| Field Announced for 2012 Special Olympics Golf Invitational Tournament, Sept. 6-9 |
| Nearly 200 golfers will compete in the 13th annual Special Olympics North America Golf Invitational Tournament at the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, Ariz. |
KPMG, PGA of America, PGA TOUR & USGA Support 13th Annual Tournament PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – A roster of nearly 200 golfers from 19 Special Olympics North America programs will compete in the 13th annual Special Olympics North America Golf Invitational Tournament at the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, Ariz., Sept. 6-9, 2012. KPMG, The PGA of America, USGA and PGA Tour are presenting sponsors of the 2012 tournament. Special Olympics golf is part of the worldwide Special Olympics sports movement for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics golfers and their Unified partners (for team play) will compete in one of five levels of competition. Olympic-style Opening Ceremonies will tee off the event on Thursday, Sept. 6, with three competitive golf rounds played Friday, Sept. 7, through Sunday, Sept. 9. Awards ceremonies for the golf competition will take place immediately following the final round on Sunday, Sept. 9. Special Olympics Golf allows athletes to grow in the game as they gain experience. Level I competition consists of an individual skills contest, where six golf skills are tested. Level II is Unified Sports® alternate shot team play, where a Special Olympics athlete is paired with a golfer without intellectual disability for 9-hole competition. Level III is Unified Sports® team play, pairing Special Olympics athletes and golfers without intellectual disabilities for an 18-hole competition. Levels IV and V are individual stroke play 9-hole and 18-hole competitions, respectively. The Special Olympics golf program began in 1988 with the assistance of The PGA of America and USGA. Since then, both associations contribute to the growth of the program with grassroots training, rules education, tournament administration and national program financial support. The PGA Tour also provides ongoing financial support to the program. PGA Tour player Padraig Harrington and LPGA Tour player I.K. Kim are global sport ambassadors for Special Olympics. Currently, more than 19,000 Special Olympics athletes participate in golf training and competition within 49 U.S. Special Olympics programs. Worldwide, more than 50 countries offer Special Olympics golf programs. Click here for the Tournament Field. Media Contacts:
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