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NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL INVITATIONAL ANNOUNCES RECORD-SETTING CHARITABLE DONATION
Tournament dates set for 2010
Columbus, Ohio – October 19, 2009 – Tournament officials announced today that the third annual Nationwide
Children's Hospital Invitational, held July 27 - August 2, 2009 at the Ohio State University Golf Club - Scarlet Course,
raised a total of $881,270 for charitable organizations, including $325,000 for pediatric cancer research and treatment
at Nationwide Children's Hospital. The total marks the largest single-season charitable donation raised by the tournament
in the event’s three-year history.
The figure marks the second largest on the Nationwide Tour in 2009 and brings the tournament's total charitable giving
to more than $1.7 million. No other tournament in Nationwide Tour history has given more to charity over its first
three years than the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational.
A check presentation ceremony recognizing Nationwide Children's Hospital as the tournament's primary beneficiary took
place this morning at the Ohio State University Golf Club. Jim Lyski, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Champions of
the Community, Inc. and Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Nationwide, presented a check to
Nationwide Children's Hospital Chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Thomas Gross, M.D., Ph.D. in the amount of
$325,000. Over the past three years the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational has donated a total of $945,000
in support of the hospital's pediatric cancer program.
From left to right… Jon Fitzgerald (President Nationwide Children's Hospital Foundation), Thomas Gross, M.D., Ph.D.
(Nationwide Children's Hospital Chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology), Jim Lyski (Chairman of the Board of Directors
of Champions of the Community, Inc. and Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Nationwide), John Aman
(President of Champions of the Community, Inc. and Associate vice president of strategic sponsorships)
"It is our great pleasure to be in position to contribute these dollars to central Ohio charities, principally
Nationwide Children's Hospital," said Lyski. "We thank our corporate sponsors, whose support makes these donations
a reality, as well as golf fans in central Ohio. We look forward to more opportunities in the future to build on our
successes and to continue to give back to the community."
"We congratulate the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational on an outstanding event and are extremely thankful
for this generous gift," said Gross. "The Tournament's support of our cancer program over the past three years has
changed lives and will continue to do so for years to come. The tournament's corporate sponsors and the overwhelming
support we receive helps make everything we do at Nationwide Children's Hospital possible."
Also this morning at The Ohio State University Golf Club, the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational held a
breakfast with participating non-profit organizations to celebrate the results of the 2009 Charity Ticket Program,
which generated over $480,000 for central Ohio charities. The program, now starting its third year, provides
qualifying non-profit entities with 100 percent of the revenue from all tickets sales generated by, or designated
for, their organization. During this morning's breakfast a $20,000 bonus pool was distributed to each of the
eligible non-profit organizations from 2009 and the 2010 Charity Ticket Program campaign was officially launched.
In related news, the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational announced today that the fourth playing of the
annual event held in Nationwide's home town of Columbus, Ohio will take place July 19 - 25, 2010 at the Ohio State
University Golf Club - Scarlet Course.
LAMELY WINS NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL INVITATIONAL
Columbus, Ohio - Derek Lamely rolled in a three-foot par putt on the second playoff hole Sunday to defeat Oklahoma State standout
Rickie Fowler and win the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational in Columbus, Ohio.
Lamely posted a 6-under-par 65 during the final round at the Ohio State University Scarlet course and finished at
11-under 273, nearly an hour in front of the final groups. Fowler, who had owned the lead during much of the last day,
dropped into a playoff when he suffered a bogey on the 72nd hole of regulation.
The two parred the first extra hole, missing birdie putts of 18-20 feet from virtually the same line and then headed
to the 164-yard, 13th hole. Fowler's tee shot found a front bunker while Lamely missed long and left in the heavy
rough. The winner's delicate downhill wedge from a gnarly lie stopped three feet from the cup.
"A year ago I might not have even gotten that one on the green," said Lamely, who was originally scheduled to
go to Texas to work with a manufacturer this week on, of all things, his wedges. "I might have gotten it on the
green but it definitely wouldn’t have been three feet."
Fowler blasted his second shot 12 feet past the hole and his par attempt slid over the right corner of the cup.
That left it up to Lamely, a 29-year old rookie from Florida, to tap in for the win.
"My goal is still the same," said Lamely, who collected $139,500 to jump from No. 135 to No. 12 on the money
list "The goal still is to get on the big Tour. It’s the same goal I’ve had forever. I just helped myself
significantly today."
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2009 Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational Final Results