Charles Schwab Cup coming to an end at Oak Hills CC/AT&T Championship

SAN ANTONIO – Aug 15, 2006: The season-long Charles Schwab Cup is coming right down to the wire with the top two players, Loren Roberts and Jay Haas, eyeing San Antonio and the AT&T Championship presented by Alcatel, October 16-22, in the last non-major event of the Champions Tour season.

The winner receives a $1 million dollar annuity in the competition designed to recognize the Tour’s leading player. Going into the Administaff Small Business Classic in Houston, Oct. 14-16, there were three official tournaments left with Roberts holding an 84-point lead over Haas, the 2005 AT&T Championship winner.

With both players former Texas Open champions on the PGA Tour in San Antonio, there was little question where they were expecting to fight out their final battle.

“I’m looking forward to playing a lot and playing well in the month of October,” said Roberts. “I think this is the perfect ending to the season. I certainly like Oak Hills and I’m looking forward to playing in the AT&T Championship.”

At one time, both Roberts and Haas were among career money leaders at the Open and Haas said it was ironic that they were returning to the Alamo City later this month to help determine the top player of the 2006 Champions Tour season.

“I love Oak Hills and have had some good luck there over the years,” said Haas. “I won’t say I’m in great shape, but I like my position and if I continue to play well, I can be there at the end.”

Roberts and Haas are the only two Champions Tour golfers who have led the Schwab competition in 2006. Roberts, who won the first four events of the year, led the initial 11 weeks. Haas took the lead after winning the Senior PGA Championship and led for the next seven weeks before being overtaken by Roberts, after he won the Senior British Open.

Roberts has led the last eight weeks, but saw his margin shrink after Haas recorded a couple of top 10 finishes.

“I think this is great for the Champions Tour and great for the Charles Schwab Cup to see the competition come down to the final weeks, especially at a course and a city we both love,” Roberts said.

The Charles Schwab Cup rewards both top finishes and week-in/week-out consistency at all 28 official Charles Schwab Cup events.  Points are awarded to the top-10 finishers and ties and are based on the monies distribution for each tournament, with every $1,000 earned being the equivalent of one Charles Schwab Cup point.

Points are doubled at the Champions Tour's five major championships and the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship, the week after the AT&T Championship, October 26-29, 2006

“You know I feel I'm definitely in the hunt, but I need to play well the last four weeks though,” Haas said. “Obviously, Loren is right there and he's going to be tough to overtake, but I like the courses we're going to.”

One player who isn’t among the Schwab leaders because of his Champions Tour rookie status, Fred Funk, said Oak Hills Country Club is a worthy and wonderful site for one of the final Charles Schwab showdowns.

“I played there last month to get ready for the AT&T and I couldn’t believe how little it had changed and what a great course it still is,” said Funk. “That is such a narrow and challenging course for those players, you almost have to walk single file down the first fairway.”

Brad Bryant is currently third place in the Schwab standings, just under a 1000 points behind Roberts, Bobby Wadkins is fourth, Gil Morgan is fifth and Texan Tom Kite sixth. All are expected to play in this year’s AT&T Championship at Oak Hills CC.

“Not only do we have one of the best fields in the 20-plus-year history at the AT&T Championship, but we have the two players in one of the tightest ever Charles Schwab Cup races competing at Oak Hills,” said AT&T Championship Tournament Director Colby Callaway. “It’s going to be quite a show for our fans.”

Tickets to see Roberts, Haas and Funk along with Gary Player, Lee Trevino, and recently committed Scott Hoch along with many other golfing greats at the 2006 AT&T Championship are available by calling 210-698-3582 or fans can find more information by going to www.attchamp.com .