MOBILE, Ala. — While most of America may be focused on the election in November, one presidential descendent has his eye on golf and the Bell Micro LPGA Classic in Mobile this September. Oliver Roosevelt III, who is President Theodore Roosevelt’s second cousin twice removed, volunteered at the LPGA events in Mobile and Prattville last year and is coming back for more.

The Bell Micro LPGA Classic creates unique opportunities for volunteers to personally experience the players in a competitive atmosphere. Tournament volunteers such as Oliver Roosevelt III from South Carolina and Mississippi’s Tommie Wright travel from out of state to receive such an experience. They make the trip to Mobile every year not only because they want to contribute, but also because they gain as much as they give back.

As a resident of Clinton, S.C., Roosevelt travels to Alabama each year to volunteer his time. He was visiting family in Alabama when he noticed the advertisements for the tournament asking for volunteers. Roosevelt considers himself a big fan of the LPGA. He decided that volunteering in the tournaments would be a great way to experience the game and the players first hand. The son of longtime fine arts editor and music critic for the Birmingham News and a classical music icon, Oliver Roosevelt, Jr,, he signed up to volunteer in media relations for tournaments last year in Prattville, Mobile and Birmingham. He says that he considers traveling to these tournaments a vacation.

This year he plans to continue his volunteer efforts at the Bell Micro LPGA Classic in Mobile and at the Navistar LPGA Classic in Prattville. Roosevelt claims all of the Solheim team members, Paula Creamer in particular, as his favorite players. He also plans to broaden his volunteer efforts by traveling to the Solheim Cup in Illinois.

“I was fortunate enough to meet Paula’s [Creamer] parents in Mobile last year,” says Roosevelt. “On this particular day, Paula started behind the leaders, but after she birdied the last seven holes, she was tied for the lead. After she finished the 18th hole, I was assigned to pick her up and give her a ride back to the clubhouse. She claimed that she needed to go and practice. She was genuinely surprised when I informed her that she was now tied for the lead. I was excited when she went on to win the tournament.”

Closer to Mobile, Tommie Wright and her friends from the Shadow Ridge Ladies Golf Association in Hattiesburg, Mississippi travel each year to volunteers at the LPGA tournament. In past years, she says that a group of approximately 10 women have made the Mobile trip to volunteer. This year they are bringing 14 volunteers to Mobile and plan to marshal two holes at the Bell Micro LPGA Classic. She says they usually spend their time on the tee box, marking balls in the fairway or on the green.

Wright says that volunteering is not only a great way to support the LPGA but also helps in picking up pointers for her own game. The group has so enjoyed participating in the Mobile tournament that they have decided to volunteer in other tournaments such as the Solheim Cup in Sugar Grove, Ill.

“My personal favorite is to volunteer on the greens,” Wright says. “You get to watch the shots approach the green and then come so close to the pin. The ladies are just so good at the game. It’s exciting to be inside the ropes. I also love the way the LPGA is set up to treat the workers and volunteers. It’s so easy to work with a group that’s so congenial and pleasant.” Wright claims Lorena Ochoa as her favorite player, but also supports Paula Creamer.

How to Volunteer
People can volunteer for the Bell Micro LPGA Classic simply by applying online. A volunteer package includes one volunteer play day voucher (with a minimum of three shifts), five complimentary good any day tickets, one lunch voucher, a volunteer uniform, one complimentary official tournament program, and one volunteer badge.

“This is a great opportunity for Mobile area residents to become involved in this full-field event and see the top women’s golfers in the world at their best,” said Jim Johnson, tournament director for the Bell Micro LPGA Classic. “From locals to out of town visitors, it will take an army of volunteers for a tournament of this size. This is a very exciting opportunity for Mobile and its residents.”

About the Bell Micro LPGA Classic
The Bell Micro LPGA Classic is a multimillion dollar event showcasing a full field of professional LPGA golfers. The inaugural tournament will be held September 8 - 14 on the Crossings Course at the Magnolia Grove location on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. The event is sponsored by Bell Microproducts and will be one of two LPGA tournaments played on the RTJ Golf Trail this year.

Media Contact:
Bill Lang, Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, (205) 298-7128; bill.lang@pchresorts.com.
Interviews with Roosevelt, Wright, other volunteers and tournament officials can be arranged.