PLAYERS Giving Back Month continues with Birdies for the Brave event

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. -- THE PLAYERS Championship Giving Back Month continued on Monday after several PGA TOUR players, local celebrities and Wounded Warriors hosted a Birdies for the Brave golf tournament at THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass that highlighted THE PLAYERS Championship's and the PGA TOUR's commitment to the U.S. Armed Forces and the nation's wounded warriors. As part of the day, tournament officials announced that the 2011 tournament will again provide free admission to active duty and retired military and their dependents all-week long as well as an expanded Patriot's Outpost hospitality tent on site.

"We cannot begin to describe how much admiration and respect we have for the men and women in uniform," said Executive Director Matt Rapp. "We hope the Birdies for the Brave event along with our free military admission and hospitality policy can show even the smallest amount of our support for all that they do for our country."

An opening ceremony to the day's events was held outdoors behind the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse at 9 a.m. and featured the Presentation of Colors by the Navy color guard from NAS Jacksonville, as well as a performance of the National Anthem by Phil Stacey (former sailor and American Idol finalist) and remarks by Four-Star General Doug Brown (Ret. U.S. Army) and Dan Nevins of the Wounded Warrior Project, who is also a wounded warrior himself.

TOUR players and local sports celebrities were scattered around THE PLAYERS Stadium Course to play a hole with 18 different groups. These individuals included TOUR players Vijay Singh, Jeff Klauk, Frank Lickliter and Bill Kratzert. There was military equipment positioned around the golf course, including a replica of a tank which was parked in the middle of the 16th fairway (an immovable obstruction!).

The day was part of a month of special events in which THE PLAYERS highlights the different ways in which the tournament generated more than $4.8 million in 2010 and nearly $40 million since 1977 for Northeast Florida charities. This includes from funds raised during tournament week, as well as THE PLAYERS and TPC Sawgrass partnering with local charities, like Birdies for the Brave, throughout the year to help raise additional, significant dollars for the community.