Name change tops list of things new

* After 22 years as the Senior PGA Tour, the Tour has been rebranded

the Champions Tour starting in 2003. In an effort to have the PGA

Tour’s three distinct Tours more closely aligned as part of one brand

family and to capitalize on the PGA Tour’s global strength, the

former Senior Tour was renamed the Champions Tour.

* Hale Irwin defends the Charles Schwab Cup having earned its

first prize of a $1 million tax-deferred annuity.

* Field size will expand from 78 to 81 with the addition of the

new Career Victory Category. The increased field size will include

two players each week ages 50-51 with career victories on the PGA

TOUR who are not otherwise exempt.

* Full implementation of the Champions Tour’s “Fan Features” that

were tested in 2002 will be in effect. Changes involve three

platforms -- “Inside the Ropes,” Game-Improvement and Structural

(television air times, eligibility, scheduling and formats).

* The Golf Channel and CNBC will share cable television broadcasts

of Champions Tour events this year. The two networks will both have a

schedule of weekend telecasts (TGC -- 17 events, CNBC -- 9 events.)

All first-round action of these events will be shown live on The Golf

Channel.

* The Champions Tour will again be well represented

internationally with 19 players from nine different countries --

Argentina, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, South

Africa, Spain and United States.

* The Champions Tour will play events in several new places this

year. Among the new stops are Austin, Texas (Kinko’s Classic),

Columbus, Ga. (Columbus Southern Open), Portland, Ore. (JELD-WEN

Tradition), Savannah, Ga. (Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf),

Turnberry, Scotland (Senior British Open) and Hickory, N.C. (Greater

Hickory Classic at Rock Barn). In addition, two events will move to

new courses for 2003; The Bosque Real Championship in Mexico City to

Bosque Real GC and the Bayer Advantage Invitational in Kansas City to

The National Golf Club of Kansas City.

* Gary Koch and Mark Lye become eligible to join the Champions

Tour at the first full-field event of the year, the Royal Caribbean

Golf Classic. Andy Bean turns 50 on March 13 and can make his first

start at the Toshiba Senior Classic in Newport Beach. Ed Fiori (April

21), D.A. Weibring (May 25), Craig Stadler (June 2) and Jerry Pate

(September 16) are other PGA Tour winners who will debut in 2003.

* Dana Quigley starts the season having played in a record 201

consecutive tournaments he’s been eligible for and an amazing 187

straight tournaments overall. Quigley broke Mike McCullough’s record

of 177 consecutive eligible events at last year’s Bruno’s Memorial

Classic.

* Hale Irwin, the Champions Tour’s all-time victory leader with 36

wins, will be seeking to claim at least two official tournaments for

a ninth consecutive season and will try to extend his run of

consecutive seven-figure earnings seasons to eight. Should he eclipse

the million-dollar mark in official money, Irwin will then go for an

unprecedented seventh consecutive $2 million year. One Irwin victory

this season will tie Miller Barber’s all-time record of nine

consecutive years winning at least one tournament. Barber won at

least one event from 1981-1989. Should Irwin (1995-present) finish

among the top 10 on the 2003 money list, he would break out of a tie

with Barber (1981-1988) and Bob Charles (1986-1993) for most

consecutive years among the top 10 money-winners in a single season.

* Dale Douglass’ first start on the Champions Tour this year will

be his 500th on the circuit. Miller Barber (582), Harold Henning

(520), Walt Zembriski (509) and Orville Moody (503) are the only

others to play in at least 500 events on the Champions Tour.

* George Archer should make his 1,000th career start (combined PGA

Tour/Champions Tour). He begins the year with 991 starts, including

625 on the PGA Tour and 366 on the Champions Tour. Chi Chi Rodriguez

is next with 972 combined starts.

* Bob Murphy (February 14) and Dave Eichelberger (September 3)

both turn 60 this year and are eligible to join the ranks of the

Georgia-Pacific Grand Champions (formerly Super Seniors).

* Should he prevail at the Turtle Bay Championship, Hale Irwin

will become the first player to win the same event four consecutive

years and the first to win the same event five times. He won the

tournament in 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2002.