Frys.Com Open News: Leonard & Sabbatini Commit, Fowler & Lovemark Receive Exemptions

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Frys.com Open Tournament Director Scott Reid announced today that Rickie Fowler and Jamie Lovemark, two promising up-and-coming golfers, have been granted sponsor exemptions for the 2009 Frys.com Open. A total of eight sponsor exemptions (the first went to Jeev Milkha Singh) will be handed out for the Frys.com Open, which will be played Oct. 21-25, at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale.

Fowler, a two-time All-American at Oklahoma State University, recently turned pro after leading the U.S. Walker Cup team to victory with his unblemished 4-0 record. He was the first freshman to win the Ben Hogan Award given annually to the top men’s NCAA golfer, and he was named to the Ping All-America First Team and Golfweek’s All-America team during his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Jamie Lovemark, a two-time first-team All-American at USC, decided to forego his senior season and turn professional this past summer. He won the NCAA individual title and was the 2007 NCAA National Player of the Year as a freshman; and he participated on the 2007 Walker Cup team, where he compiled a 3-0 record. Lovemark has competed in a number of PGA TOUR events as an amateur, with his best finish a T-39 at the 2007 Buick Invitational.

Reid also announced that the tournament received commitments from 12-time PGA TOUR winner and British Open champ Justin Leonard, as well as from Rory Sabbatini, the 41st-ranked golfer on the Official World Golf Rankings and winner of five PGA TOUR events. Scottsdale’s Chez Reavie, the 2008 RBC Canadian Open champ, also committed to the field today.

Sabbatini is currently one of four players in the field who rank in the top-50 on the Official World Golf Rankings. Mike Weir is the highest ranked golfer in the field (30th), followed by Leonard (37th), Sabbatini (42nd) and Singh at (47th).

The list of committed players also includes a number of Valley residents and top PGA TOUR players, including 2006 Ryder Cup Captain Tom Lehman; defending Frys.com Open champ Cameron Beckman; 13-time PGA TOUR winner and three-time Phoenix/FBR Open champ Mark Calcavecchia; 13-time PGA TOUR winner and 2001 British Open champ David Duval; Arizona State University golf standout and five-time PGA TOUR winner Billy Mayfair; three-time PGA TOUR winner Kirk Triplett; 2008 U.S. Open runner-up Rocco Mediate; 2009 Senior PGA Championship winner Michael Allen and 2009 U.S. Open runner-up Ricky Barnes.

PGA TOUR members have until 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16, to commit to play in the Frys.com Open. Eligible players are assigned one of 38 PGA TOUR priority rankings based on past performances on the PGA TOUR. The field will continue to change as players with better priority rankings commit to play in the Frys.com Open.

Commitments also have been received from Valley residents Robert Garrigus, Arron Oberholser, Pat Perez, Ted Purdy, Jeff Quinney and Kevin Streelman.

The Frys.com Open is part of the PGA TOUR’s Fall Series and will feature a full-field (132 players), four-day tournament with a $5 million purse and $900,000 payout to the winner. The Frys.com Open will be played Oct. 21-25, 2009, at Grayhawk Golf Club’s Raptor Course, and the tournament will be televised all four days on The Golf Channel. For more information go to www.frysopengolf.com or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/frysopengolf.

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