Notes: Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf

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EVENT: Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, the 10th of 29 official Charles Schwab Cup events.

DATES: April 21-27, 2008

SITE: Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa; Savannah, GA

PAR: 36-36 -- 72 YARDS: 7,087 (Legends), 6,742 (Raphael), 6,177 (Demaret)

COURSE DESIGNER: Robert Cupp, Sam Snead (1999)

FORMAT: Legends Division -- Official 54-hole two-man, best-ball competition with no cut. Raphael Division (50-69 years old) -- Unofficial 36-hole, two-man best-ball competition on Friday/Saturday. Demaret Division (70-plus years old) -- Unofficial, 36-hole two-man best-ball competition on Monday/Tuesday. All players compete in one division only. Prize money for Raphael and Demaret Divisions is unofficial. The winners of the Legends Team Division will earn exempt status for 12 months from the win into Champions Tour open and invitational events. This excludes Champions Tour major championships.

PURSE: Overall Purse -- $3,400,000; Legends Division -- $2,600,000 (1st Place - $195,000/each player); Raphael Division -- $430,000 (1st Place - $60,000 each player); Demaret Division -- $370,000 (1st Place - $47,500 each player).

2007 CHAMPIONS: Legends Division: Jay Haas (66-68-67?201/-15; defeated Tom Kite with par-4 on first playoff hole); Raphael Division: Andy North/Tom Watson defeated Gary Koch/Roger Maltbie by one stroke; Demaret Division: Butch Baird/Bobby Nichols defeated Jimmy Powell/Orville Moody by four strokes.

TELEVISION: This year's event will be televised by GOLF CHANNEL and CBS. GOLF CHANNEL will provide tape-delayed coverage Friday from 6:30-8:30 p.m.; while CBS's live coverage on the weekend will be from 1:00-3:00 p.m. All times listed are local.

CHAMPIONS TOUR NOW IN 29TH YEAR: The 31st Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf is the 10th step in the "Road to the 2008 Charles Schwab Cup Championship" which will be held October 27--November 2 at the Sonoma Golf Club in Sonoma, CA. This is the 29th year of the Champions Tour and Official prize money on the 2008 Champions Tour will be $55.5 million, and the average purse will be a record $1.91 million. When it started in 1980, there were four events and total prize money was $475,000.

CHARLES SCHWAB CUP: The Charles Schwab Cup kicked off its eighth year season in January at the MasterCard Championship at Hualalai. The Charles Schwab Cup, designed to recognize the Champions Tour's leading player, is a season-long bonus-points competition. Players receive points for top-10 finishes at all 29 official events based on each week's money distribution, with $1,000 earned being the equivalent of one Charles Schwab Cup point (points are doubled at the five major championships during the year as well as the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship). The program offers $2.1 million in tax-deferred annuity payouts to the five leading finishers, with the winner receiving a $1-million annuity. Loren Roberts won his first Charles Schwab Cup last year, finishing 165 points in front of Jay Haas, the 2006 winner. Through April 6 ), two-time winner Bernhard Langer leads with 851 points, followed by Scott Hoch with 566. Jay Haas is third with 555, while Fred Funk and Brad Bryant are fourth and fifth, respectively, with 435 and 427 points.

FAN FEATURES TO BE PART OF CHAMPIONS TOUR AGAIN IN 2008: For the sixth straight year, the Champions Tour's "Fan Features" are a major part of the Champions Tour experience. Fully implemented in 2003, the fan features have been well-received by tournaments, sponsors, players and spectators alike. They continue to help transform the Champions Tour into the most approachable, accessible and fan friendly of all major league sports, allowing players and fans to make a genuine personal connection. The objective of creating a distinct identity for the Tour, not only in golf, but throughout sports, is taking hold. Fan Features include live television interviews during play, gallery in the fairway, honorary observers, caddie for a day, player Q&A sessions, behind-the-scenes tours, a game-improvement platform and much more.

TITLE SPONSOR: Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group is a diversified global insurer and sixth-largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. based on 2005 direct written premium. The Company also ranks 95th on the Fortune 500 list of largest corporations in the U.S. based on 2005 revenue. As of December 31, 2006, Liberty Mutual Group had $85.5 billion in consolidated assets, $74.6 billion in consolidated liabilities, and $23.5 billion in annual consolidated revenue. Liberty Mutual Group offers a wide range of insurance products and services, including personal automobile, homeowners, workers compensation, commercial multiple peril, commercial automobile, general liability, global specialty, group disability, assumed reinsurance, fire and surety. Liberty Mutual Group www.libertymutual.com) employs over 39,000 people in more than 900 offices throughout the world.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY: This year's Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf marks the 31st playing of the tournament. The first event was contested at Onion Creek Country Club in 1978, two years before the start of the Champions Tour as an unofficial team event. It is credited with helping spawn what is now known as the Champions Tour. Its $400,000 purse in 1978 was the largest in professional golf at the time. The winners of the first event were Sam Snead and Gardner Dickinson, who prevailed by a stroke over Peter Thomson and Kel Nagle in the team better-ball format. In the 1979 Legends event, people started talking when Art Wall and Tommy Bolt made five birdies in a playoff only to be matched by five birdies from the team of Julius Boros and Roberto DeVicenzo. Boros and De Vicenzo finally prevailed that year by making birdie on the sixth extra hole. But the real winner was the formation of what later became the Champions Tour. The Legends Division remained an unofficial team event through 2001 with the exception of 1993 when it was contested as a stroke-play event. However, in 2002 the Legends Division became an official stroke-play tournament and was played under that format until this year when it evolved into an official team event. The tournament added a Legendary Division in 1987 (later changed to the Raphael Division in 2002) and a Demaret Division in 1993 (players 70-plus). Both of those remain unofficial events and award unofficial money.

A LOOK BACK AT 2007: Jay Haas trailed by four strokes with eight holes to play but rallied down the stretch, thanks to a pair of crucial ship shots. With Tom Kite posting a 9-under-par 207 after making a 15-foot par putt on the final hole of regulation, Haas needed to get up and down on No. 18 to force a playoff. Hitting what he later called one of his best shots from 90 feet away in a greenside bunker, Haas' ball ended up just a few feet from the hole, and he converted the short par putt. Returning to No. 18 for the first playoff holes, Haas sailed his approach shot just over the back of the green, 40 feet away. After Kite lagged a 50-foot just over five feet past the flag, Haas' chip rolled to within three feet. He then sank his par putt for the win after Kite lipped his par effort from five feet moments earlier. Mark James and Wayne Levi led at various times on the final day but both faltered late.

LIBERTY MUTUAL LEGENDS OF GOLF STORYLINES...

UNIQUE NEW FORMAT ON THE DOCKET: The Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf Legends Division will return to its roots this year as a full team competition and will utilize a new format in the Legends Division for the first time?an official team competition. The format will be a two-man, better-ball competition with the players on the winning team receiving a one-year exemption into all Champions Tour events with the exception of major championships. The Raphael and Demaret Divisions will remain as they were previously, unofficial team events. The Raphael Division will remain a 36-hole, two-man better-ball event playing for unofficial money. The Demaret Division (players 70+) will also be a 36-hole better-ball competition and will play on Monday and Tuesday of tournament week.

NEW FACES AT THIS YEAR'S LEGENDS: Several Champions Tour players will make their first appearances in this year's Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf. Among the first-timers in this year's field are: World Golf Hall of Fame member Bernhard Langer (will team with David Edwards), as well as former Ohio State University teammates Joey Sindelar and John Cook (will compete as a team). Other new faces include Ian Woosnam and Sandy Lyle (will compete as a team), Jeff Sluman (with Craig Stadler), Mark Wiebe and Wayne Grady (will compete as a team).

CAN WATSON/NORTH CONTINUE SUCCESS?: After three successive titles in the unofficial Raphael Division, Andy North and Tom Watson will look to continue their success in the tournament when they compete in the Legends Division this year. North and Watson held off the team of Gary Koch and Roger Maltbie in 2007 for the title. Since teaming up in 2005, Watson and North have gone 108 consecutive holes without a bogey over the course of their three straight victories in the 36-hole event. In 2007, the pair equaled their record in Savannah for best 18-hole score, shooting an 11-under 61.

STAR-STUDDED FIELD ON TAP: Twelve members of the World Golf Hall of Fame will play in the three different divisions at this year's Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf. Among those Hall of Famers committed are Billy Casper, Raymond Floyd, Tony Jacklin, Tom Kite, Gene Littler, Bernhard Langer, Larry Nelson, Ben Crenshaw, Isao Aoki, Nick Price, Lee Trevino and Tom Watson. Also, 36 different major championship winners with a total of 66 major championship victories will compete in this year's Legends event in Savannah.

COLLEGE TEAMMATES PAIR UP: A trio of former college teammates will pair up in the Legends Division at this year's Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf. Curtis Strange and Jay Haas, former teammates at Wake Forest, will make up one team, while former Ohio State Buckeyes Joey Sindelar and John Cook will team up on another. Strange and Haas were members of two Wake Forest NCAA title teams (1974 and 1975) and Cook and Sindelar helped OSU to the 1979 NCAA crown. Also joining forces in the tournament will be Bruce Lietzke and Bill Rogers, a pair of University of Houston products. They were members of the Cougar squad which finished second at the 1973 NCAA Championship. Another member of that team was Keith Fergus, who will play in the tournament with Wayne Levi.

TEAM COMPETITION NOTHING NEW FOR PLAYERS: While official team events are rare on the Champions Tour, many of the competitors in this year's event are veterans of Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup team competition, as well as the Walt Disney World National Team Championship, which was staged in Orlando from 1974-81 as an official team event. Here is a list of former winners of that event: 1974: Hubert Green/Mac McLendon; 1975: Jim Colbert/Dean Refram; 1976: Bill Kratzert/Woody Blackburn; 1977: Gibby Gilbert/Grier Jones; 1978: Wayne Levi/Bob Mann; 1979: George Burns/Ben Crenshaw; 1980: Danny Edwards/David Edwards; 1981: Vance Heafner/Mike Holland. In fact, one of the teams in this year's Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf competition?Lanny and Bobby Wadkins?finished second at the 1978 Walt Disney World National Team Championship, finishing three strokes behind the team of Levi and Mann.

LIBERTY MUTUAL LEGENDS OF GOLF TOURNAMENT NOTES...

LEE TREVINO/MIKE HILL TEAMING UP AGAIN: The duo of Lee Trevino and Mike Hill, winners of four Legends Division titles and one Raphael Division title, will be back again seeking a sixth title in this event. The pair scored wins in the Legends Division in 1991 and 1992 and again in 1995 and 1996. In addition their victory in the Raphael Division came in 2000. This will be Hill's first appearance of the season.

FORD'S PLAYED THEM ALL: Doug Ford is the only player in the field who appeared in the first Legends of Golf in 1978. This year, he will make his 31st consecutive appearance in the event, teaming with Billy Maxwell in the Demaret Division competition. Ford won 19 PGA TOUR events, including the 1955 PGA Championship and 1957 Masters.

COURSE RANKED 12TH IN 2007: The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa ranked as the 12th-hardest course on the Champions Tour last year (72.093) after ranking as the 15th most-difficult course on the circuit in 2006. The par-72 layout played to a stroke average of 72.093, a slight increase from its 2006 average of 72.034. The 6th hole continued to play as one of the hardest on the Champions Tour. The 438-yard par-4 ranked as the 42nd hardest hole on the circuit in 2007 after being ranked as the 38th hardest in 2006 and the sixth-hardest hole in each of the previous two years. The field averaged 4.287 last year after averaging 4.293 on the hole in 2006. The average was 4.462 in 2005 and 4.491 in 2004. In addition, hole No. 18 ranked as the 50th-hardest on the Champions Tour in 2007. The easiest hole was No. 11 with an average score of 4.420. It ranked as the 10th-easiest hole on the Tour in 2007.

SAVANNAH GOLF HISTORY: Many historians contend that golf in America started in Savannah with the establishment of the Savannah Golf Club in 1794. Evidence suggests the course was viewed by George and Martha Washington, John Adams and French general Lafayette.

TOURNAMENT HOLES-IN-ONE: There have been seven holes-in-one in tournament history, but none since Chi Chi Rodriguez made an ace in the 1993 event at Barton Creek near Austin. Other players making a hole-in-one in this event: Tom Nieporte (1984), Dale Douglass (1986), Billy Casper (1989), Charlie Sifford (1989), Charles Coody (1990) and Tommy Jacobs (1991).

EIGHTH VENUE: This year's tournament will once again be played at the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa, the eighth different venue in the 31-year history of the event. The Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf was played at Onion Creek in Austin, TX, from 1978-1989 and then moved across town to Barton Creek CC from 1990-1994. The event relocated to the Palm Springs, CA, area from 1995-1997, playing the first two years at PGA West (Stadium), before moving to PGA West's Palmer Course in 1997. The Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf then moved for one year to Amelia Island in Florida for the 1998 event before relocating to the World Golf Village near St. Augustine, FL, from 1999-2002. The Slammer & Squire course hosted the tournament in 1999 and 2000 before it moved to the nearby King & Bear course for the 2001 and 2002 event. In a bit of irony, two of Sam Snead's collaborations have been the site of the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf?the Slammer & Squire layout at World Golf Village as well as the current Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa.

IT HAPPENED ON THIS DATE...

4/21/63 -- Bob Charles becomes the first left-hander to win a PGA TOUR event when he beats Fred Hawkins by one stroke at the Houston Classic.

4/21/85 -- One week after winning at Augusta, Bernhard Langer defeats Bobby Wadkins in a one-hole playoff when he makes par at the Sea Pines Heritage Classic. In the process he becomes last man to win the Masters and the event afterward.

4/21/96 -- With just one bogey over his final 36 holes, Loren Roberts defeats Mark O'Meara by three strokes to win the MCI Classic in Hilton Head, SC. Roberts' helps his cause with an 8-under-par 63 in the third round which included five straight birdies to start his round. His 72-hole score of 265 broke Hale Irwin's tournament record by one stroke.

4/21/92 -- Lee Trevino captures his first Senior PGA Championship when he makes par-saving putts on Nos. 17 and 18 to defeat Mike Hill by one stroke at PGA National. He becomes the 10th player to win a PGA and Senior PGA Championship

4/22/73 -- Florida State product Hubert Green wins one at home. Green holds off Jim Simons by one stroke to win the Tallahassee Open for the second of his 19 PGA TOUR titles.

4/23/78 -- Gary Player makes it three straight wins, claiming the Houston Open title by one stroke over Andy Bean. Player opens with an 8-under 64 and closes out his win with a final-round 3-under-par 69. The win would be the last of 24 titles on the PGA TOUR for Player.

4/24/83 -- Despite an even-par 72 in his final round and bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17, Lanny Wadkins successfully defends his MONY Tournament of Champions title at LaCosta by one stroke over Raymond Floyd.

4/25/04 -- When Hale Irwin wins the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, he wins at least one event for 10 straight years, breaking his tie with Miller Barber for most consecutive years with at least one win.

4/26/81 -- Two weeks removed from his Masters victory, Tom Watson wins the USF&G Classic by two strokes over Bruce Fleisher in New Orleans. He helps his cause with a third-round 64 which got him back into contention.

4/26/98 --Hale Irwin successfully defends his title at the Las Vegas Senior Classic.

4/27/86 -- Curtis Strange and Calvin Peete share the lead after 72 holes, but Strange defeats Peete with a birdie on the third playoff hole for his second Houston Open title.