGA TOUR, through the efforts of its three tours and their tournaments, sponsors, players and volunteers, supports over 2,000 local charities and has surpassed $1.3 billion in charitable giving.  To learn more about the PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour and to follow the season-long quest for a PGA TOUR card, visit PGATOUR.COM.

 

ABOUT NATIONWIDE

Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the and is rated A+ by A.M. Best. The company provides a full range of personalized insurance and financial services, including auto insurance, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, life insurance, farm, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, long-term savings plans and health and productivity services. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.

 

Nationwide, the Nationwide Framemark and On Your Side are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. 

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND

From its pre-Civil War roots as Maryland's first agricultural college and one of America's original land grant institutions, the University of Maryland today is the flagship campus of the University System of Maryland and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities.  Maryland is committed to excellence as the state's premier center of research and graduate education and the institution of choice for undergraduate students of exceptional ability and promise. For more information about the University of Maryland, visit www.umd.edu.

 

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