PODS Championship

Boosted by astonishing growth in the Birdies for Tampa Bay Charities program, the 2005 Chrysler Championship has nearly doubled last year's record amount for charitable donations.  Monday, the tournament announced that it had presented a record $2,610,000 to area charities, up from $1,260,000 in 2004.

The donation is among the seven largest on the PGA TOUR this year, the highest of any PGA TOUR event in Florida in 2005 and the biggest one-event donation in Tampa Bay sports history.

"Last year at this time, when I said our goal would be $2 million, I thought I was being aggressive, perhaps too
aggressive," says outgoing General Chairman Tom Thorn.  "Now, thanks to the hard work of many people, most notably our tournament volunteers, we have exceeded expectations.  I am not aware of any other sports entity in the Tampa Bay area ever having donated so much to charity at one time."

"Even as we have grown in the eyes of the golf world in the last three years with our tremendous fields and great
champions, we have exploded in the charitable area thanks to increased ticket sales and increased participation in the
Birdies for Tampa Bay Charities program," says Snow Martin III who succeeds Thorn as general chairman.  "I'm not setting a specific goal for 2006, but we do believe even more growth could be achieved."

The total includes money raised through ticket sales, other tournament proceeds as well as the Birdies for Tampa Bay
Charities program.  More than 150 area charities benefited from the tournament.   Academy Prep, the tournament's
primary direct charitable beneficiary, will receive $150,000.

The total contribution since 1977 is now nearly $18 million.

With a score of 9-under 275, Swedish-born pro Carl Pettersson won the 2005 Chrysler Championship by one shot over Chad Campbell.  He joins Vijay Singh (2004) and Retief Goosen (2003) as winners of the tournament held on the Copperhead Course at the Westin Innisbrook Golf Resort.  Pettersson earned $954,000 for his efforts.