Press Release

For Immediate Release July 1, 2011

Iconic Pebble Beach tabbed for 2012 Western Golf Alliance Open

Announcement clouded by news of key players' suspension from event

BOTHELL, Washington. The Western Golf Alliance today announced the selection of the Pebble Beach Resort as the host for the 2012 Western Golf Alliance Open. Pebble Beach beat out proposals from the Olympic Peninsula area and Kauai, Hawaii to host the biennial golf championship of the WGA.

"We couldn't be more thrilled about bringing our tournament to one of the most storied golf venues in the world," said Brian Gray, WGA president. "Pebble Beach is synonymous with both great golf and great championships. From Jack Nicklaus, to Tom Watson, to Tiger Woods, to our own honorary member Bill Murray, some of the legends of the game have won prestigious titles on these links, and now one of our members will add his name to that prestigious list of Pebble Beach champions."

"We have a serious tournament to decide our Western Golf Alliance champion, but we also have a lot of fun within our regional golf organization," added Mike Contois, WGA competition committee chairman. "This is a marriage of the ultimate golf destination with the ultimate golf event. We are going to have high expectations about how great it will be to hold an event at Pebble Beach, and I'm confident the end result will actually exceed those expectations."

The Western Golf Alliance is known for holding its Open on elite, famous courses that represent the very best golf in the region. Unlike other years, where planning begins after the selection of the destination, many of the details of the 2012 event are already determined. The dates of the 2012 WGA Open are August 1-5. To maximize the experience of the Pebble Beach Resort, the event will utilize all three of the "top 100" rated courses at the resort. The first round will be played at Spyglass Hill Golf Course, the final round will be played at the Links at Spanish Bay, and the two middle rounds will double up on the world famous Pebble Beach Golf Links.

"I think our members can expect the 2012 WGA Open to be part major golf tournament, part clam bake, and all fun," Gray concluded.

However, the announcement of the Pebble Beach venue was clouded by a simultaneous announcement that a "key" player has been suspended for the 2012 WGA Open. Identifying the player only by his initials, "E.W.", the club stated that the player tested positive for a "banned substance" during a recent random test. After deliberating, and based on the organization's long-standing policies related to performance enhancing drugs, the Board of Directors upheld the requisite "one Open" suspension on the player, and will not comment further on the incident.

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About the Western Golf Alliance: The Western Golf Alliance is the premier golf organization in the United States. The WGA exists to further the greatness of this grand sport of golf through the improvement of golf play by its members, the promotion of golf rules, etiquette, and tradition, and the ability to gather together from time to time for golf events and tournaments. The regional organization spans five western states, and is organized into nine geographic regions. Further information is available at http://www.westerngolf.org/.

About Pebble Beach Company: Pebble Beach Company, headquartered in Pebble Beach, Calif., owns and operates the world-famous Pebble Beach Resorts, including The Lodge at Pebble Beach, The Inn at Spanish Bay and Casa Palmero. The company also operates four renowned golf courses: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course, The Links at Spanish Bay and Del Monte Golf Course. Its other famed properties include the scenic 17-Mile Drive and The Spa at Pebble Beach, and it annually hosts premier events such as the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, the Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational and the First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. Site of the 2019 U.S. Open, Pebble Beach Golf Links has hosted five U.S. Opens, four U.S. Amateurs, one PGA Championship, and numerous other tournaments. Further information is available at http://www.pebblebeach.com/.

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