Tourism Department Joins with Tight Lies Golf Tour to Sponsor First-Ever 'New Mexico Challenge'

The New Mexico Tourism Department (NMTD) and Tight Lies Tour have joined forces to tee it up on the NMTD-sponsored New Mexico Challenge, a series of three professional golf tournaments featuring some of the game's best young players.

"Our sponsorship of the Tight Lies Tour - like golf and New Mexico - is a natural fit," said Michael Cerletti, secretary of NMTD. "Golf in New Mexico blends history, landscape and legend. Cultural flavor is everywhere. Throw in extraordinary mountain vistas, amazing southwestern terrain, moderate temperatures and clean, invigorating air and you realize why golfers will travel hundreds of miles to play golf in New Mexico."

The three-stop 2006 New Mexico Challenge includes the Inn of the Mountain Gods Classic in Ruidoso May 18-21; the Currey-Adkins El Paso Open at the Santa Teresa Country Club, Aug. 31-Sept. 3; and the second annual Cities of Gold Casino Golf Classic at Towa Resort Course, in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Santa Fe, on Sept. 14-17. A fourth stop in Farmington will be added to the 2007 New Mexico Challenge.

The Tight Lies Tour, one of the leading developmental tours, has been instrumental in helping young professionals with their golfing careers. Successful competitors move on to the nationwide tour, and ultimately the PGA Qualifying School. While a number of Tight Lies pros have enjoyed success on the road to the PGA, several like Tim Herron and Mark Hensby have made an impact on the Tour; and no one made a bigger splash on the PGA Tour than former Tight Lies Tour pro, Ryan Palmer, who has won $2.7 million over the past two years.

"We are very excited about our tournaments in New Mexico and our new partnership with the New Mexico Tourism Department," said Tour president Gary DeSerrano. "New Mexico has some of the most beautiful golf courses in the country. The introduction of the New Mexico Challenge will help spread the word about New Mexico as a golf destination and definitely draw more professionals to these events."

Each week of a Tight Lies Tour event, the pros, their families and area golf fans spend money on housing, food, retail and more. Local Convention and Visitor Bureaus estimate the local economic impact of a Tight Lies Tour event at more than $500,000.

"New Mexico is a golf-lover's paradise," Secretary Cerletti added. "From Las Cruces to Santa Fe, Truth or Consequences to Los Alamos, Taos to Apache Mesa and White Sands - somewhere in New Mexico there's a course with your name on it."

The Tight Lies Tour currently conducts professional golf tournaments in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Louisiana. Lead Tour sponsors include Adams Golf, Choice Hotels International, SkyGolfGPS, Nike Golf, La Jolla Golf, Evolve Golf, GolfWorld, NYX Golf and BlueGolf.

Local charities play a vital role with all Tight Lies Tour tournaments. They not only help provide the numerous volunteers used daily, but also raise the funds needed to run a first-class professional and pro-am tournament. All local sponsor dollars are directed through the local charities involved with the tournaments.

For more information on the Tight Lies Tour, contact Sharon Largent Media Director,
972-492-4777 or sharon@texassportsgroup.com; or visit http://www.tightliestour.com

Mike Stauffer, Communications Director, New Mexico Tourism Department
505-827-7379, mike.stauffer@state.nm.us

Sarah Robarts
sarah@ballantinespr.com
310-454-3080 Tel.
310 570 7355 Cell

http://www.ballantinespr.com