The Florida State Golf Association is proud to announce the acquisition of the Florida Open. The FSGA will begin conducting the Florida Open in 2009. There will not be a Florida Open Championship this year.

The FSGA has acquired the Florida Open in an effort to restore the event to its former status as the State’s premier Championship for professionals and amateurs. The FSGA will work very closely with the PGA Sections and the PGA members of Florida to develop a first-class championship. The field will predominately include Florida Section Professionals, amateurs and some non-affiliated professionals.

The FSGA and the PGA Sections will not financially benefit from the conduct of the event and all proceeds from entry fees and sponsorships will go towards the purse, the direct cost of conducting the Championship and any designated charities. The long term goal is to have the qualifying fees as low as possible to encourage widespread participation. The purse will be structured to pay the field as deeply as possible.

There is a great deal of planning to be accomplished but listed below are some of the guiding thoughts and principles that will be used in organizing the Championship – the details listed are estimates and subject to modification:

     · Purse - $100,000

     · Site – To be determined

     · Qualifying Field – 1,000+

     · Dates – to be determined – Late September, 2009

     · Eligibility – professional golfers and amateur golfers (handicap index not exceeding 5.0)

     · Local Qualifying - Will be conducted at 12 or more sites throughout Florida

     · Local Qualifying Purses are being considered

     · Exemptions – Performance based - PGA Section events, amateur competitions and others

     · Championship Field Size - 156

     · Entry Fees - tiered pricing will recognize the contributions of PGA members and compensate the amateurs who are not eligible for prize money. All fees estimated.

          · Qualifying Fees (includes cart fee and range)

               · Florida Section Professionals - $135

               · Amateurs - $110

               · Non-Affiliated professionals - $250

          · Championship Fee – additional $100-$200

     · Corporate sponsorships will be available

Florida has a very competitive golfing population. Each year, over 1,200 players attempt to qualify for the US Open and approximately 1,000 players attempt to qualify for the State Amateur Championship. The Florida Open Championship will bring these players together in the spirit of truly great Championship competition.