Transitions Championship® Welcomes Top Field of World Ranked Players

INNISBROOK, Fla., March 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading the Transitions Championship's field of the world's finest PGA TOUR® players is Luke Donald, who currently holds the title of the world's second-ranked player and will attempt to regain the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) this week on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort in St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.

Donald is one of five players in the OWGR top 10 entered in the field. The others are No. 5 Charl Schwartzel, the defending Masters champion;  No. 7 Justin Rose, who won last week's Cadillac Championship; No. 8 Webb Simpson, the runner-up in the 2011 Transitions Championship; and No. 9 Jason Day.

They will be among the field of 144 pros attempting to unseat Gary Woodland, the 2011 champion who returns to defend his first PGA TOUR title.

Other top players in the field who have known success at the Transitions Championship are Retief Goosen and K.J. Choi, who have won the tournament twice, and Jim Furyk, the 2010 winner who used his victory as a springboard to become the FedEx Cup winner and PGA TOUR Player of the Year that season. Other past winners of the Transitions Championship in the field are Sean O'Hair, Carl Pettersson and Vijay Singh.  The field also includes familiar faces Kenny Perry and Trevor Immelman.

Other notables in the field include Matt Kuchar, Nick Watney, Brandt Snedeker, Sergio Garcia, Peter Hanson, Padraig Harrington, Paul Casey, Zach Johnson and Camilo Villegas.

Two of the best players in the world under the age of 21 are also joining the field. Ryo Ishikawa of Japan returns for his fourth Transitions Championship after a runner-up finish last week in the Puerto Rico Open. Also in the field is the European Tour Rookie of the Year in 2011, Tom Lewis of Britain who was an amateur when he took the first round lead in the British Open last year. He is making his first start in a PGA TOUR event.

"We are thrilled to welcome this outstanding field of players to the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area," said David Robbins, General Chairman of the Copperheads, the organizing group for the charity-based tournament. "Thanks to our hard-working staff and volunteer base, and the tremendous efforts of our title sponsor, Transitions Optical, we are confident they will experience a first-class tournament.  With a great week of weather, we are anticipating our finest Transitions Championship."   

In addition to the tournament play that begins on Thursday, the entire week features on-site experiences for spectators of all ages to reinforce the connection between vision and sports performance, and to encourage all attendees to take care of their eyes so that they can enjoy all of the "sights" around them – whether on the Copperhead Course or in their very own backyard.

Continuing its commitment to raising awareness about the importance of healthy sight, and in conjunction with many industry partners, Transitions Optical is once again hosting the "Healthy Sight Village" behind the 18th green, where the Think About Your Eyes Pavilion serves as an exciting consumer destination for information, education and hands-on experiences all centered around healthy sight and its connection to overall wellness, including golf clinics, eyewear fashion shows, vision screenings, product demos, and meet and greets with TOUR players.

Later during tournament week, the Food Network's Chef Robert Irvine, host of Dinner: Impossible and Restaurant: Impossible, will be in the Pavilion hosting a cooking demo, discussing the relationship between a nutritious diet and healthy eyesight, and ways that spectators can incorporate these eye health ingredients into their own meals at home.

Specific activities are scheduled for each day during tournament week:

• Wednesday, March 14 – "Youth Wellness Day": Nearly 2,000 local school children will attend Youth Wellness Days, on Monday and Wednesday. All children will receive a free vision screening, participate in golf clinics, with a special appearance by Kenny Perry, and choose a brand new book to take home from Bess the Book Bus.
• Thursday, March 15 – "Ladies Day": Ladies attending the Championship will be treated to a day of activities including a presentation by Annika Sorenstam, member of both the LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame.
• Friday, March 16 – "Improve Your Vision, Improve Your Game Day": PGA TOUR swing coach, Matt Killen will demonstrate how healthy vision impacts athletic performance and reveal his best pro golf tips.
• Saturday, March 17 – "Protect Your Skin, Protect Your Sight Day": Spectators will find out about the damaging effects of UV exposure to the eyes and receive complimentary skin screenings.
• Sunday, March 18 – "Healthy Lifestyles in Sight Day": Attendees will be able to learn more healthy living tips and access more information and ways to maintain healthy sight as part of an overall healthy, active lifestyle.

Transitions Optical and many of its partner organizations are featured within the Healthy Sight Village, including the American Optometric Association, BayCare Health Systems, Callaway, Foundation for Eye Health Awareness, Nike, Oakley, OneSight, Visionworks, and VSP® Vision Care.

"It has always been our goal to rally the optical industry and truly engage consumers in a way that encourages them to take care of their eyes," said Dave Cole, president, Transitions Optical. "We are grateful to our industry partners, along with the PGA TOUR, The Copperheads and Innisbrook Resort, for making this event such a relevant platform for us to further our mission of raising awareness about the importance of healthy, quality sight on a local, national and global level."

The Transitions Championship will benefit many local Tampa Bay area charities through its Birdies for Tampa Bay Charities program and other efforts.  The tournament has generated charitable contributions approaching $30 million in the last 35 years.

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. Past winners include defending champion Gary Woodland, Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh, Sean O'Hair, and two-time winners Retief Goosen and K.J. Choi. The Transitions Championship benefits more than 100 Tampa Bay area charities and has contributed nearly $28 million to charity in tournament history. This year's Transitions Championship will be the twelfth 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 12-18, 2012 and includes a week of tournament-related activities reinforcing the connection between healthy sight and an overall healthy lifestyle.

SOURCE Transitions Optical