Los Angeles Sports

(NORTHERN TRUST OPEN) Defending champion Charles Howell III and 17 of the top 20 players in the World Golf Rankings lead the way for the Northern Trust Open, Feb. 11-17, at Riviera Country Club.

Set to join Howell are Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker, Adam Scott, Jim Furyk, Justin Rose,  Rory Sabbatini, K.J. Choi, British Open champion Padraig Harrington, Vijay Singh and Sergio Garcia.

A total of 32 of the top 48 in the World Golf Rankings are in the field.  

 Other leading entries include Masters' champion Zach Johnson, U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera, Geoff Ogilvy, Aaron Baddeley, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and Trevor Immelman. Howell edged Mickelson in a playoff last year.
Scott, Sabbatini and Mike Weir, who won back-to-back in 2003-04, also are recent champions at Riviera. Other past champions in the field include Robert Allenby, Fred Couples, Len Mattiace, Corey Pavin and Billy Mayfair, who defeated Tiger Woods for the title in a playoff in 1998 at Valencia Country Club. 

 Player exemptions include two-time major champion John Daly and PGA TOUR Qualifying School graduate Kevin Streelman.

 The final four players in the field will be determined in qualifying Monday, Feb. 11 at Industry Hills Golf Club's Eisenhower Course in the City of Industry.

Scott Mahlberg of San Diego won The Club Car Aggregate tournament Feb. 4 at Glendora Country Club to capture the SCPGA qualifying berth in the Northern Trust Open. 

The Northern Trust Open will have a record purse of $6.2 million, with the winner earning $1,116,000.

The 82nd playing of the Northern Trust Open begins with a pro-am and practice rounds on Monday, Feb. 11 and practice rounds Tuesday, Feb. 12.

The main pro-am is Wednesday, Feb. 13 and tournament play runs from Thursday, Feb. 14 through Sunday, Feb. 17.

The Michael Douglas & Friends Celebrity Golf Event will serve as a prelude to the Northern Trust Open at Riviera on Sunday, Feb. 10, starting at 11 a.m.

For complimentary tickets for the Michael Douglas event, please call 818-876-1950.

 17 of Top 20 in World Rankings to Compete in Northern Trust Open at Riviera

 Tickets for the Northern Trust Open at the gate are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and $20 for juniors. Save $5 when purchasing in advance at http://www.northerntrustopen.com/, Roger Dunn Golf Shops or by calling 1-800-752-6736.

Riviera Country Club will again be the host site of the tournament.  This historic venue has been the official home of the tournament since 1929 when the fourth tournament was first played at the club.

This is the 46th time Riviera has played host to the tournament, including every year but two since 1973.

The 1983 tournament was played at Rancho Park Golf Course due to the PGA Championship at Riviera and the 1998 tournament was held at Valencia Country Club due to the U.S. Senior Open at Riviera.   

Since its inception in 1926, the tournament has generated more than $50 million for philanthropic projects and programs within Southern California.

Northern Trust announced its title sponsorship of the tournament Oct. 15, 2007. It is a five-year agreement running through 2012. For more information, please visit http://www.northerntrustopen.com/.

ABOUT NORTHERN TRUST CORPORATION

Northern Trust Corporation Nasdaq: NTRS) is a leading provider of investment management, asset and fund administration, fiduciary and banking solutions for corporations, institutions and affluent individuals worldwide. Northern Trust, a multibank holding company based in Chicago, has a growing network of 85 offices in 18 U.S. states and has international offices in 13 locations in North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. As of December 31, 2007, Northern Trust had assets under custody of US$4.1 trillion, and assets under investment management of US$757.2 billion. Northern Trust, founded in 1889, has earned distinction as an industry leader in combining high-touch service and expertise with innovative products and technology. For more information, visit http://www.northerntrust.com/.

 

ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES JUNIOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce has managed the tournament for the past 81 years, making it the oldest civic-sponsored event on the PGA TOUR.  The programs and projects of the LAJCC focus on at-risk youth sports that emphasize education, life skills, family growth and leadership development. Membership information can be obtained by calling (213) 482-1311 or online at http://www.lajcc.org/.