BUBBA WATSON, TWO-TIME MASTERS WINNER & 2011 ZURICH CLASSIC CHAMPION, “RE-TEAMS” WITH J.B. HOLMES FOR 2019 TOURNAMENT

NEW ORLEANS, LA (March 19, 2019)— Bubba Watson, who won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2011, then went on to win two Masters titles, will “re-team” with J.B. Holmes again for the 2019 Zurich, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

“Bubba Watson has a great record of success in our tournament, regardless of which format is being played,” said Worthy. “He and J.B. Holmes tied for fifth in 2017, the first year of our team format, and of course Bubba won here in 2011,” Worthy added.

Last year Watson teamed with Matt Kuchar to finish in a tie for 28^th in the Zurich Classic, while Holmes, paired with Brant Snedeker, missed the cut, despite carding a 66 in the first day of play featuring best ball scoring.

Watson has won 12 times on the PGA TOUR, including three tournaments last season—the Genesis Open, World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play and the Travelers Championship, which he won for the third time in his career.

His best finish this season is a tie for fourth in the Waste Management Phoenix Open., his 300^th start on the PGA TOUR.

He ranks 16th in all-time TOUR winnings with more than $43 million in prize money. In addition to his win at the Zurich Classic in 2011, he also finished fifth in the 2007 tournament. His tie for fifth with J. B. Holmes in the 2017 event was his best finish in the 2016-17 season.

He won the Masters in 2012 and 2014, tied for fifth in the 2007 U.S. Open, and took a solo second in the 2010 PGA Championship.

He has played on two President’s Cup teams and four Ryder Cup teams.  He currently ranks 14^th in American Presidents Cup standings and 17^th in the Official World Golf rankings.

In 2015, he donated $100,000 to assist with recovery efforts after the devastating floods in Louisiana. His longtime caddy, Ted Scott, is from the Lafayette area. Watson is part owner of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, and owns a candy store in Pensacola where his mom Molly sometimes works.

Holmes has won five times on the PGA TOUR, most recently the Genesis Open in January, his 301^st tournament in a PGA TOUR career that began in 2005.

In 2016, Holmes finished third in The Open Championship and fourth in the Masters. Currently ranked 44^th in the world, he played on the President’s Cup team in 2015 and the last two winning U.S. Ryder Cup teams in 2008 and 2016.

As an amateur, he was a member of the winning Walker Cup and Palmer Cup teams in 2005. He led his University of Kentucky team to its first SEC golf championship and was named 2005 SEC Player of the Year before turning pro.

He was also named an Academic All-American in 2004-2005.

His 2011 season was cut short when he underwent brain surgery but came back to play the next year in the Waste Management Phoenix Open, which he had won twice. He was named recipient of the 2016 Ben Hogan Award by the Golf Writers Association of America and was inducted in the University of Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

The Zurich Classic is the only team tournament on the PGA TOUR season. Since launching the team format two years ago, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans has drawn some of the highest ranking fields for any regular-season tournament on the PGA TOUR. In 2018, the tournament field included six of the top ten players in the world; all four reigning major champions; the U.S. Ryder Cup captain and six members of the U.S. team along with the European Ryder Cup captain with four of his co-captains and six players on the victorious European team.

About Fore!Kids Foundation:

Since 1958, the Fore!Kids Foundation has raised money to fund children’s service organizations through golf events like the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, The Holiday Auction Fore!Kids and several charitable golf tournaments. As a 501(c)(3) corporation, Fore!Kids has helped to raise more than $37 million to date for children’s charities in metro New Orleans and Baton Rouge. More information at http://www.forekidsfoundation.com.

About the Zurich Classic of New Orleans:

Televised in more than 224 countries and territories, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans generates a significant economic impact on the city of New Orleans and the entire state of Louisiana. Independent research has shown that the tournament generates spending of more than $40 million within the local economy and garners $33 million in positive national and international media exposure for both the city and state throughout the year beyond the four days of competition.

The tournament will be played April 22-28, 2019 at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. Purse for 2019 totals $7.3 million, with each member of the winning team earning $1,051,200.

Single-day grounds tickets are only $35 and weekly passes are $85. Single day tickets for the two most popular hospitality venues on the PGA TOUR start at $85 for Acme Oyster House and $185 for The Champions Club. Kids 17 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult holding a grounds ticket. Other choices of suite and specialty venue options are available by calling the Tournament Office at 504-342-3000 or online at www.zurichgolfclassic.com.