On Wednesday, September 3rd, a media event was held for the upcoming Navistar LPGA Classic (Presented by MAXXFORCE) at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Capitol Hill. Tournament Director Jonathan Romeo welcomed the assembled crowd of media, elected officials, tournament staff, sponsors and volunteers. Romeo touted this event as the kick off for what is coming up at the end of the month.

Mr. Romeo introduced Mayor Jim Byard, Jr. mentioning his recent re-election margin. Byard said, "I thought my re-election margin was good, but I was sitting next to Maria Hjorth, whom I am very glad to welcome back to Prattville. If you don't remember, she left with $195,000 last year so she likes Prattville!" Byard went on to say that he is glad to represent all elected officials from the river region, Montgomery, Autauga, and Elmore counties. He mentioned that Mayor Bobby Bright would certainly have been present, however, due to a death of a close family member, it wasn't possible.

(L to R) Jonathan Romeo, Tournament Director. Mayor Jim Byard, Jr. speaking at the media event.

Mayor Byard told the assembled group, "LPGA Navistar Classic is a tremendous partnership of all of our elected officials and this is the one week out of all the weeks of the year that we don't talk about football or pull against each other on economic issues. This is the one week that the entire River Region pulls together. From the community standpoint and local region, we are excited about our relationship with Navistar."

Byard went on to acknowledge the importance of volunteers and thank them for their service. He noted that the tournament is run professionally and everyone is shown southern hospitality by the local volunteers which is invaluable to the experience of the golfers, media, sponsors, suppliers, and everyone else involved.

Byard then introduced Dr. David Bronner, CEO of Retirement Systems of Alabama, as a true visionary. "He is very important to city employees because he manages their retirement account, but also important to the economy in Prattville. In '94 or '95, he said to the then mayor that he wanted to build a golf course in Prattville. This will bring an international spotlight to our community in a couple weeks," Byard continued.

Bronner's idea was to use a vehicle like golf to boost tourism, attract retirees, and spur economic growth within the state. He wanted to build spectacular golf courses throughout the entire state and all at one time! The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail now has 26 courses at 11 different sites and offers 468 holes of great golf. (Additional information about the courses at Capitol Hill)

Dr. Bronner came to the podium saying, "To work with this mayor is a real privilege. I don't say this lightly; there are about 2 in the state that I like. The trail is excited about welcoming the LPGA back."

Bronner went on to say that when they lost Nationwide, Mayor Byard stepped up with him. With that, and a good relationship with the LPGA in Mobile, the Navistar LPGA Classic was born. "Glue makes it possible. Without Dan Ustian (Chairman, President and CEO of Navistar, Inc.), we would not have the LPGA," continued Bronner.

Bronner stated that he had started investing in Dan's company before he was even there and it was called International Harvester. Navistar has done two things that are truly phenomenal. They have developed a hybrid for 18 wheelers and the first hybrid school buses in the U.S.

The LPGA will be in Alabama for two weeks this year. Bronner is shooting for two weeks in a row next year. This year, the Ryder Cup is in the middle of the two events. Bronner stated, "This LPGA event brings in 143-145 professionals from 35-40 countries. Last year, the first full field event brought in 85-86 reporters from around the world. These ladies are really important, not only to their countries, but to the business community as well. Dan Ustian brings in suppliers as well. Suppliers are important because they are always looking for new places to set up their factories. Many of those people will be here that week. Look at them as opportunities."

Dr. Bronner then introduced Daniel C. Ustian, Chairman, President and CEO of Navistar, Inc. Mr. Ustian said, "It is an honor for us to be back for the 2nd annual, and we hope to be here a long time."

He went on to say that his company was very pleased with last year's event. "It was an incredible week for weather, then an incredible event. On the 17th hole, the three leaders were within one stroke of each other. Maria pulled one from nowhere and into the hole which won the tournament!" stated Ustian.

(L to R) Dr. David Bronner, CEO, Retirement Systems of Alabama.
Daniel Ustian, Chairman, President and CEO of Navistar, Inc.

Ustian felt the event did much for the community and economic relationships. Navistar brought customers and suppliers here to engage in a relationship that is building for them upon their business. It is important to understand that different customers and suppliers come through all week. "Incredible hospitality was shown to us," Dan said. "It was a great event, and we are anticipating a similar event this year. Because of that we've upped our presence. Last year, Navistar was the title sponsor. This year, we are the title sponsor and through MAXXFORCE diesel engine, we are also the presenting sponsor. This is the 75th year of our company being in diesel engines."

Navistar has had a diesel engine factory in Huntsville for several years now. They have increased their presence in Alabama yet again with the development of the new engine that goes in the vehicle they had displayed (and guarded) in front of the clubhouse. Navistar built another building to make that product at their Huntsville, Alabama factory.

Since last year, the company has done a number of fantastic things. They have developed a long haul tractor, the first of its kind. It creates a new category of Class 8 trucks in which technology and innovative styling converge with next generation aerodynamic design to deliver superior fuel efficiency (6-7% better). "The other vehicle saves soldiers," stated Ustian. This vehicle is now in Iraq, and is going into Afghanistan. It is a MaxxPro Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle. The vehicle's V-shape hull design, coupled with armor and other survivability features, provide troops with an increased level of protection against ballistic arms fire, mine blasts, IEDs, and nuclear, biological, and chemical environments threatening the safety of its crew. Armoring flexibility allows upgrades to achieve a mission's appropriate level of protection.

Dan Ustian, standing in front of the International LoneStar.

The International MaxxPro Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle.

Dan Ustian closed his remarks by wishing Maria luck during the event and thanking Dr. Bronner and Mayor Byard.

Jonathan Romeo provided a thorough tournament update. He said, "We are excited about the field, which is comprised of the top players in the world. It shows the success of last year's event. Nineteen countries are represented. There are 58 Americans, 33 South Koreans, 8 Australians, and 7 Swedes. The other countries represented have 1 or 2 players each. The weather's been great, gotten around 11 inches of rain, course is greener and in great condition."

Romeo feels there will be a great spectator viewing area. Due to hillsides and slopes, spectators won't need a grandstand or sky box to get a good view of everything. Public parking will be over next to the hotel. There will be a VIP area called the Legends Club over at the Legends off of the 17 fairway. It will be an indoor area with air conditioning, food, beverages, indoor restrooms, large screen TVs with football feeds on Saturday and of course, the Golf Channel. It is an area that companies as well as individuals may purchase.

Romeo turned his update to the subject of volunteers. The tournament currently has 450, but could use more. They are vitally important to the success of the entire tournament. He encourages groups, companies, and individuals to become involved. (You may sign up to volunteer on their website.)

The tournament director went on to say, "This is an exciting time for the River Region, obviously bringing in international flavor, but also with two nationally televised events at the same time." (On Friday night, August 26, ESPN will televise the football event featuring the Prattville Lions vs. Brentwood Academy of Nashville, Tennessee.)

"There are no rooms available in the area, which is a good problem economically to have," Romeo continued. "It's great to have Navistar as a partner."

Jonathan introduced Maria Hjorth, winner of last year's event, by running through her career statistics. She is 26th on the money list. She won just over $500,000 in 2008, which is not easy on the LPGA tour especially with the talent that is out there. According to LPGA standards, she is in the middle to end of her career, but playing as well as the young guns are. Romeo acknowledged the discipline it takes to play the golf she plays. Her career LPGA earnings are in the neighborhood of $4.5 million. She recorded her first hole in one and eagle in the AFLAC Championship in Mobile, Alabama. She has three tournament wins: SAFECO Classic, Mizuno Classic, and the 2007 Navistar LPGA Classic. She has appeared at three Solheim Cups in her career.

Maria came to the podium amidst a standing ovation. "I am very happy to be back here in Prattville, looking forward to defending the tournament," she said. She went on to thank everyone involved for allowing the tournament to be here at Robert Trent Jones in Prattville.

Hjorth opened the floor for questions. Prattville City Council President Dean Argo asked, "How is the golf course set up for you, the player?"

Prattville City Council President Dean Argo.

Maria responded, "For me personally, I find the golf course is set up really well. There are a lot of holes where you have quite a lot of dog legs and you have a few things that need to be carried. I'm fortunate enough to hit the ball a little bit further, so for me it feels like I can use my driver a lot. That takes a lot of trouble out of play because I can carry a lot of bunkers, I can carry a lot of dog legs and that helps me a lot on this course. The greens can be very tricky with the pin placements and undulations on the green, so the shorter club you have into the green, the easier it is to get the ball near the hole. For me, that feels like a good advantage. You also have some par 5s that are reachable which I think you really should have on golf courses. It makes it fun for us and makes it fun for spectators, because you're going to see a lot of different scores."

Those assembled enjoyed lunch and a round of golf if they were inclined to do so.

The dates of the tournament are September 22-28, 2008. The purse for the event is $1.4 million. The format is 72-hole stroke play (four rounds). Actual tournament play begins Thursday, September 25 at 6:50 a.m. CST. For more information about this event, please visit the tournament website at www.navistarlpgaclassic.com .