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Phil Mickelson Joins Field At The 2002 BellSouth Classic

Contact John Marshall
Media Director
770-436-2643
or Jeff Battcher
BellSouth Corporation
404-249-2793

DULUTH, Ga. (March 13, 2002) -- Phil Mickelson, the world's second ranked golfer and the winner of 20 PGA TOUR events since joining the circuit a decade ago, will play in the 2002 BellSouth Classic, April 1-7 at TPC at Sugarloaf in Duluth. He joins a star-packed field that already includes John Daly, PGA Champion David Toms, Charles Howell and defending champion Scott McCarron. These players, along with 139 more of the world's best players, will compete for a first prize check of $684,000. Now in its 34th year, the 72-hole PGA TOUR event offers a total purse of $3.8 million, a 15% increase from last year. Here are some quick facts on Mickelson:

  • He won the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in his first start of the year. It was his 20th career win and earned him a lifetime exemption on the PGA TOUR. He currently ranks 11th on the 2002 money list with $846,440.
  • In the TOUR's statistical categories this year, he ranks 1st in par four birdie leaders (24.2%), 1st in par breakers (27.5%), 2nd in birdie average (4.83) and 4th in both final round scoring average (67.67) and greens hit in regulation (73.8%).
  • Mickelson finished second on the 2001 earnings list, the same position he placed the year before. In both years, he banked more than $4 million, and only Tiger Woods has earned more in a year. He recorded a win at the Buick Invitational for the second straight year, and also at the Canon Greater Hartford Open. He ranks second in career money with $18,684,448.
  • Prior to 2000, he had never won professionally in Georgia. That year he captured both the BellSouth Classic and THE TOUR Championship that was played at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
  • In 23 events last year, he made 20 cuts and recorded 13 top 10 finishes.
  • Mickelson won the 1991 Northern Telecom Open as an amateur. He was the first amateur since Scott Verplank in 1985 to win a TOUR event and is the last to do so.
  • He is a native of California and went to college in Arizona. No less than 11 of his 20 career wins have taken place in those two states.
  • He won the 1990 US Amateur, becoming the only left-handed player ever to do so.
  • Mickelson joined Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players to ever win the NCAA Championship and the U.S. Amateur in the same year. He is also is one of just four golfers to be named first team college All-American four consecutive years. Others were Gary Hallberg, David Duval and Bryce Molder.
  • He has been a member of two Walker Cup teams, three Ryder Cup teams and four Presidents Cup teams.

Tournament notes:

Former U.S. Amateur champion and Georgia Tech star, Matt Kuchar, who won this past weekend's Honda Classic, will play in the BellSouth Classic.

17-year-old PGA TOUR rookie, Ty Tryon, has been extended and has accepted a sponsor's exemption into the tournament.

BellSouth Corporation is a Fortune 100 communications services company headquartered in Atlanta, GA, serving 46 million customers in the United States and 15 other countries.

Consistently recognized for customer satisfaction, BellSouth provides a full array of broadband data and e-commerce solutions to business customers, including Web hosting and other Internet services. In the residential market, BellSouth offers DSL high-speed Internet access, advanced voice features and other services. BellSouth also provides online and directory advertising services, including BellSouth® Real PagesSM.com.

BellSouth owns 40 percent of Cingular Wireless, the nation's second largest wireless company, which provides innovative wireless data and voice services.