New Orleans (April 14, 2005) – Last year’s champion Vijay Singh and Padraig Harrington have officially committed to play in the 2005 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The Zurich Classic is scheduled for April 25 – May 1 at the Tournament Players Club of Louisiana.

Singh is currently ranked 3 rd on the PGA TOUR money list and 2 nd in career money leaders. He holds 25 TOUR victories, including the 2004 New Orleans event, the 2004 PGA Championship and the 2005 Sony Open in Hawaii. He also has won 22 International victories. In 2004, Singh had one of the finest seasons in golf history, posting nine wins and earning a PGA TOUR record $10,905,166 while becoming number one in the Official World Golf Ranking. He became just the sixth player in TOUR history to accumulate nine wins in a season. He is a five-time member of the Presidents Cup team. This will be his fifth time to play in the New Orleans tournament.

Harrington is currently ranked 16 th on the TOUR money list after a victory at the 2005 Honda Classic (during which he won a playoff with Vijay Singh). He also holds nine International victories. In 2004, Harrington split his time between the PGA TOUR and the European Tour, finishing 1 st on the PGA TOUR’s non-member list with five top-10 finishes. He is a three-time member of the Ryder Cup team (1999, 2002, 2004). This will be Harrington’s first visit to the New Orleans tournament.

About Zurich Financial Services: Zurich Financial Services (www.zurich.com) is an insurance-based financial services provider with a global network that focuses its activities on its key markets in North America and Europe. Founded in 1872, Zurich is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Through its offices in more than 50 countries, 62,000 Zurich employees serve clients in more than 120 countries. In North America (www.zurichna.com), Zurich is a leading commercial property-casualty insurance provider serving the large global corporate, middle market and small business sectors.

Also a member of the Zurich global network in North America is the Farmers Insurance Group (www.farmers.com). Farmers is the third largest personal lines insurance group in the United States, providing auto, home, specialty, small business, life and investment products.