Montreal Championship

MONTREAL, QC --- Jay Haas, another of the Champions Tour's biggest stars, has announced his participation at the inaugural Montreal Championship to take place this July at the spectacular Fontainebleau Golf Club in Blainville, Quebec.

Haas, 57, has racked up an impressive nine wins on the PGA tour and 14 career victories on the Champions Tour, where he has starred for the past six years. He finished fourth in earnings in 2009, a season which saw him win multiple titles for the fifth straight year. Haas also finished fifth in the Charles Schwab Cup race, which he has won twice, in 2006 and 2008.

In 2009, Fred Couples also appointed Haas to be the Assistant Captain for the U.S. team at the Presidents Cup.

Montreal Championship Tournament Director David Skitt was particularly happy to announce Haas' decision to be part of the Montreal Championship.

"He stuck to his word", said Skitt. "When I was in Florida with our honorary President Ron Corey last month to attend the Allianz Championship, we met with Jay. He was very enthusiastic about our tournament and said that he looked forward to being with us. Jay Haas is a very impressive man and his participation will be an asset for all of us."

Haas will be part of a 78-player contingent aged 50 and over that will compete at the first Champions Tour event in Canada since 2002. Key names such as Hale Irwin and John Cook have already announced their participation.

"I look forward very much to taking part in this tournament", Haas stated from the Dominican Republic, site of this week's Cap Cana Championship. "I will never forget the warmth and enthusiasm of the crowd there at the Canadian Open when we played Royal Montreal in 2001."

The South Carolina golfer is a major asset to the game of golf. Over his 29-year career, his earnings total close to $35 million US, including $10 million on the Champions Tour. Earlier this year, he realized a dream when he watched his son Bill triumph at the Bob Hope Classic held in La Quinta, Calif.

Haas had just finished playing the Mitsubishi Championship in Hawaii when he realized that his son's final round had been postponed to Monday. He took a red-eye flight and arrived in California in time to walk the back nine. Without Bill knowing, Jay Haas was there in the crowd to witness his youngest son win his first tournament on the PGA Tour.

"The eyes of this proud father still shine with tears when he tells the story", adds David Skitt.