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November 17, 2011

Exclusive 2012 Memorial Tournament Daily Ticket Pack and The Presidents Cup 2013 Offer

Dublin, Ohio (November 17, 2011) – Officials of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance announced today the details surrounding its 2012 ticket program. Headlining the program are three exciting benefits available to 2012 patrons: the Daily Ticket Pack, $25 gift card, and The Presidents Cup 2013.

The Daily Ticket Pack gives patrons the option to receive a ticket for each day of the Tournament in lieu of the weekly Patron or Clubhouse badge. All badges and badge packages are available in both daily and weekly formats. The price of a Patron Badge will remain at $155, a number that has not increased since 2004. The Daily Ticket Pack offer is only available through March 1, 2012.

Also available through March 1, 2012, a complimentary $25 Food and Beverage Gift Card will be supplied to each individual ticket buyer to use at any concession location throughout the 2012 Tournament week (limit one per household; minimum total purchase, including shipping & handling, of $160). Package buyers receive multiple $25 food and beverage gift cards depending on the single highest value of package purchased.

All 2012 Memorial Tournament ticket buyers will receive a one-time-use link via email, valid only through March 1, 2012, to purchase The Presidents Cup 2013 tickets. 2012 Memorial patrons have the exclusive opportunity to purchase up to four (4) of both types of The Presidents Cup 2013 tickets at a discounted $165 (Grounds) or $285 (Captains Club) per ticket price. These are the lowest rates The Presidents Cup tickets will be offered. Retail price for The Presidents Cup 2013 tickets will be $207 (Grounds) or $357 (Captains Club) per ticket price and will not be available to the public until June 2012.

The public may visit www.thememorialtournament.com or call the Tournament Ticket Office 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays at 877-MT BADGE (877-682-2343) for more information or to purchase tickets.

“By combining the annual offer of the Memorial Tournament patron badge with the option to purchase The Presidents Cup 2013 tickets through a special package, we are providing a once-in–a-lifetime opportunity for golf fans and central Ohio sports enthusiasts,” said Dan Sullivan, Executive Director of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance. “The Memorial continues to attract thousands of fans as it enters its 37^th year of competition and is one of the most prominent attractions inOhio. As well, The Presidents Cup 2013 will deliver the sporting world toDublin andColumbus… bringing the best in international golf competition to our backyard.”

Since the inaugural Presidents Cup in 1994, the event has grown in size and stature with each and every playing. Today it is one of the most eagerly awaited, highly watched events in all of golf. The excitement and prestige that accompanies The Presidents Cup will garner worldwide exposure and economic impact for Dublin—Columbus, Ohio—USA, when in 2013 Muirfield Village Golf Club becomes the third golf course in the United States to host The Presidents Cup, joining Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Prince William County, Va., (1994, 1996, 2000, 2005), and TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, Calif., (2009).  The Presidents Cup 2013 will bring together public and private sector leadership fromColumbus,Dublinand the surrounding region with the goal of hosting the most successful Presidents Cup in the event’s illustrious history.

Muirfield Village Golf Club and Greater Columbus will take the global stage as The Presidents Cup 2013 broadcast will be distributed to more than 200 countries through 16 international television networks. More than 50 hours of live and taped competition coverage over four days will be televised to more than 600 million households in 30 languages throughout the world.

“The hosting of The Presidents Cup will be a defining moment in theColumbusregion’s history,” said Alex Fischer, CEO – Columbus Partnership. “This international event will provide a tremendous platform forColumbus,Dublinand the entire region to showcase its most valuable assets. In addition, The Presidents Cup will add to the regions long standing legacy of receiving immeasurable value through the staging of impactful events and attractions,” continued Fischer. “The Presidents Cup 2013 ranks amongst the most prominent events in sport.”

The Presidents Cup 2013 will bring a projected economic impact to the Greater Columbus region of $50 million. More than 150,000 fans are anticipated to attend the prestigious international event with international travelers converging onDublin—Columbus,Ohio—USAfrom around the world. The community ofDublinand the Greater Columbus region will experience an increase in hotel room night occupancies and realize growth in the spending of discretionary funds on lodging, food & beverage and regional attractions.

“Columbushas a long history of hosting significant events and The Presidents Cup 2013 is at the top of that list,” said Linda Logan, Executive Director, Greater Columbus Sports Commission. “With the success and growth of the event since 1994, further witnessed this week inMelbourne,Australia, the entire region will benefit from the impact of the event. We are very fortunate to call the Memorial Tournament our own and with the addition of The Presidents Cup 2013 we will build on the long history of hosting marquee golf in our community.” 

Some of the greatest names in golf participate in The Presidents Cup. Muirfield Village Golf Club, home to the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance, is no stranger to the greats of the game. Seven past winners of the Memorial are participating as players and captains this week for The Presidents Cup 2011 inAustralia.

Team Captains Fred Couples and Greg Norman and team members K.J. Choi, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods all have significant experience and success at Muirfield Village as past winners of the Memorial.  And the connection between The Presidents Cup 2011 teams and Muirfield Village Golf Club does not stop there. Combine all 2011 players and captains of the celebrated match-play competition and they represent a total of 277 Memorial Tournament appearances, 70 top-10 finishes and 11 victories. U.S. Team Captain’s Assistant Jay Haas has the most starts and top-10 finishes at the Memorial with 29 (second only to Jack Nicklaus who has 30) and nine, respectively. Only two players at this week’s Presidents Cup have not competed in the Memorial: Ryo Ishikawa and K.T. Kim of the International Team.

“It’s interesting to connect the great players in the game to the Memorial Tournament’s list of past winners,” added Sullivan. “The Tournament has been fortunate to count 17 of its winners as major champions. As well, it is satisfying to see so many great players competing in The Presidents Cup with a connection to Memorial Tournament success. It is a testament to the incredible contributions Jack Nicklaus has made to the game and the event and venue he created in the Memorial Tournament and Muirfield Village Golf Club.”

About the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance

The Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance is held annually at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. The Tournament, founded and hosted by Jack Nicklaus, is conducted each year with three goals in mind: to honor the memory of individuals living and deceased who have distinguished themselves in the game of golf; to showcase the world’s best golfers competing on one of the most challenging venues in the world for the enjoyment of spectators; and to benefit charitable organizations in central Ohio. For more information, call 614-889-6700 or visit www.thememorialtournament.com.

About Nationwide
Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by A.M. Best. The company provides a full range of personalized insurance and financial services, including auto, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, life, farm, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions and long-term savings plans. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.

Nationwide, On Your Side, and the Nationwide Framemark are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

About The Presidents Cup

The Presidents Cup, a team match play competition featuring 24 of the world’s top golfers – 12 from theUnited Statesand 12 from around the world, excluding Europe – is held every two years, and since 1996 has alternated betweenUnited Statesand international venues.  At the most recent Presidents Cup, the U.S. Team retained the Cup from the Internationals in one of the most exciting and successful events to date at Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco, Calif., October 2009.

                The Presidents Cup was developed to give the world’s best non-European players an opportunity to compete in international team match-play competition. The U.S. Team has won six of the eight previous Presidents Cups, and the only outright win by the International Team came at the 1998 event in Melbourne. The 2003 Presidents Cup ended in a tie. For frequent updates on The Presidents Cup, check www.presidentscup.com, join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thepresidentscup and sign up for The Presidents Cup e-newsletter.

                Instead of playing for prize money, each Presidents Cup competitor designates charities or golf-related projects of his choice to receive a portion of the funds raised through the staging of each Presidents Cup.  On behalf of the players, captains and captains’ assistants, more than $4.2 million was distributed to charitable causes from The Presidents Cup 2009.  Additional donations were made to The First Tee of San Francisco and the Victorian Bushfire Appeal in 2009 and to the Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal following theQueenslandfloods in March 2011.  In total, more than $23 million has been raised for charity since the inception of The Presidents Cup in 1994.

                Citi and Rolex are the exclusive Global Partners of The Presidents Cup.

 About Citi

Citi, the leading global financial services company, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 140 countries. Through Citicorp and Citi Holdings, Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.

Citi is proud to be the first-ever Global Partner of The Presidents Cup, a signature event that benefits communities that Citi serves around the world, builds bridges between countries and embraces the spirit of teamwork.

About Rolex
Rolex is recognized the world over as the leader in Swiss watchmaking and enjoys an unparalleled reputation for quality and know-how.  The company ensures the distribution of its watches and the quality of their maintenance through a network of 28 affiliates and several thousand official Rolex jewelers worldwide.  Today, Rolex is involved in numerous partnerships and sponsoring activities in fields as varied as golf, tennis, art and culture, sailing, equestrian and automobile sports.  All of these disciplines combine precision and endurance, and call on participants to push themselves above and beyond their limits.  Additional information may be found at www.rolex.com.    

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