Boeing Classic honored with 2010 Presidents Award

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Boeing Classic Tournament Director Michelle DeLancy (left) with Champions Tour President Mike Stevens.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The Champions Tour announced Wednesday the best tournaments of the 2010 Champions Tour season.

2010 awards

Volunteer of the Year: Gene Null has been named the 2010 Champions Tour Volunteer of the Year for his loyal service to the Dick's Sporting Goods Open in Endicott, New York. Story Top Charity: : Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast (HFHMGC), the primary charity of the inaugural Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic, has been named the 2010 Champions Tour Charity of the Year. Story

Five specific categories were recognized -- the Presidents Award, the Players Award, the Tournament Business Affairs Award, the Outstanding Achievement Award and the Fan Favorite Award.

Mike Stevens, President of the Champions Tour, announced the Boeing Classic, staged at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge in Snoqualmie, Washington, as the recipient of the Presidents Award, a most prestigious award which captures the criteria of all the awards plus the intangibles that make it stand out from the rest.

"Since I took over as President, I've always been most impressed with successful events which had to overcome some kind of adversity," said Stevens. "A tournament's ability to go above and beyond in the face of significant challenges makes an impact with me."

With the U.S. Senior Open and the U.S. Amateur Championship scheduled during the same month in the same market, the tournament faced a huge challenge. The Boeing Classic rose to the challenge, producing record sales and raising more money for charity than ever before. There was also increased attendance, mainly due to the rematch of Bernhard Langer and Fred Couples after their duel at the U.S Senior Open at Sahalee Country Club three weeks earlier.

The Players Award, decided by Champions Tour professionals, went to the Principal Charity Classic. The tournament has positioned itself as a "can't miss" event for players, sponsors and spectators, resulting in excellent galleries and record contributions to local charities. World Golf Hall of Fame member, Nick Price earned his second victory of the season at Glen Oaks Country Club in Des Moines, Iowa.

The Champions Tour Tournament Business Affairs department voted the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am as the Best Tournament in 2010. The TBA team rates and grades several different categories that determine what makes a successful event, and the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am, played for the 19th consecutive year at the TPC Tampa Bay in Lutz, Florida, earned the highest overall score. Despite a cancelled final-round which allowed Bernhard Langer to claim the title, this tournament has a history of being one of the best on the Champions Tour.

The Outstanding Achievement Award was earned by the Montreal Championship. This inaugural event, announced in February and played in July at Golf Le Fontainbleau in Montreal, Canada, was a huge success. The tournament featured many new ideas and had the look and feel of a major championship and was recognized for delivering one of the best first-year events in Champions Tour history. Larry Mize, a former Masters champion, claimed his first Champions Tour title at this first-year event.

The Champions Tour new media initiative, called the Summer of Fun, was launched in June. A month-long contest was held asking fans to vote once per day on Facebook for their favorite tournament. More than 13,000 votes were tallied, and the winner of the 2010 Fan Favorite tournament, with 40 percent of the vote, was the AT&T Championship.

The Champions Tour Tournament Association presents the Bruno Award annually to an individual judged to have made special and outstanding contributions to the Champions Tour. The award is named in honor of Brian 'Bruno' Henning, the former Vice President of the Champions Tour who was recently inducted into the Southern Africa Golf Hall of Fame. This year, Bryan Naugle, Executive Director of the Administaff Small Business Classic, was named the recipient of the Bruno Award. Naugle was previously a member of the Champions Tour Operations and Rules staff before joining the Administaff Small Business Classic.