For Immediate Release January 9, 2007
Western Golf Alliance seeks Masters qualification status
Premier amateur organization looks to fulfill the grand tradition of the tournament
LAS VEGAS. Invoking the spirit and tradition of Bobby Jones, the founder of the Augusta National Golf Club, the Western Golf Alliance today made a formal request to The Masters Committee for the WGA Open Champion to receive an invitation to The Masters Tournament.
"We believe our request is a perfect way to keep the amateur spirit of Bobby Jones alive," said Trever Esko, WGA secretary, speaking from the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, where the Board of Directors is holding its annual winter meeting. "The Masters has always honored the top amateur players in the world, and we know they would want to continue that tradition by ensuring the participation of the champion of the west coast's greatest amateur golf organization."
The formal request reads as follows, or you may view the actual letter by clicking here:
Honorable Gentlemen:
As the premier amateur golf organization of the western United Stated, the Western Golf Alliance acknowledges the grand tradition The Masters Tournament has maintained in supporting amateur golf. By inviting amateur champions, organizing opening round pairings between amateur and Masters champions, and recognizing the low amateur of the tournament, The Masters continues to further the ideals of your founder, the great Bobby Jones.
It is in that same spirit that the Western Golf Alliance formally requests that The Masters Committee consider extending an invitation to the champion of the Western Golf Alliance Open. This semi-annual event is one of the most prestigious amateur championships in the United States. Given the quality of golf and regional nature of the Western Golf Alliance, we believe our Open champion would be an appropriate addition to The Masters' field, and that this request aligns to the goals of your organization.
Since the Western Golf Alliance Open is a semi-annual championship held in the summer of each even-numbered year, it would be expected that an invitation would only be extended in odd-numbered year Masters. Our 2006 champion is Brian Gray, and inviting him to the 2007 tournament would be an appropriate reflection of your continued commitment to amateur golf.
We, the Western Golf Alliance, look forward to the acceptance of this request by The Masters Committee, and to the benefit this arrangement will have to both of our golf organizations. Please use the contact information below for your reply. Thank you for your consideration.
With sincere regards,
The Board of Directors
The Western Golf Alliance
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About the Western Golf Alliance: The Western Golf Alliance is the premier golf organization in the United States. The WGA exists to further the greatness of this grand sport of golf through the improvement of golf play by its members, the promotion of golf rules, etiquette, and tradition, and the ability to gather together from time to time for golf events and tournaments. The regional organization spans five western states, and is organized into nine geographic regions. Further information is available at http://www.westerngolf.org/.
© Copyright 2007, Western Golf Alliance, LLC. All rights reserved
