Tournament Host Jack Nicklaus, 2003 Masters Champion Mike Weir and THE PLAYERS Championship Winner Davis Love III Commit Early

Dublin, Ohio – April 24, 2003 - As is customary, Jack Nicklaus, founder of The Memorial Tournament, two-time past champion and winner of a record 20 major championships, was the first player to accept his invitation to the 2003 Memorial Tournament.

“It appears that we will once again have one of the strongest fields of the PGA Tour season,” Nicklaus said, “and I look forward to being a part of that field.”

Winner of two Memorial Tournaments, in 1977 and 1984, Nicklaus has captured 100 titles around the world in his 39-year career, including 81 official PGA and Senior PGA Tour victories.

2003 Masters champion and six-time Tour winner Mike Weir followed suit by accepting his invitation to the 2003 Memorial. Weir, who currently ranks 2nd on the PGA Tour Money List with $3,286,625, will make this his fifth consecutive trip to Muirfield Village Golf Club.

“I have always enjoyed the Memorial event, its golf course and its great host Jack Nicklaus,” Mike Weir said yesterday.

Weir picked up his third victory of the year at the Masters earlier this month to become the first Canadian to win a major. That win vaulted him to fifth in the Official World Golf Ranking. His other two victories came at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and the Nissan Open.

Joining Nicklaus and Weir to commit early is former PGA Championship winner Davis Love III, the current No. 3 player in the Official World Golf Ranking. Love III, who is also a three-time winner this year, including a four-hole playoff victory in last weekend’s MCI Heritage, currently ranks 1st on the PGA Tour Money List with $3,685,645. A five-time member of the Ryder Cup Team, Love III has 17 PGA Tour victories. His other two wins this year came at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and THE PLAYERS Championship.

Tournament Officials announced in January that the total purse would increase to $5 million, with the winner taking home $900,000.

Jim Furyk earned $810,000 for his victory last year.

Patron tickets for this year’s tournament are sold out. Daily tickets are available for Monday and Tuesday practice rounds and Morgan Stanley Invitational Pro-Am, and Wednesday’s Bill Campbell and Julius Boros Honoree Ceremony and Jack Nicklaus Golf Clinic.

The following is the schedule of events for the 2003 Memorial Tournament:
Monday, May 26 Practice Round
Tuesday, May 27 Practice Round
Morgan Stanley Invitational Pro-Am – 12:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 28 Practice Round
Campbell/Boros Honoree Ceremony – 3:00 p.m.
Jack Nicklaus Golf Clinic – 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 29 First Round – 7:30 a.m.
Friday, May 30 Second Round – 7:30 a.m.
Saturday, May 31 Third Round – 8:30 a.m.
Sunday, June 1 Final Round – 8:30 a.m.
(All times are approximate)

The Memorial Tournament Sponsored by Morgan Stanley Broadcast Schedule
Wednesday - 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. (EDT) – The Golf Channel
Thursday - 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. (EDT) – ESPN
Friday - 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. (EDT) – ESPN
Saturday - 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. (EDT) – CBS
Sunday - 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. (EDT) – CBS

CBS Late Night Highlights:
Thursday - 12:37 – 12:52 a.m. (EDT)
Friday - 12:37 – 12:52 a.m. (EDT)