New Orleans (March 27, 2006) – Carlos Franco, Kelly Gibson, Todd Hamilton and Jeff Sluman have committed to play in the upcoming Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The event will take place April 24 - 30, 2006 at English Turn Golf and Country Club.

Franco is one of only 9 two-time winners at the New Orleans event, having won in 1999 and 2000. As well as winning the 1999 Greater Milwaukee Open and the 2004 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee, Franco holds 27 international victories. He was a three-time member of the World Cup team and a two-time member of the Presidents Cup team.

Gibson, a hometown favorite, is the winner of two Nationwide Tour victories, including the 1999 NIKE Oregon Classic. Gibson has played in the New Orleans tournament every year since 1990, with his best finish at 14 in 1993. He was the associate design consultant at the TPC of Louisiana, which hosted the Zurich Classic in 2005. Gibson also was honored recently by the PGA TOUR for his hard work helping relief workers in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Hamilton is a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR, with both wins coming in 2004 at The Honda Classic and the British Open Championship. That year he was named PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year at age 38 on the strength of those wins. He also holds 14 international victories, having played primarily in Japan over the last decade. Hamilton finished T31 in last year's Zurich Classic.

Sluman is a six-time winner on the PGA TOUR, including the 1988 PGA Championship and two wins at the 1998 and 2002 Greater Milwaukee Open. His best finish this year is T7 at the Ford Championship at Doral. In 2005, after 22 years on TOUR, Sluman collected his 100th career top-10. That year he cracked the $1 million mark for the fifth straight season and the seventh in the last eight years.

About the Fore!Kids Foundation
The Fore!Kids Foundation produces the annual stop on the PGA TOUR in New Orleans. The Foundation also hosts the Golf Ball (a black tie gala) as well as a series of events in which amateurs participate and the proceeds are distributed to a specific charity. Since its inception, the Foundation has donated more than $13 million to area charities. Additionally, the Fore!Kids Foundation, through the PGA TOUR event, provides an estimated $25 million in annual economic impact to the City and State. The tournament is televised to an international audience, allowing millions of people to see some of the area's greatest attractions.

About Zurich Financial Services
Zurich Financial Services Group (Zurich) is an insurance-based financial services provider with a global network of subsidiaries and offices in North America and Europe as well as in Asia Pacific, Latin America and other markets. Founded in 1872, the Group is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. It employs approximately 55,000 people serving customers in more than 120 countries.