PGA Tour Canada – April 11, 2014

(April 11, 2014 – Sydney, NS) – Deane Beman, the legendary former Commissioner of the PGA TOUR, has been appointed as the Honorary Chairman and Ambassador of The Cape Breton Celtic Classic presented by PC Financial, a PGA TOUR Canada event taking place at The Lakes Golf Club near Sydney, Nova Scotia from September 1st to September 7th.

Deane R. Beman, the PGA TOUR’s second Commissioner, served from 1974 to 1994, and oversaw an explosive period of growth in TOUR history, making great strides in visibility, media coverage and charitable contributions for the game of golf.

“I couldn’t be more pleased to be named Honorary Chairman and Ambassador of the Cape Breton Celtic Classic presented by PC Financial,” said Beman. “PGA TOUR Canada is an important stop on the journey of young players on their way to the PGA TOUR. This gives me another reason to visit Cape Breton, which I first visited 35 years ago and look forward to returning to this summer.”

Under Beman’s leadership, The TOUR expanded PGA TOUR Properties to 14 Tournament Players Clubs. In 1985, he brought PGA TOUR Entertainment (then Productions) in house to produce TV/audio-visual vignettes, commercials, and speciality pieces such as “Inside the PGA TOUR.” Beman’s other important innovations included a professional agronomy department, the TOUR’s statistics program, electronic scoreboards, the establishment of mobile fitness training centers and the birth of the Champions Tour in 1980 and the Web.com Tour in 1990. Beman was instrumental in bringing TOUR players closer to the ranks of other “major” sports with respect to player benefits when he instituted the Players Retirement Plan in 1983. Beman, in conjunction with the American Golf Sponsors and the TOUR, brought charitable donations to the forefront with more than $84.7 million in the 1990s alone.

“Deane’s contributions in the growth of the PGA TOUR and professional golf speak for themselves, and it’s an incredible thrill to have his support for this event,” said PGA TOUR Canada President Jeff Monday. “Deane’s support should help show off Cape Breton Island as one of the world’s premier golf destinations and raise the profile of the event in the community and across the country. It will be a special privilege to have him at the event.”

Attending the Cape Breton Classic provides an incredible opportunity to experience world class golf at a PGA TOUR Canada event. Attendees will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with PGA TOUR Canada players from Canada, Australia, the United States, South Africa, and nearly 20 other countries. All of these players are vying to finish the top five on the Order of Merit at season’s end, earning access to the Web.com Tour and taking the next step on the path to the PGA TOUR.

“We couldn’t be any more excited to have Deane’s support for our event,” said Kelly Dixon, Tournament Director with SDI Marketing and the Cape Breton Celtic Classic presented by PC Financial. “It goes without saying how important Deane has been to professional golf and we’re absolutely thrilled to have him as our Honorary Chairman and Ambassador.”

To sign up as a volunteer or for a paid caddy position ($35/per day), to purchase event tickets, and to find out more about sponsorship opportunities and how you can get involved in PGA TOUR Canada’s season, please visit: http://www.capebretoncelticclassic.ca/get-involved/

Cape Breton Celtic Classic

The 2014 Cape Breton Celtic Classic presented by PC Financial will take place September 1st to 7th at the Lakes Golf Club in Sydney, Cape Breton. This is the only PGA TOUR Canada tournament on the east coast for 2014 and will combine the best of golf, charity, entertainment, food, and renowned east coast hospitality.

About PGA TOUR Canada

PGA TOUR Canada is a series of tournaments played across Canada each summer, where tomorrow’s stars begin the path to the PGA TOUR. The leading five money winners at the end of each season earn status on the Web.com Tour for the following season. PGA TOUR Canada’s mission is to deliver a PGA TOUR experience for our members, fans, volunteers and our partners in order to develop the future stars of professional golf & enrich the communities we visit.

About SDI Marketing

Since 1988, SDI Marketing has been using imagination, innovation and energy, to be creative in marketing solution development for its client’s marketing initiatives. SDI has developed the reputation as a progressive company, focused on people and clients. The company’s unique combination of resources includes sports marketing services, brand awareness, loyalty programs and communication strategies. Now in its 25th year, SDI has grown to become a global marketing services company that delivers an element of “wow” with every interaction.