Transitions Championship Organizers Celebrate Successful Event and Top-Notch Champion

INNISBROOK, Fla., March 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Organizers of the PGA TOUR®'s Transitions Championship today reflect on a very successful event that will set the stage for future success in coming years. 

Tournament winner Jim Furyk collected 58 points in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) for his win – the most in tournament history and a figure unsurpassed by any regular PGA TOUR event this year.  The amount of points earned is determined by the quality of the field and with 14 of the top 25 players in last week's OWGR competing, the Transitions Championship was exceptional.

Furyk said he took notice of the quality of the field when he looked around the locker room late in the week, but he's not surprised.

"The guys walk out of here, whether they have played well or not, and you know, it's a good golf course.  It's a good, solid test.  The people are friendly.  Transitions has done a great job for this tournament. It was a fall event for a while and the guys liked it so much and they moved it up and put it in the spring as part of our FedExCup schedule."

"Definitely, bar none, easily one of the top 10 courses we play all year, and much better than that.  There isn't a player on TOUR that wouldn't call this one of the top 10 courses.  That's why the players want to come and that's why the field is strong, and you know, actually I'm pretty proud of the fact that I've played on a very difficult golf course against a lot of good players and was able to win.  So it's a boost of confidence."

"We have a phenomenal champion this year," said Dave Cole, managing director, Transitions Optical.  "On behalf of Transitions, we believe that Jim Furyk represents the quality of our field and our entire event.  We couldn't be more proud to have Jim represent the Transitions Championship."

The golf fans of Tampa Bay certainly seemed to notice as more of them made their way to Innisbrook's Copperhead Course, than at any time in the tournament's decade-long history.  Saturday's crowd was the busiest one-day crowd, and even with nearly four hours in rain delays there were plenty of people on the course Sunday. 

"It was a great week," says Bob Banks, General Chairman of the Copperheads, the charity that runs the tournament.  "I was so pleased to see such a big crowd still there for the finish at sunset.  We felt everything clicked on all cylinders throughout the week.  A golf tournament is a complex event, with our partners Transitions Optical and Innisbrook, the sponsors, the other Copperheads, the tournament staff and most specially, our volunteers.  Everyone gave their all, and I salute them on the extraordinary job they accomplished.  Another special thing is that we will be able to make another major donation to charity, pushing us well past the $25 million mark for our existence."

Players and spectators of all ages enjoyed much more than great golf.  The Transitions Healthy Sight Village behind the 18th green area served as a week-long exciting consumer destination for activities and experiences underscoring the connection between healthy, quality sight and its connection to an overall healthy lifestyle.  More than 2,000 Tampa Bay area school children attended the Youth Wellness Days and received free eye screenings and participated in a range of activities, including swing lessons, a sports/vision clinic, chance to watch the Pro-Am and much more.  Spectators also enjoyed a special visit from Erik Estrada from the famed TV show CHiPs, who was on site issuing "Sightations" to those who were not properly protecting and caring for their eyes.  "We are committed to raising awareness about the importance of healthy sight, and the Transitions Championship and our association with the PGA TOUR offers us a great platform to create a dialogue around this important issue," added Cole.

"We are still going through things, but the items we can quickly measure, such as the near-capacity parking lots and extraordinary merchandise sales tell us we had an unprecedented week," says Tournament Director Gerald Goodman.  "The feedback from the players was fantastic, so we look forward to another outstanding field next year."

About The Transitions Championship

The Transitions Championship is a 72-hole official PGA TOUR® event played on the famed Copperhead Course at Innisbrook, A Salamander Golf & Spa Resort in Innisbrook, Florida.  Transitions Optical is the title sponsor of the PGA TOUR's Tampa Bay event, which draws a field of 144 of the finest golfers from around the world and has been won in the last two years by Retief Goosen and Jim Furyk (both in the OWGR top 20).  The Transitions Championship benefits more than 100 Tampa Bay area charities and has contributed more than $9 million in the last five years.  The upcoming Transitions Championship will be the eleventh PGA TOUR event sponsored by The Copperheads since 2000 (the 2001 tournament was cancelled following the attacks of 9/11).  The tournament tees off March 14-20, 2011 and will include a week of tournament-related activities reinforcing the connection between healthy sight and an overall healthy lifestyle.

SOURCE Transitions Optical, Inc.