PRATTVILLE, Ala., (Sept. 30, 2009) – The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and the Navistar LPGA Classic jointly announce an extension for the LPGA’s annual Tour stop in Prattville, Ala. The event, which is in its third year, will be staged in 2010 at the Senator Course at the Capitol Hill location on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Prattville.

In the October 2008 issue of Golf World, readers voted Capitol Hill Golf Course the number two public course in the country. The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National was ranked number one.

“The Navistar LPGA Classic has been a great success for us,” said Dan Ustian, chairman, president and CEO of Navistar International Corporation. “It has given us an opportunity to strengthen our brand awareness, give back to a community where we do business and deepen relationships with our key customers, dealers, suppliers and business partners.”

“Navistar has been a great partner for us for three years now,” said Dr. David G. Bronner, CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama. “We are extremely proud that this international company has an Alabama presence with its diesel engine assembly plant in Huntsville, and that we have the pleasure of working with Dan and his team again next year.”

“We are pleased that the Navistar LPGA Classic will remain a stop on our Tour,” said Marty Evans, acting LPGA commissioner. “The visions of Dr. Bronner and Dan Ustian combined with the passion demonstrated by their teams and the community have resulted in a tournament that LPGA players and fans alike now count among their favorites. We look forward to watching the 2009 tournament this week and plan to produce another great event next year.”

The Navistar LPGA Classic was first held in 2007. Maria Hjorth won the inaugural title and Lorena Ochoa is the current defending champion. The 2009 tournament gets underway tomorrow with the first round featuring 143 of the world’s best female golfers. Golf Channel will televise all four rounds from 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. central.

The dates for the 2010 Navistar LPGA Classic will be announced in the near future, and the entire 2010 LPGA Schedule will be announced at the season-ending LPGA Tour Championship in Houston.

About the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
Twenty-six world-class courses on 11 sites – 438 holes of breathtaking golf – comprise Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Offered the opportunity to tackle the world’s largest contemporaneous golf construction project, legendary designer Robert Trent Jones, Sr. emerged from semi-retirement to create distinctive courses challenging golfers from first-timers to pros. The Trail was named the #1 value for golf in the country by Golf Digest and also has the top public golf courses, according to Golf World readers. Through the RTJ Golf Trail, Alabama has turned into a golfer’s paradise and earned the Trail accolades from sources as diverse as Robb Report and Travel + Leisure to Southern Living and The New York Times. The Trail is an investment of the Retirement Systems of Alabama and features eight hotels in its resort division, plus a spa trail. For more information on the RTJ Golf Trail, visit www.rtjgolf.com. 

About the Ladies Professional Golf Association
The LPGA was founded in 1950 and today boasts a membership comprised of world-class LPGA Tour professionals and more than 1,300 dedicated Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP). Players on the LPGA Tour, who represent more than 25 countries, compete globally showcasing the very best of women’s professional golf. LPGA T&CP members directly impact the growth of the game through teaching, coaching and management positions, and oversee programs aimed at increasing the involvement of women, girls and youth in golf. The LPGA’s Vision is to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the best golf professionals in the world. Its Mission is to be a leader in the world of sports, to promote economic empowerment for all members, and to serve as role models on and off the course. The LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla. For more information on the LPGA, log on to www.LPGA.com.