West Virginia Governor touts $1 Million Players Cup

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin joined with PGA TOUR officials today to officially launch this summer's $1 million Nationwide Tour Players Cup and announce that coverage of the prestigious Nationwide Tour event will receive significant national and international exposure on the GOLF CHANNEL, promoting the state's tourism industry as far away as Asia, Europe and Latin America.

Steven Wayne Rotsch/ West Virginia Governor's Office

Governor Joe Manchin (left) with Bill Calfee

During a Thursday news conference at the West Virginia Capitol, Manchin also announced that the tournament trophy, presented to the champion on the final day, will be designed by a West Virginia artisan.

The Nationwide Tour Players Cup, which will be held July 7-13 at the Pete Dye Golf Club in Bridgeport, W.Va., will be the Tour's premier, in-season event. It will feature a unique 144-player field based on the Nationwide Tour's money list and a Tour-record $1 million purse.

"We couldn't be happier that the Nationwide Tour has selected West Virginia to host its marquee in-season event," Manchin said. "Tour officials were impressed with the beauty of our state and the quality of our people. The great experience the Nationwide Tour had in our state in the past led to West Virginia being chosen to host this outstanding tournament".

Kelley Goes, Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Commerce, said that West Virginia tourism will receive tremendous exposure through GOLF CHANNEL's coverage of the Nationwide Tour Players Cup.

"The print, electronic and Internet exposure, coupled with the pictures from West Virginia and commercials that will air during the telecasts, will spotlight our state as the wonderful tourism destination all West Virginians know it to be," Goes said.

The GOLF CHANNEL, the exclusive cable television home of the Nationwide Tour, has a reach of more than 100 million homes worldwide.

West Virginia will be featured in various PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour promotional outlets, such as Partners magazine and on PGATOUR.com, the TOUR's official Internet site and No. 1 site in all of golf, Goes said.

Goes said that West Virginia Division of Tourism officials will soon announce criteria for choosing the artisan that will design and produce the new Players Cup trophy.

"The design and construction will be in the hands of a West Virginia artisan, so we know it will be an outstanding trophy," Goes said.

Manchin and Goes were joined by Nationwide Tour President Bill Calfee at a Thursday news conference at the West Virginia Capitol. The Governor and Calfee discussed the Tour's decision to locate the Nationwide Tour's biggest in-season event in West Virginia.

"There were three excellent reasons that led us to the final conclusion to designate West Virginia as host of the first Nationwide Tour Players Cup: the support of the state of West Virginia, a terrific venue in Pete Dye Golf Club and a perfect July date," Calfee said. "This marquee event will attract an international field and showcase West Virginia to the Golf Channel's national and international audience that includes Japan, China, Korea, the United Kingdom and Latin America."

Nationwide Tour players will have the first 16 tournaments of the year that precede the Players Cup to secure their position among the top 144 on the Nationwide Tour money list and a spot in the field. With a $1 million purse at stake, the winner is virtually assured of earning one of the 25 coveted PGA TOUR cards for 2009 that will be awarded at season's end to the Tour's leading money winners.