| Mayfair won the 1998 Buick Open with a final score of
70-69-25-67 - 271, 17 under par and two strokes ahead of the second-place finisher, 1988
Buick Open Champion Scott Verplank. Mayfair's share of the $1.8 million Buick Open purse
was $324,000. Mayfair, who lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., turned professional in 1988. He has
five career PGA Tour victories, and his career earnings through the 1999 Motorola Western
Open total $5,874,420. The Buick Open was the second of his two wins in 1998, and he went
on to qualify for THE TOUR Championship for the first time since winning the season-ending
event in 1995. Jose Maria Olazabal, the 1994 and 1999 Masters Tournament Champion, will
play in his first Buick Open in 1999. Olazabal, who is from Fuenterrabia, Spain, is 23rd
in the world rankings after the Murphy's Irish Open July 1-3. Since he turned professional
in 1985, Olazabal has five PGA Tour victories and 17 international wins. Also slated to
make an appearance is 19-year-old PGA European Tour pro Sergio Garcia. Nicknamed "El
Niño," the Borriol, Spain, native began his professional career on April 21, 1999,
after becoming the first British Amateur Champion to finish low amateur at the 1999
Masters Tournament. Garcia won 19 amateur events and one professional event as an amateur,
and earned his first professional win July 3 at the Irish Open - only his sixth tournament
played as a pro. Among the other early commitments to play in the 1999 Buick Open are
Carlos Franco, Jim Furyk, Jeff Sluman, Glen Day, John Cook, two-time Buick Classic
Champion Ernie Els, former Warwick Hills teaching professional Eric Booker, 1998 PGA Tour
Rookie-of-the-year Steve Flesch and Buick touring professionals Steve Elkington, Ben
Crenshaw, Chip Beck and David Berganio Jr. "The 1999 Buick Open already has an
excellent field, including both seasoned professionals and younger, emerging
players," said Anthony H. Derhake, Buick's brand manager of golf and Buick Open
tournament chairman. "We are excited to watch these golfers compete for the $2.4
million Buick Open purse, and believe this will be an extremely successful event for the
Buick golf program." Buick traces its relationship with professional golf to 1958,
when it became the original corporate sponsor of the PGA Tour with the first Buick Open.
The official car of the PGA Tour since 1984, today Buick sponsors four tournaments: the
Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, Calif.; the Buick Classic at
Westchester Country Club in Harrison, N.Y.; the Buick Open; and the Buick Challenge at
Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga.
Buick sponsors four PGA Tour professionals - Steve Elkington, Ben Crenshaw, Chip Beck
and David Berganio Jr. Actress Cheryl Ladd is Buick's "Golf Ambassador" and
represents Buick at golf tournaments, golf exhibitions and golf events nationwide. Buick
is also sponsor of ESPN's "PGA Tour shot of the week" series and "Inside
the PGA Tour" program and is a sponsor of USA Network's coverage of the PGA Tour.
Through its four tournaments, which are all televised nationally, Buick has donated more
than $15.5 million to local charities since 1982.
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