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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -- When the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic (BHCC) hosted by George Lopez kicked off the 2007 PGA TOUR on the mainland, the comedian and actor helped the Chrysler brand and its partner, Golf Digest Publications (Golf Digest, Golf Digest For Women, Golf World), announce the start of the fourth annual Chrysler Club Championship (CCC), the fastest growing, most prestigious amateur golf event in the country.
"For thousands of amateur golfers across the country, the ultimate dream is to play on the PGA TOUR alongside pros like Justin Leonard and Mike Weir," said David Rooney, Director - Chrysler Marketing & Global Communications. "The Chrysler Club Championship offers those golfers the chance to fulfill that dream by playing in high-profile local, regional and national club tournaments with the grand prize being the chance to play in the 2008 BHCC, a tournament known for pairing PGA TOUR professionals and celebrities."
The 2007 CCC, a stroke-play event designed for top male and female amateur golfers, will expand its reach to open the field to more than 1,200 clubs and more than 115,000 participants in the 48 continental United States. Golfers will compete for the title of CCC National Champion and a roster spot in the PGA TOUR's 2008 BHCC hosted by George Lopez.
Bigger and better than ever, the CCC also announced that it will hold its national finals competition in conjunction with The Franklin Templeton Shootout hosted by Greg Norman, a tournament widely regarded as the PGA TOUR's premier post-season event, at the renowned Ritz-Carlton Tiburón Resort in Naples, Fla., Dec. 5-9.
For the fourth straight year, the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) will join with Chrysler, Golf Digest Publications and the tour's other partners, Callaway Golf and The Golf Channel, as the CCC's charitable partner. The charity will receive donations collected in whole from the CCC program. Funds raised will help provide college golf scholarships to young men and women through competitive junior golf. To date, the CCC has helped raise more than $100,000 for charity.
"For more than 40 years, golf has long been a part of the Chrysler brand. Through the unique CCC program, we're able to extend it to the grass roots level, to people who are as passionate about the game as we are," said Rooney. "But more importantly, the CCC benefits a host of local and national charities including the American Junior Golf Association."
Clubs and golfers interested in the CCC can get more information and register for the tournament by visiting www.chryslerlinks.com.
The Chrysler Club Championship Format
First-place male and female finishers at the local level will advance to one of eight regional tournaments hosted by that region's PGA Section or Golf Association.
From the eight regional competitions, 64 finalists (32 men and 32 women) will travel to Naples, Fla., to play in the national finals, a two-day stroke play event held in conjunction with The Franklin Templeton Shootout. The two national champions -- male and female -- will be rewarded with a trip to the 2008 BHCC hosted by George Lopez and a spot in the playing field of the annual Pro-Am tournament in Palm Springs, Calif.
In addition to hitting the links, CCC attendees will be able to hit the road and experience the Chrysler brand's full line of award-winning products first-hand with vehicle test-drive events at hundreds of participating clubs across the country.
History of the Chrysler Club Championship
In 2006, more than 80,000 amateurs competed at 850 clubs in local and regional tournaments throughout the summer. Since its inception in 2004, the CCC has grown by more than 150 percent.
Chrysler has been affiliated with golf for most of its history. In fact, 2007 marks the 42nd anniversary of its sponsorship of the Bob Hope Classic. In addition to the BHCC, Chrysler is also the official automobile sponsor of the LPGA Ginn Open and The Franklin Templeton Shootout.
About Chrysler Brand
Driven by the steady, consistent launches of award-winning new models, the Chrysler brand has seen a dramatic increase in sales, market share and brand image during the last 16 years. Since 1990, Chrysler brand sales more than tripled, jumping 251 percent. No other American automotive brand has grown by that amount during the same period. The Chrysler Brand's succession of innovative product introductions -- which include the Chrysler Aspen, the first-ever full-size SUV for the brand, and the all-new Chrysler Sebring -- continues to solidify the brand's standing as the leader in design, engineering and value. The premium for the Chrysler brand is in the product, not the price.
About Golf Digest Publications
Golf Digest Publications are part of Conde Nast Publications, Inc., a unit of Advance Publications, which includes twenty-seven consumer magazines and their websites, six uniquely branded websites, the Fairchild Fashion Group, Parade, the Conde Nast Media Group, and the Shared Services Centers.
About the American Junior Golf Association
The American Junior Golf Association is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.
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