Valero Texas Open

March 11, 2003
SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Steve Wagner, Chairman of Golf San Antonio (GSA), announced the appointment of Tony Piazzi to the dual positions of President and CEO. Frank Felicella, who held the positions since 1998, announced in January his plans to retire, but will remain in an advisory role through the remainder of the year.

Piazzi came to San Antonio in 1996 to assume responsibilities as tournament director of the Valero Texas Open, the fourth oldest tournament on the PGA TOUR, and executive director of the San Antonio Golf Association. In 1998, he was appointed chief operating officer and tournament director for Golf San Antonio, which was formed after the restructuring of the San Antonio Golf Association. Prior to his arrival in San Antonio, Piazzi spent six years as tournament director of the PGA TOUR stop in the Quad Cities (the John Deere Classic). He began his career in sports marketing in 1988 with the Western Golf Association in Chicago as Tournament Manager of the Ameritech Senior Open.

Piazzi is a graduate of the University of Illinois, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing.

In addition to his work for Golf San Antonio, Piazzi has been active in both professional and civic organizations. He served on the executive committee of the PGA TOUR Tournament Association and is a past member of the board of the Greater San Antonio Tourism Council, the board of the Illinois Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce and the original board of the Sports Foundation in the Quad Cities.

In making the announcement, Steve Wagner said, "During his tenure with GSA, Tony has shown his passion for our mission and demonstrated his ability to nurture positive, long-term relationships with our core sponsors and key community leaders. And with Frank's guidance, Tony has developed strong leadership skills. We are confident of his ability to execute our long term vision for Golf San Antonio."

Piazzi noted in his remarks that GSA will execute its mission by focusing on its core assets: management of the PGA TOUR's Valero Texas Open at LaCantera, operation of The First Tee of San Antonio and active involvement in positioning San Antonio as a major golf destination city.

"Golf has and will continue to make a substantial contribution to San Antonio," Piazzi said. "We generate worldwide exposure through the Valero Texas Open at LaCantera and we provide a quality entertainment experience for citizens and visitors alike. We positively touch the lives of disadvantaged children through The First Tee by teaching them life values that form the core of our sport. We reach out to a broad segment of our community by providing financial support to hundreds of worthy community organizations. And we see golf as a strong economic growth engine for our community. With Valero Energy Corporation as our long-term title sponsor for The Texas Open, we're in a great position to build on our tradition of support."

About Golf San Antonio
GSA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. Through a contract with the PGA TOUR, GSA manages the Valero Texas Open at LaCantera, an official PGA TOUR event. GSA operates a number of charitable programs linked to the tournament, including Birdies for Charity and Save Our Sports. GSA also owns rights to operate The First Tee of San Antonio, a program that teaches golf and life skills to disadvantaged children. A core component of The First Tee initiative is the renovation of the Polo Field Practice Range in Brackenridge Park, which when completed will be home to The First Tee's golf and life skills instruction programs. The renovation is scheduled to begin April 1, 2003.

The Valero Texas Open at LaCantera is scheduled for Sept. 22-28, 2003 and will be followed by the Valero Texas Open Benefit for Children Golf Classic on Sept. 29. Last year, the two events combined to raise nearly $1.8 million for charity. For more information, please call the GSA office at (210) 341-0823 or visit our web site at www.golfsanantonio.org.