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U.S. Senior Open

Marvin Lao

2006-07-01 09:38:00

: Who’s the King?

ANSWER: This month, Arnold Palmer returns to Hutchinson, KS to make his 26th record-breaking appearance in the U.S. Senior Open at Prairie Dunes Country Club.  His last visit to Prairie Dunes was in 1962 for an exhibition match against fellow Hall of Fame golfer Jack Nicklaus.Known worldwide to golf fans as “The King”, Arnold Palmer began his professional career in 1955.  He has earned more than 91 victories worldwide, in-cluding eight major championships, four Masters titles, two British Opens, one U.S. Open and one U.S. Amateur.  With 62 victories on the PGA TOUR, Arnold Palmer ranks fourth all-time on the PGA TOUR victory list.  He is tied for the most consecutive years winning at least one tournament (17).

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U.S. Senior Open

Marvin Lao

2006-05-01 16:01:00

Question: Who are some of the people in charge of putting on the Open?

ANSWER: Introducing our fine staff is one of my most enjoyable jobs. Here they are:Greg Conrad moved to Hutchinson, KS in 2002.  Prior to assuming the role of Championship Director Greg was the Sales & Marketing Director for The International. Greg Graduated from the University of the Pacific with a degree in Sport Management. Currently, Greg resides in Hutchinson, Kansas with his wife Jennifer and his two children Sam and Elizabeth.Marvin Lao (me)...I moved to Hutchinson, KS last September to assume the role of Public Relations and Sales Director for the 2006 U.S. Senior Open.  Prior to moving to Kansas, I spent the last two years at NCR Country Club in Dayton, OH.  While in Dayton, I served as the Sales & Marketing Director for the 2005 U.S. Senior Open.   After graduating with an undergraduate degree in English from Hobart College in Geneva, NY, I earned my law degree from Suffolk University in Boston.  Jill Ulrich Originally from Wichita, Kansas joined the 2006 U.S. Senior Open staff as the Client Services and Marketing Director in September of 2004.  Jill earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Apparel and Textile Marketing in 2001.  After graduation she moved back to Wichita to continue her event management work with Wichita Festivals, Inc.  Jill has also assisted the Greater Wichita Sports Commission with special event sales.  Laura Caleal joined the team in Hutchinson in October 2005 as the Volunteer Coordinator. She too came from the 2005 U.S. Senior Open where she served as the Assistant Volunteer Coordinator for over 3,200 volunteers. Laura graduated from the University of Dayton with a degree in English. She also played on the women’s golf team. She is originally from West Bloomfield, MI.  John Palacioz is a Hutchinson native and graduate of Trinity High School. John began his involvement with the Senior Open as an intern and is now serving full time as the Championship Operations Assistant & Ticket Manager.  John received his degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Wichita State University. Markel Maybin joined the staff as Championship Assistant in May 2005.  He is currently attending Wichita State University and is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Integrated Marketing.  Markel is originally from Fort Myers, FL and is an avid fan of the Florida Gators. 2006 U.S. Senior Open With names like Greg Norman, Tom Kite, Ray Floyd, Curtis Strange, Hale Irwin and Kansas native Tom Watson competing, there is widespread anticipation that this summer’s U.S. Senior Open will exceed the attendance of the U.S. Women’s Open that was hosted at Prairie Dunes Country Club back in 2002. With 14 hours of live television coverage nationally on ESPN and NBC, and broadcasts in more than 50 countries worldwide, the U.S. Senior Open is poised to be the largest and most important international sporting event ever hosted in the state of Kansas.  For more information on the U.S. Senior Open, visit the championship’s official website at www.2006ussenioropen.com.

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U.S. Senior Open

Marvin Lao

2006-03-01 10:28:00

QUESTION: How are ticket sales thus far?

ANSWER: Tickets to this year’s U.S. Senior Open have been selling at a rapid pace.  As the largest international event ever hosted in the state of Kansas, people from across the state have already purchased tickets to guarantee their place at Prairie Dunes Country Club this July.  In addition to state-wide ticket sales, ticket purchasers also represent 31 different states, as well as Australia, Japan and Canada.question: How many types of tickets are being offered?ANSWER: There are a variety of options available.  The Senior Open is a seven-day experience.  Championship Week begins on Monday, July 3 and ends on Sunday evening, July 9 with the crowning of our national champion.  Currently, general grounds passes are offered as a week-long season pass or by the day.  Practice round tickets, which may be redeemed on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, are priced at $25 each.  Practice rounds are wonderful days to visit the Championship, seek autographs and take photographs of your favorite players.Championship Rounds (i.e. competitive play) take place Thursday through Sunday and tickets for each day are priced at $40.  Unlike the practice rounds, Championship Round tickets are day specific, so please take that into consideration when deciding which Championship Round you plan to attend. If you plan on coming out to the Championship for more than one day, the best value is the week-long season pass, which is priced at $110.  The season pass includes one ticket for each day of Championship Week and a voucher for an Official Souvenir Program.     QUESTION: I am interested in gaining access to the clubhouse or the corporate hospitality tents.  How can I purchase tickets for those areas?ANSWER: There are no tickets available for clubhouse access and private corporate tents are completely sold out.  However, small corporate packages are still available for purchase that include VIP hospitality passes to the Carey Pavilion.  The Carey Pavilion is a 6,000 sq. foot, air-conditioned corporate tent with full cable TV service, wireless Internet access, lounge areas as well as a raised porch overlooking the 16th fairway.  Guests to the Carey Pavilion will receive catered breakfast, buffet style lunch and open bar service.  Packages for Carey Pavilion access start at $4,000.  For more information, please contact Marvin Lao at (620) 728-0600 ext. 103 or via e-mail at mlao@2006usso.com.QUESTION: I plan to purchase a large amount of tickets.   Can I receive a group discount?ANSWER: A discount of $5 off each ticket is available to those who order ten or more tickets for any one day of Championship Week.  If you would like to place a group order and receive this discount, please contact John Palacioz at (620) 728-0600 ext. 107 or via e-mail at jpalacioz@2006usso.com.   QUESTIOn: I don’t want to miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime event.  Where can I obtain tickets?ANSWER: Tickets may be purchased several ways:Internet: Please visit http://www.2006ussenioropen.com/ and click on the tickets link.Phone: Please call (877) 325-GOLF.In Person: Please visit any Dillons, Baker’s or Gerbes food store location.

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U.S. Senior Open

Marvin Lao

1969-12-31 18:00:00

How did the U.S. Senior Open end up in Kansas?

ANSWER: Kansas has a rich golf history.  The state boasts two of the top golf courses in the country – Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson and Flint Hills National in Andover.  Recently, Flint Hills was ranked No. 43 in Golf Digest’s listing of the Top 100 courses in America and GOLF Magazine ranked Prairie Dunes No. 15 in its annual listing of top courses in the United States.  Additionally, Kansas is home to some of the most influential and colorful contributors to the game of golf:  Tom Watson (hall of fame golfer), Jim Colbert (top 30 All-time Champions Tour Money Winner), Judy Bell (first woman president of the United States Golf Association), and Marilynn Smith (co-founder of the LPGA).  Over the years, Kansas golf courses have hosted 16 National Championships conducted by the USGA, the most recent being the 2002 U.S. Women’s Open at Prairie Dunes won by Juli Inkster.     QUESTION: What makes Prairie Dunes one of the top courses in the world?ANSWER: Prairie Dunes enjoys a colossal reputation in the world of golf.  In addition to its consistent ranking as one of the top courses in the U.S., it is also lauded as one of the top 25 golf courses in the world.  The wind, bumpy fairways, plum thicket, undulating greens and firm playing conditions make it play akin to the links courses in the United Kingdom.Prairie Dunes was created by the Carey family of Hutchinson, who still enjoy their membership at the club. The Careys were avid golfers and traveled around the country and around the world visiting and playing outstanding courses. In 1937, the Carey family commissioned Golf Course Architect Perry Maxwell to design a golf course that would compare favorably with the championship courses that the family had seen on their many golfing ventures. Maxwell designed a nine-hole course in the sand hills east of Hutchinson that would generally be regarded as the best nine-hole course in the country for twenty years. In the early ’50s, Maxwell's son Press Maxwell built the back nine at Prairie Dunes, giving the membership the 18-hole course as it stands today.  On the course itself, there are some of the finest golf holes anywhere in the country. The 424-yard, Par-4 eighth is one of America’s classic golf holes.  Regarded by Sports Illustrated as one of the greatest 18 in the world, it is a slowly rising; long rolling dogleg right with some obstacles.  Four dunes rise in the fairway where the drives normally land causing some hesitation from the tee and composure on the approach. The oddly contoured green is protected on the right by four bunkers and on the left by one. Yucca plants dot the bunkers and there is a slow drop-off on the green. The Par-3 Tenth has also been ranked by Golf Digest among the 100 best holes in the world.QUESTION: What other nationally ranked courses have hosted the U.S. Senior Open?ANSWER: The U.S. Senior Open has been played 26 times, with the inaugural Championship hosted by Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, NY.  Other renown courses to have hosted the Senior Open include: Oakland Hills (MI), Hazeltine (MN), Medinah (IL), Cherry Hills (CO), Pinehurst (NC), Congressional (MD), Olympia Fields (IL), Inverness (OH) and Bellerive (MO). QUESTION: After Prairie Dunes, where will the U.S. Senior Open be contested?ANSWER: Serving as the National Championship for the best players in the world age 50 and older, the U.S. Senior Open is scheduled to be contested at the finest and most challenging golf courses in the United States.  Next summer, the Senior Open will be contested at Whistling Straits (WI), which last hosted the 2004 PGA Championship.  In 2008, The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs will serve as the host site for the Championship.  QUESTION: How can I learn more about Prairie Dunes and the history of the course? ANSWER: Suggested Reading:  Perry Maxwell’s Prairie Dunes, by Mal Elliott.  This book offers its readers the remarkable story of how this renown golf course came to be.  Vintage photos, historical text, and beautiful full-color photography by John Johnson take the reader through every stage of development of this historic course — site of the 2006 U.S. Senior Open.