Double Skins Game To Replace Morgan Stanley Pro-Am Invitational In 2009; Jack Nicklaus To Compete

2008 PGA TOUR Player of the Year Padraig Harrington commits

Kenny Perry eager to defend and vie for a record fourth Memorial Tournament victory

Officials of the Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley announced today the return of the Double Skins Game after a six year absence from the Tournament’s schedule of events. This fan favorite anchors a day of great golf on Wednesday, June 3, and replaces the Morgan Stanley Pro-Am Invitational.

In addition, the Memorial has accepted early commitments from reigning PGA TOUR Player of the Year Padraig Harrington and from defending Memorial Tournament winner Kenny Perry to compete in the 34th edition of the prestigious invitational Tournament hosted by golfing legend Jack Nicklaus and scheduled for June 1-7 at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

"We are pleased to be bringing back the Double Skins Game to the Memorial Tournament for our many loyal and enthusiastic golf patrons," said Tournament founder and host Jack Nicklaus. "I've always enjoyed the skins format, whether as a competitor or an observer, and this year we hope folks in central Ohio will have fun watching this unique competition. We'd like to express our thanks to presenting sponsor Morgan Stanley for supporting this special event and enabling us to raise money for a great cause, The First Tee."

The Double Skins Game will be a nine-hole competition comprised of two foursomes featuring the top six qualifying PGA TOUR players deemed eligible by virtue of their 2008 PGA TOUR money list standing and two “at-large” selections from the Tournament’s final field. One of those two berths has been reserved for the tournament founder and host, Jack Nicklaus, who twice won the Memorial among his 73 PGA TOUR titles. Both foursomes will start on Hole No. 10 and tee off at 1 p.m. and 1:15 p.m. EDT, respectively. Players will be outfitted with wireless microphones, in conjunction with the Memorial’s Wednesday Youth Day, so that children and spectators may enjoy the banter amongst the players during the Double Skins Game. Morgan Stanley will fund the purse of $100,000, with proceeds benefiting The First Tee. The following is the purse and skins valuations breakdown:

Harrington is coming off a career year in 2008 in which he won back-to-back major championships at the British Open and PGA Championship. On the strength of his second two-win season on TOUR, Harrington pocketed a career-best $4.3 million in earnings. In 2007, Harrington became the first Irishman to win the British Open in 60 years, and his ’08 victory made him the first European since James Braid in 1906 to successfully defend his Open title. Winner of three of the last six majors leading into the 2009 season, Harrington owns five PGA TOUR wins to go with 16 international victories since turning professional in 1995. He has been a member of five European Ryder Cup teams (1999, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008) and is currently No. 5 in the world rankings.

Although Harrington has not played in the Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley since 2004, it remains one of his favorite events on TOUR. “Muirfield Village is one of the great venues not only on the PGA TOUR, but in all of golf,” said Harrington, whose best showing at the Memorial came in 2003 with a T13 finish. His scoring average at Muirfield Village Golf Club is 71.88.

“I am looking forward to going back there. It’s nice to go back to a golf course you haven’t played in a while, and Muirfield is a wonderful place. It gives you a good idea of what your game is like.”

“And, you know,” the Irishman said with a bit of playfulness, “I can say that I will enjoy going back to Dublin as well.”

Perry will enjoy going back too.

On strength of five top-10 finishes in nine events, including his 13th career PGA TOUR victory at the FBR Open in February, Perry currently ranks fourth on the PGA TOUR money list and fifth on the World money list with more than $1.9 million. He also ranks fourth on the 2009 FedExCup points list and is No. 11 in the world rankings. Perry enjoyed a career year in 2008, posting his second three-win season on TOUR (the other was in 2003) with victories at the Memorial Tournament, Buick Open, and John Deere Classic. He finished 2008 with a career-best $4,663,794 in season earnings and helped lead the United States to a Ryder Cup victory in his home state of Kentucky with a 2-1-1 record. Perry has competed in 20 of the last 22 editions of the Memorial Tournament. In that time he has compiled a Memorial resume that includes five top-10 finishes, including his three victories, which ties Tiger Woods, who won three in a row, for most in Tournament history. Last year’s victory not only made Perry, at age 47, the Tournament’s oldest winner, but it also made him the first player to break the $3 million mark in earnings; he ranks first on the Tournament money list with $3,091,542.84.

“The Memorial Tournament is one of my favorite events, and it also means a lot to me personally because that is where I got my first PGA TOUR victory,” said Perry, who broke through in 1991. “For whatever reason I feel real comfortable at Muirfield Village. I just love that course. I hope to keep going back for as long as Jack will have me.”

All-week Patron Badges to the 2009 Memorial Tournament are available to the general public. The badges, valid June 1-7, cost $155 and include a complimentary three-day Practice Round ticket at no extra cost. As always, kids 12 and under can attend for free. The public may call the Tournament Ticket Office 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays at 877-MT BADGE or visit www.thememorialtournament.com to purchase badges. Daily tickets for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday practice rounds are also available. The cost is $30, and they are valid for all three practice-round days.