The Nationwide Tour and Wayne Gretzky announced today that the Wayne Gretzky Foundation will host a new tournament in Canada beginning in 2008, sponsored by Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited.

The Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic will be held June 23-29 at The Georgian Bay Club and the Raven Golf Club at Lora Bay, located on the shores of Georgian Bay, 150 km northwest of Toronto.

The event is committed for the next three years. Samsung Electronics Canada, Inc., also a long-time supporter of the Wayne Gretzky Foundation, will be the presenting sponsor.

This is the same venue where the Telus Skins Game was held earlier this year.

The Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic will feature a unique format with 160 Nationwide Tour players paired with 160 celebrities/amateurs for a minimum of two days. One professional will be paired with one celebrity or amateur on Thursday and Friday, June 26 and 27 and the teams alternating between The Georgian Bay Club and Lora Bay courses both days.

Ten pro/amateur teams will compete on Saturday, June 28th and Sunday, June 29th for the Pro-Celebrity/Amateur title at The Georgian Bay Club.

The 160 professionals will vie for one of the Tour’s largest purses, $800,099 (U.S) over 72 holes of stroke-play competition. All four rounds will be televised by Golf Channel.

Gretzky, an avid golfer who has enjoyed participating in celebrity events on both the PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour, has committed to play in the Classic and is excited to host an event on the Nationwide Tour. “I have always had tremendous respect for the Nationwide Tour and the platform it provides for aspiring golfers,” said Gretzky. “I am thrilled to host an event that will recognize the hard work and dedication these players put in week after week on Tour.”

This event will mark the return to Canada of the Nationwide Tour whose last event was the 2005 Alberta Classic, once won by Canadian David Hearn who grew up five blocks from Gretzky's home in Brantford, Ontario.

The Wayne Gretzky Foundation, founded by Gretzky in 2002, will be the primary beneficiary of the event. David Greenberg, vice president, general marketing, Ford of Canada said "Ford of Canada has a long-standing commitment to hockey. Through our relationship with Wayne Gretzky, we are proud to support his foundation to help bring Canada's sport to kids who may not otherwise get the chance to play."

The Georgian Bay Club, designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan and opened for play in 2004, was named Golf Digest’s top-ranked New Private Course in Canada in 2005. The Raven Golf Club at Lora Bay, which opened in 2006, was co-designed by 1996 British Open champion Tom Lehman and prominent Canadian golf course architect Thomas McBroom.

Founded in 2002, the Wayne Gretzky Foundation’s mission is to provide less fortunate youth with the opportunity to experience the sport of hockey. This goal will be accomplished through the donation of hockey equipment and ice time, as well as providing the opportunity for young people to attend professional hockey games. The Wayne Gretzky Foundation believes that hockey instills many positive life skills and contributes to the physical, emotional and social growth of young people.