IMMEDIATE RELEASE



IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Julius Mason

September 7, 2011 561/624-8444

jmason@

TICKET REGISTRATION ACTIVE NOW, PRE-SALE BEGINS NOV. 11, AS SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN GEARS UP FOR 2012 SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY KITCHENAID

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. – The PGA of America, KitchenAid and Harbor Shores today communicated a clear message regarding the 2012 Senior PGA Championship that will be played on the new Jack Nicklaus-designed The Golf Club at Harbor Shores: those interested in attending the senior major golf championship should act this year and purchase tickets early.

At a news conference, PGA of America and various championship officials outlined the uplifting support for the Championship, May 24-27, 2012. Earlier this year, all 1,700 volunteer positions sold out in a record five weeks and Corporate Hospitality is nearly sold out. They expect tickets to go just as quickly, if not faster. A precedent has been set. Champions for Change, the grand opening event at Harbor Shores in August 2010 sold out all tickets within one month. The PGA of America plans to limit the number of tickets to allow for a unique customer experience.

“We are excited about the prospect of bringing the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid to Michigan, a state that has long proven its ability to host major championship golf. Spectators will see a world-class field and will an opportunity to feel the history attached to this Championship,” said PGA of America President Allen Wronowski. “We encourage golf fans throughout Michigan and the Midwest to join us next May at a wonderful venue where we will again have a terrific presenting sponsor in KitchenAid, as we make our debut at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores.”

The PGA of America is encouraging fans to visit or call 1-800-PGA-GOLF (742-4653), where they can register to participate in a seven-week sales window between Nov. 11 and Dec. 31, 2011. All registrants will be reminded in early fall of their opportunity to buy tickets during the 2011 pre-sale.

Early registration is a system that rewards registrants with tiered priority access and discounted pricing when sales open Nov. 11. The new ticketing procedure allows Championship officials to manage the unprecedented early interest it has received thus far for the limited supply of tickets.

“Access to purchase tickets will be assigned based on how early consumers have registered,” said Championship Director Jeff Hintz. “Registrants can purchase tickets as soon as their assigned tier’s exclusive sales window opens. Customers will receive a discount of nearly 20 percent if they register and purchase their tickets before the end of 2011. By limiting the size of the galleries, our guests will experience easier movement throughout The Golf Club at Harbor Shores, site of the 2012 Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. It will also mean better sightlines and it will enable spectators to feel closer to the action.”

“In terms of international appeal and media exposure, the 2012 Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid will be the highest-profile sporting event held in Michigan’s Great Southwest,” said Wendy Chesser, president, Cornerstone Alliance. “As the area’s economic development agency, we are working with the local communities to help showcase all the wonderful opportunities we have to offer. It is important to us that visitors and guests coming to this event next May find that our community offers a major championship-level experience.”

The Senior PGA Championship, the most historic and prestigious event in senior golf, boasts the strongest field in senior golf. Adding to the excitement in 2012 is the fact that it represents the first time this major championship will be contested in Michigan, and that The Golf Club at Harbor Shores is known as one of Michigan’s newest gems in golf. Among those likely to qualify for the 2012 field are a number of professionals that once tested their game at the Western Amateur at nearby Point O’ Woods Golf & Country Club. Fred Couples, Ben Crenshaw, Jay Haas, Tom Kite, Tom Lehman, Mark O’Meara, Corey Pavin, Craig Stadler, and Hal Sutton will all be likely to compete next May.

Political leaders from across the state also touted the appeal of major championship golf in Michigan.

“Southwest Michigan is rich with great golf destinations, with top courses throughout region,” said State Sen. John Proos, 21st District and member of the 2012 Senior PGA Championship Champions Committee. “With the eyes of the world on this great event, this senior major championship will give our State tremendous exposure and will be a chance to show our Michigan pride and top-notch hospitality.”

The Senior PGA Championship began in 1937 at Augusta National Golf Club at the invitation of Bobby Jones, and has since featured the games of legendary stars that have reached the age of 50. The Senior PGA Championship also will feature 12 hours of live television coverage on NBC and Golf Channel, with viewership in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide.

About Harbor Shores

Harbor Shores is Lake Michigan’s first beach and golf community, just 90 minutes east of Chicago in Benton Harbor/St. Joseph, Mich. The community’s central amenity is an 18-hole, public Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course. The challenging course winds through a variety of terrain including wetlands, riverside, a hardwood forest and offers stunning views of Lake Michigan from lakeside holes. The 530-acre master-planned community plans to feature a full calendar of events and world-class amenities, including a marina village and river walk, town center with restaurants and shops, health and fitness center, deep-water marinas, with a boutique hotel and spa, miles of recreational trails and rivers, and acres of parks and green space. Harbor Shores will be home to nearly 800 residences, including charming cottages, signature homes, town homes and condominiums. Current real estate opportunities include golf and riverfront home sites, riverfront cottages, golf view homes and condominiums. For more information about the Harbor Shores’ community and golf course, visit .

About KitchenAid

Since the introduction of its legendary stand mixer in 1919 and first dishwasher in 1949, KitchenAid has built on the legacy of these icons to create a complete line of products designed for cooks. Over 90 years later, the KitchenAid brand now offers virtually every essential for the well-equipped kitchen with a collection that includes everything from countertop appliances to cookware, ranges to refrigerators, and whisks to wine cellars. To learn why chefs choose KitchenAid for their homes more than any other brand*, visit . Based on a 2010 survey, KitchenAid was found to be the home kitchen appliance brand chosen most often by members of the International Association of Culinary Professionals

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of more than $18 billion in 2010, 71,000 employees, and 66 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world.  The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world.  Additional information about the company can be found at .

About The PGA of America

Celebrating its 95th year, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission of its founders: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in a multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering dramatic world-class championships and exciting and enjoyable promotions that are viewed as the best of their class in the golf industry, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. The PGA of America brand represents the very best in golf.

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