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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, January 4, 2007

GOLF
Crenshaw at Hualalai

Advertiser Staff

Ben Crenshaw, Raymond Floyd, Gary Player and Lanny Wadkins have accepted sponsor invitations to play in the 2007 MasterCard Championship at Hualalai, Jan. 19 to 21 on the Big Island. The tournament is the first of 29 on the Champions Tour this season.

Crenshaw will make his second appearance. Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2002, he has 19 PGA Tour wins, including the 1984 and 1995 Masters.

Floyd will make his eighth MasterCard appearance, but first since 2000. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1989 and has seven top-10 finishes in the event, including a tie for second here in 1999.

Player will play for the sixth year in a row and ninth time overall. His best finish came in 1989 and 1999 when he was 10th. Considered by many the greatest international golfer of all time, Player owns 163 victories worldwide, including nine major championships on the PGA Tour and six on the Champions Tour. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1981.

Wadkins will play at Hualalai for the fourth time. He won 21 PGA Tour events, including the 1977 PGA Championship, and has one victory since joining the seniors.

The sponsor invitation category was created in 2002. Up to four sponsor exemptions can be granted to exempt players who have a minimum of 30 combined PGA and Champions Tour victories, or players with a minimum of 15 combined career victories who also have a minimum of one major championship. The addition of Crenshaw, Floyd, Player and Wadkins increases the field to 42.

The tournament features winners of Champions Tour majors in the last five years and winners of Champions Tour official events the last two years. Loren Roberts is defending champion.