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March 28, 2007
(Savannah, GA) - The Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf gained four more commitments for the individual Legends Division competition,
headlined by brothers Lanny and Bobby Wadkins, Executive Director Tim Iley announced today. The Wadkins will be in the
field together for the first time since 2002. Joining them in the individual competition will be Lafayette, GA native
and 11-time PGA TOUR winner, Andy Bean, along with Champions Tour rookie Scott Hoch.
Lanny Wadkins stormed onto the Champions Tour scene in February of 2000, winning in his debut at the ACE Group Classic
in Naples. After playing three full seasons on the Champions Tour from 2000-2002, the Dallas, TX resident played a limited
schedule over the next four years due to broadcasting commitments with CBS Sports golf telecasts. After winning the
U.S. Amateur in 1970, the former Wake Forest Demon Deacon joined the PGA TOUR in 1971 and went on to claim 21 PGA TOUR titles,
highlighted by victories at the 1977 PGA Championship and the 1979 PLAYERS Championship. Wadkins will make his first
appearance in the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf since 2000.
Bobby Wadkins joined his older brother as one of only 10 players to win their Champions Tour debut when he claimed the
2001 Lightpath Long Island Classic. With his win on Long Island, Wadkins also became the youngest winner in Champions
Tour history, claiming the victory just 10 days after turning 50. The Richmond, VA native enjoyed a breakout year on
the Champions Tour in 2006, winning the Boeing Championship at Sandestin in May and the Ford Senior Players Championship,
his first major, in July. Wadkins has picked up right where he left off in 2007, claiming his fourth Champions Tour
title at the ACE Group Classic in February.
Andy Bean will make his fifth consecutive start at the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa and will look to build
on an already impressive Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf resume. In his first four starts in the event, Bean has finished
no worse than T24, including a T9 finish in 2004 and a T6 in 2005. The Lakeland, FL resident earned his first Champions
Tour victory last year at the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn, ending a winless drought of more than 20 years.
Bean is off to a quick start in 2007, notching four top-10 finishes in his first seven events.
Rookie Scott Hoch will be making his Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf debut and just his eighth start on the Champions Tour.
The 11-time PGA TOUR winner turned 50 in November of 2005, but missed the majority of the 2006 Champions Tour season due to
hand surgery the previous fall. The Orlando, FL resident was perhaps the PGA TOUR's most consistent performer from 1982-2002,
finishing in the top 40 on the money list every year during that 20-year span. Hoch is enjoying a solid start to his
2007 campaign, recording top-15 finishes in each of his first four events.
The following team committed to play
in the Raphael Team division for players age 50-69:
??? Frank Beard (11 PGA TOUR wins, one Champions Tour win) and Al Geiberger (11 PGA TOUR wins, 10 Champions Tour wins).
An additional entry for the Demaret Team division (70+) was also received:
??? Don January (10 PGA TOUR wins, 22 Champions Tour wins) and Gene Littler (29 PGA TOUR wins, eight Champions Tour
wins)
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