JELD-WEN Tradition

ALOHA, Ore. - Fan favorite Greg Norman has committed to play in the JELD-WEN Tradition presented by Umpqua Bank, according to tournament organizers.

This will be Norman's first appearance in the JELD-WEN Tradition, Oregon's biggest golf tournament and the final major on the Champions Tour. He joins an already strong field, including defending champion Loren Roberts, 2006 leading money winner Jay Haas, and hometown favorites Peter Jacobsen and Bob Gilder.

Even though he's well known among golf fans, Norman is a new face on the Champions Tour. His best finishes came just last year, when despite back surgery, Norman finished third in the Senior British Open and fourth in the U.S. Senior Open.  

"With JELD-WEN as title sponsor, this event has been elevated to one of the finest stops on the (Champions Tour)," Norman said. "It attracts a tremendous field every year, and I am very much looking forward to returning to Oregon for my 2006 (Champions Tour) debut."

Norman and the other stars of the Champions Tour will compete at the JELD-WEN Tradition for one of the season's richest purses - $2.5 million, with the winner earning $375,000. Currently, the only other Champions Tour event that offered a larger purse is the U.S. Senior Open. The tournament will take place at The Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club, Aug. 21-27.

"As a player who held the No. 1 world ranking for 331 weeks, a record broken only by Tiger Woods, Greg Norman's participation makes the tournament all the more exciting for golf fans of all ages," said Mike Lee, tournament director. "It will be a thrill to watch one of the legends of the game compete at the JELD-WEN Tradition."

An inductee in the World Golf Hall of Fame, Norman boasts 86 career victories, including 20 PGA TOUR titles and 66 international wins. He is also a two-time British Open champion and a three-time winner of the Arnold Palmer Award.

The JELD-WEN Tradition is the final major championship on the Champions Tour.

In addition to watching world-class golf Thursday through Sunday, the public is invited to come out earlier in the week to enjoy NIKE GOLF Junior Day and the Gulfstream Aerospace Pro-Am and to see the stars of the Champions Tour during practice rounds. Admittance during these days (Aug. 21-23) is free. Children 16 and under are admitted free throughout the week with a ticketed adult. To order tickets, call 866-503-2003 or visit www.jeld-wentradition.com.