Longs Drugs Challenge: History

Longs Drugs Challenge Returns
October 9 through 12, 2008
Danville, California • Blackhawk CC

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	For Immediate Release August 31, 2005 Longs Drugs Challenge Announces Multi-Year Sponsorship Extension with Longs Drug Stores Tournament Will Move to the Bay Area in 2006 Sacramento, Calif. – Longs Drug Stores has agreed to a multi-year sponsorship extension, keeping as the title sponsor of the LPGA Longs Drugs Challenge, it was announced today by Raycom Sports, owner and operator of the event. As part of the new three-year agreement, Raycom and Longs Drugs will raise the purse to $1.1 million starting in 2006. Beginning that year, Raycom will relocate the event from The Ridge Golf Club in Auburn, California to the Blackhawk Country Club in the East Bay Area. Per Raycom Sports policy, financial terms of the extension were not disclosed. The 2005 Longs Drugs Challenge is scheduled for October 3 through October 9 at The Ridge Golf Club. Longs Drugs has been the title sponsor since the tournament’s second year in 1997. The three-year extension will take them through the 2008 event. During their tenure, Longs has doubled the purse from $500,000 to currently $1 million. Moving the Longs Drugs Challenge to Blackhawk in 2006 will bring the tournament closer to Longs Drug Stores Corporation headquarters in Walnut Creek. Raycom will pursue a new sponsor and try to secure an event for the Sacramento-area, while continuing to run the Longs Drugs Challenge. Raycom has owned and operated the event since November of 1997. “We are forever grateful to the LPGA fans of Sacramento for making the Longs Drugs Challenge such a great event,” said Longs Drug Stores Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Warren Bryant. “We want to reciprocate the support and hospitality Sacramento has extended to us over the years by offering our financial support to The First Tee of Sacramento. This is an incredibly worthy cause that teaches children life values.” Longs Drugs has donated $15,000 to The First Tee of Sacramento. An initiative of the World Golf Foundation, First Tee strives to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character-development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf. The First Tee Life Skills Experience was formulated with the help of academic, coaching and golf experts to proactively teach life lessons as part of the basic instruction program. The Blackhawk Country Club, a 36-hole facility, is located in foothills of the East Bay Area in the community of Blackhawk. This private country club has over 1,600 members and boasts one of the top clubhouse facilities in all of Northern California. “The members of Blackhawk are excited about bringing the best lady professional golfers in the world to our community,” said Larry Marx, general manager of Blackhawk. “We look forward to working with Longs Drugs and Raycom Sports in continuing the tradition of hosting this first-class event.” “We are excited about our continued relationship with Longs Drug Stores and their longstanding tradition of supporting women’s golf through the LPGA,” said Raycom Sports Vice President and Tournament Director Brian Flajole. “We are hopeful that with all the success the tournament has had in the Sacramento area, that we will be able to find another title sponsor to also continue the LPGA in this area.” One of the favorite stops of the players on the LPGA Tour, the Longs Drugs Challenge boasts a prestigious list of winners including defending champion Christina Kim, two-time champion and LPGA Hall of Famer Juli Inkster, winner in 1999 and 2000, top U.S. player Cristie Kerr, winner in 2002, Korean sensation Se Ri Pak, champion in 2001, and the world’s best female golfer Annika Sorenstam, winner in 1998. Founders Joseph and Thomas Long opened their first Longs Drugs in Oakland, California in 1938. Today, Longs Drug Stores Corporation is one of the most recognized retail drug store chains on the West Coast and in Hawaii. Through its 473 stores located in California, Hawaii, Washington, Nevada, Colorado and Oregon, Longs Drug Stores serves the health and well-being needs of consumers through customer-oriented pharmacy services and convenient product offerings that include over-the-counter medications, photo and cosmetics. Headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, Longs also provides pharmacy benefit management (PBM) services through its RxAmerica subsidiary. Raycom Sports is an innovative sports marketing, event management, television production and management consulting firm. In a unique partnership with Jefferson-Pilot Sports, Raycom is the longstanding rights holder of ACC men’s basketball telecasts. In addition, the company owns and operates events around the country including two LPGA tournaments and the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte. Raycom Sports’ parent company Raycom Media, located in Montgomery, Ala, owns and operates 35 television stations covering over ten percent of the United States, including Puerto Rico. ###

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