Las Vegas Golfer Natalie Gulbis To Again Lead LPGA Tour Team at Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge

September 23, 2009--Once again, the Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge, an event that pits three-player teams from the LPGA Tour, PGA Tour, and Champions Tour against each other, will be played at Las Vegas golf course Rio Secco Golf Club (Click now to enter a contest to win a Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge VIP Package). And Las Vegas resident Natalie Gulbis is scheduled to once again play on the LPGA Tour team that was officially announced. Gulbis joins Cristie Kerr and Suzann Pettersen to represent the LPGA Tour in the event that takes place November 10 and will air on television on ABC on December 19-20. Also, click now for special VIP Pro-Am packages for the Wendys.

Gracefully draped across 240 acres in the foothills of the Black Mountain Range and located 15 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, Rio Secco Golf Club is renowned for its world-class golf experience and acclaimed Butch Harmon School of Golf. The 7,318-yard, par 72 course was named in USA Today newspaper among the “Top Ten Golf Destinations in the World.” Offering instruction for newcomers and professionals alike, The Butch Harmon School of Golf is famed for working with such talents as Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink and Natalie Gulbis. Located in Henderson, Nevada, Rio Secco is a Harrah’s Entertainment golf destination. Click now for the official website of Rio Secco Golf Club where you will find the best rates and Las Vegas golf tee times and Las Vegas golf packages available. Las Vegas golf courses Cascata and Las Vegas National Golf Club are also operated by Harrah's Golf.

Gulbis, who lives in Lake Las Vegas, will be making her fourth-straight appearance at the Wendy’s 3-Tour Challenge. The eight-year LPGA Tour veteran enjoyed a career season in 2007 in which she recorded five top-10 finishes, including her first-career LPGA victory at the Evian Masters. In 2008 Gulbis posted one top-10 finish and received the William and Mousie Powell Award, which is given annually to the LPGA member that best exemplifies the spirit, ideals and values of the LPGA Tour. She was a member of the victorious 2005, 2007, and 2009 United States Solheim Cup Teams and together with Cristie Kerr and Morgan Pressel helped lead the LPGA Team to its fourth-career Wendy’s 3-Tour Challenge victory in 2007. So far in 2009 the 26-year-old has placed in the top-20 six times, including a pair of top-10 finishes. Through 18 events in 2009 Gulbis has earned $307,188 giving her more than $3.9 million for her career since joining the LPGA Tour in 2002.

Kerr is one of the LPGA’s most dominating stars. The 13-year Tour veteran added her 12th career victory in 2009 at the Michelob ULTRA Open. Kerr won the first major championship of her career at the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open and is currently ranked No. 5 in the World Golf Rankings and No. 2 on the LPGA Official Money List. Her more than $1.3 million in earnings so far in 2009 marks the sixth consecutive year she has surpassed $1 million in season earnings. She has 11 top-10 finishes so far this season and ranks No. 1 on Tour in scoring average (70.17) and birdies (286). In 20 events played in 2009 she has finished outside the top-20 only four times and has not missed a cut on the LPGA Tour since May of 2007. Kerr has been a member of five U.S. Solheim Cup teams (2002, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009) and will be making her fifth-consecutive appearance at the 2009 Wendy’s 3-Tour Challenge.

Pettersen is a rising star on the LPGA Tour. In 2009 the 28-year-old Norwegian recorded her sixth career LPGA victory at the CN Canadian Women’s Open and has exceeded the $1 million mark in earnings the past three years in a row. She became a first-time LPGA Tour winner in 2007 at the Michelob ULTRA Open and just three events later recorded her second victory and first major championship win at the McDonald’s LPGA Championship. To go with her CN Canadian Women’s Open victory in 2009 Pettersen has recorded 10 top-10 finishes so far this season, including three second place finishes. She is currently ranked No. 3 in both the World Golf Rankings and on the LPGA Official Money List with nearly $1.3 million in earnings. Pettersen has been a member of five European Solheim Cup Teams (2002, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009) and will be making her first Wendy’s 3-Tour Challenge appearance.

The event benefits The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a nonprofit 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to dramatically increasing the adoptions of the more than 150,000 children in North America’s foster care systems waiting to be adopted. Created by Wendy’s® founder, Dave Thomas, who was adopted as a child, the Foundation leads programs such as Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, placing adoption recruiters throughout the U.S. and Canada to find permanent, loving families for children in the foster care system, and Adoption-Friendly Workplace, encouraging employers to offer adoption benefits to their employees. The Foundation also works with adoption advocates and officials to streamline the adoption process and make adoption more affordable for families. As the only foundation dedicated exclusively to foster care adoption, we are driven by Dave’s simple value: Do what’s best for the child. To learn more about the Foundation’s work, please visit DaveThomasFoundationforAdoption.org.