The INTERNATIONAL

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. --- When the 19th annual INTERNATIONAL rolls into town, Aug. 2-8, past U.S. Open and British Open champion Ernie Els will be among the PGA TOUR professionals competing at Castle Pines Golf Club. Els - aka The Big Easy - won the event in 2000.

"We truly consider Ernie Els a member of our family," said Executive Director Larry O. Thiel. "It's been wonderful to watch his success and we look forward to his return every year."

Els is in the midst of an incredibly hot season. So far, he has won two events -- the Sony Open in Hawaii and the Memorial Tournament -- and is currently ranked third on the PGA TOUR money list with $3,290,057.

Els made his debut at Castle Pines in 1991 after receiving a sponsor's exemption and hasn't missed a year since. He earned just $2,647 and failed to make the field on Sunday in his first visit to Castle Pines. Today, he is the leading money-winner and point-winner at The INTERNATIONAL, having earned a total of 326 points and $1,631,739 in his 13 visits.

Also committed to this year's INTERNATIONAL are past British Open champion Justin Leonard, Rocco Mediate, Steve Flesch, Neal Lancaster, Chris Riley, Marco Dawson and Scott McCarron.

To purchase tickets to The INTERNATIONAL, call 888-755-1986, or visit www.golfintl.com.

Media inquiries should be directed to Jonna Busack at 303-814-6287 or via e-mail at jbusack@golfintl.com. Presenting Sponsors of The INTERNATIONAL are CIBER, First Data, Great-West Healthcare, StorageTek and ADT Security Services. Contributing Sponsors are Qwest and Coors.