EGOLF TARHEEL TOUR ANNOUNCES EXEMPTION INTO NATIONWIDE TOUR'S BMW CHARITY PRO-AM

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – February 16, 2009 – The Egolf Tarheel Tour announced today that they have been granted an unrestricted exemption by South Carolina Charities, Inc. for the Nationwide Tour's BMW Charity Pro-Am, contested annually at three courses in Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina.

The tour has produced the last two winners of the BMW Charity Pro-Am and in turn created a logical relationship to pursue for Tournament Director Darin MacDonald.

"We have long been aware of the success of the Egolf Tarheel Tour and that was punctuated by our past two champions, David Mathis (2008) and Nick Flanagan (2007), who enjoyed success out there before parlaying their BMW wins on the Nationwide Tour into a PGA Tour card the ensuing year," said MacDonald.
Mathis, who used last year's win at the event to finish 14th on the Nationwide Tour money list and in turn earn his PGA Tour card for 2009, played the Egolf Tarheel Tour from 2002-2007 and collected three wins during that span – with the last coming in May of 2007 at the River Run Classic. For Flanagan, the Egolf Tarheel Tour was his first stop in the United States after winning the 2003 U.S. Amateur Championship and turning professional in his native Australia.

The exemption into the event will go to the Egolf Tarheel Tour member who accrues the most earnings in the tour's first four 54-hole events of the 2009 season: the FairwayStyles.com Open on March 11-13, the Pine Needles Classic on March 18-20, the Sandhills Championship on April 8-10 and the Snap Fitness Open on April 29-May 1. Each event features a $220,000 purse with an estimated winner's share of $30,000.

"We knew from the outset that if we were going to raise our membership fees from 2008, we would have to reward those players who choose to join our tour," said Egolf Tarheel Tour president David Siegel. "By offering our members a shot at this exemption and by creating $300,000 events where 135 of the 156 spots go to members, we feel we are living up to our end of the deal."

The tour has been a proving ground for hundreds of current and past Nationwide Tour players, so the relationship seemed to make sense, but for Siegel, it was the event's stature that was most attractive.
"The BMW Charity Pro-Am is widely viewed as one of the best events on the Nationwide Tour schedule. The celebrities, the courses and the charitable contributions pair well with the $700,000 purse to create a PGA Tour-like atmosphere and experience for players and fans. We are thrilled to offer a spot to one of our members."

The BMW Charity Pro-Am will be contested at the Thornblade Club (Greer, SC), Bright's Creek Golf Club (Mill Spring, NC) and Carolina Country Club (Spartanburg, SC) on May 14-17, with the final round being held at Thornblade on Sunday, May 17th.

The 2009 Egolf Tarheel Tour season will begin with the Fairway Styles Open on March 11-13 in the greater Hilton Head Island, SC area at Oldfield Country Club and Tradition National Golf Club.

Players MUST be Egolf Tarheel Tour members in order to qualify for the exemption. To sign up for membership or any of the four 54-hole events affiliated with the BMW Charity Pro-Am exemption, please click here.