CARY, N.C. – Triangle-area golf fans will have an opportunity to see golf’s living legends in action when the SAS Championship presented by BusinessWeek takes place at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary. World Golf Hall of Fame members Tom Kite, Nick Price, Lee Trevino, Curtis Strange, Raymond Floyd, Larry Nelson and 2005 champion Hale Irwin will compete in the $2.1 million official Champions Tour event. Lanny Wadkins, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on November 2, will also play. The SAS Championship will be held September 25 – 27.

“One of the most exciting things about the Champions Tour is that you have multiple Hall of Famers playing every week and on a very high level,” said Tournament Director Jeff Kleiber. “Despite all their accomplishments, these guys are some of the most gracious and fan-friendly athletes in the world of professional sports and the SAS Championship is the perfect venue to see them up close and personal.”
 
Kite, a 2004 inductee into the World Golf Hall of Fame, owns 19 PGA TOUR titles, 10 Champions Tour titles and the 1972 NCAA Individual Championship trophy. He was the runner-up to Eduardo Romero in 2008 and also holds the championship course record with a final round 61 in 2004.

Price, a native of South Africa, is regarded as one of the best players in the world to have played in the 1990s. During his prime, Price captured three major championships including back-to-back majors at the 1994 British Open and PGA Championship. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2003.

Trevino, a 1981 Hall of Fame inductee, is a familiar face to most golf fans and always a crowd pleaser.  Throughout his illustrious career, Trevino has amassed 29 PGA TOUR victories and 29 Champions Tour victories. He captured two U.S. Opens, two PGA Championships and two British Open titles during his career. The 5-foot-7 ball of fire is best known for his quick wit that makes players and galleries laugh, while commanding their respect at the same time.

Strange was arguably the best golfer in the 1980s, capturing 16 titles and becoming the first player to surpass $1 million in a season. He became the first person since Ben Hogan (1950-51) to win back-to-back U.S. Open titles in 1988 and 1989. Strange was inducted in 2007.

Floyd is one of the most competitive golfers the game has seen. He has hoisted championship trophies spanning four decades, including 22 PGA TOUR wins, 13 Champions Tour titles and four major championships. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.

Nelson, a two-time PGA Championship winner and 1983 U.S. Open champion, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.

Irwin, the Champions Tour’s leader in career wins and a three-time U.S. Open champion, was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 1992. He won the 2005 SAS Championship and has earned over $30 million on the Champions Tour alone.

Wadkins was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2009 and will be inducted during the November 2 ceremony. He was a 21-time winner on the PGA Tour, including the 1977 PGA Championship. He also won the 1970 U.S. Amateur.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.saschampionship.com (no fees attached!) or by calling (919) 531-GOLF (4653).  Limited quantities of the SAS Championship Ultimate Golf Package, including two weekly tickets and 18 discounted golf vouchers, are available for $99.  Eagles’ Nest 17th Green Skybox tickets are available for $79 per ticket.  Eagles’ Nest tickets include admission to the 17th green skybox, buffet and open bar.

The SAS Championship and Triangle area have become one of the most popular stops on the Champions Tour, annually drawing elite fields and tremendous community support. Visit www.saschampionship.com for more information.