2006 AT&T Championship to Have Strong Texas Flavor
 

SAN ANTONIO–September 23, 2006:  The AT&T Championship, a Texas tradition on the Champions Tour since 1985, will have a strong home state presence at its 2006 tournament, October 16-22 at Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio.

A total of 10 Texas natives and resident players have already committed to play to this year’s event, including some of the biggest names in golf.

“I always enjoy my trip to San Antonio for the tournament,” said three-time AT&T Championship winner Lee Trevino, a Dallas native. “I have my regular routine, see my friends and go eat in my favorite restaurant. It’s always a good time and good trip.”

The $1.6 million tournament already has a commitment from the Champions Tour hottest rookie, Fred Funk, along with defending champion and Champions Tour major championship winner Jay Haas.

Also in this year’s field will be San Antonio’s Bill Rogers, the Director of Golf at Briggs Ranch Golf Club, Waco’s Dave Eichelberger, Sugar Land’s Keith Fergus, Dallas’ Bruce Lietzke and John Mahaffey, a Kerrville native.

Other Texas players already committed include the Austin threesome of Tom Jenkins, Tom Kite and Ben Crenshaw along with Dallas’ Lanny Wadkins.

“We continue to be very pleased and excited by the strong field which has already committed to the 2006 AT&T Championship,” said tournament director Colby Callaway. “Not only with great Champions Tour players like Fred Funk and Jay Haas, but so many Texas players eager to play in front of our fans in their home state.”

Wadkins said the combination of playing it his adopted home state and on one of his favorite course is a powerful draw for himself and many other players.

“I always see people I know and plenty of familiar faces, but one thing people my not realize is what a treat it is for us to play a classic course like Oak Hills,” he said. “We play all over the country during the year and at a lot of different places, but to play a great old time design like Oak Hills is a real treat.”

Wadkins said he has been fortunate have plenty of golf success in Texas, another trend he hopes continues this year.

“I’ve been fortunate to win (on the PGA Tour) in both Dallas and Fort Worth, I won in Williamsburg when I lived Virginia and won in Greensboro, near where I went to school at Wake Forest

“I’m looking forward to returning to San Antonio and hopefully having some success there.

Wadkins’ Lone Star success is the exact opposite of one of golf’s more consistent and successful players, Austin’s Kite. He has captured 19 victories on the PGA Tour included a U.S. Open title and has added eighth victories on the Champions Tour including this year’s Boeing Classic in Seattle, but has never won in his hone state.

“You always like playing at home,” Kite said. “It’s always something I look forward to.”

For more information and tickets for the 2006 AT&T Championship, call 210-698-3582 or go to attchamp.com.