Big Break Stars Sadekar, Brown, Bieber & Tanaka to Play in 2010 Canadian PGA Women's Championship

Big Break Stars Seema Sadekar, Sara Brown, Stacey Bieber & Maiya Tanaka to Compete at the 2010 Canadian PGA Women’s Championship presented by NIKE Golf

ACTON, ON – (August 11, 2010) – The Canadian PGA announced today that four players from this year’s Big Break – Sandals Resort on the Golf Channel will be teeing it up at the 2010 Canadian PGA Women’s Championship presented by NIKE Golf at Burlington Golf & Country Club on August 16th-18th.

Seema Sadekar of Toronto, Sara Brown of Tucson, Arizona, Stacey Bieber of Winnipeg, MB and Maiya Tanaka of San Diego, California have all confirmed their entries into the event. The show continues to air with only a couple of shows remaining before a winner is crowned. Brown is still in the running while Sadekar, Bieber and Tanaka have all been eliminated.

“I’m looking forward to shining at our national championship, especially with it being so close to home,” said Sadekar, who’s best finishes in this event are a 4th place finish in 2007 and a 12th place finish in 2008. “I’ve experienced a lot this year and hope to put on a good show for my family and friends in Ontario.”

After competing as one of the youngest amateurs in the history of the LPGA Tour’s CN Canadian Women’s Open at 18 years of age, Sadekar knew she wanted to be a professional golfer. Her career path took her from Florida to Las Vegas, Nev., where she competed as a member of the Lady Rebels golf team at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. At UNLV, Sadekar was Freshman of the Year in 2005, an NCAA All-Star Team selection in 2006 and a three-time member of the Mountain West Conference Championship teams. Sadekar also holds the record for lowest round by score and par – 66 (-5), set during the final round of the 2004 Mountain West Conference Championships.

Brown enjoyed immense success in high school and at the collegiate level at Michigan State University and turned professional in 2008 after being named two-time female athlete of the year at MSU. In her rookie season on the Duramed FUTURES Tour – playing only 11 events – Brown was 22nd on the money list, which included three top-10 finishes. A sophomore slump actually made her reconsider golf as a career and culminated in her decision to step away from the game in 2009 for nearly two months. She’s made nine cuts in 2010 on the Duramed Futures Tour with her best finish a T15 at the ING New England Golf Classic.

“The Canadian PGA is excited to add these four female professionals to our field,” said Gary Bernard, Executive Director of the Canadian PGA. “This field continues to get stronger every year and it’s a testament to the amount of talent in the female ranks and the support from NIKE Golf Canada in making this one of the best professional female events in the country.”

Bieber played on a full golf scholarship at Texas Christian University, where she was a three-time Academic All-American. After suffering through injuries and poor results, Bieber nearly hung up the golf clubs. She graduated with a degree in finance and real estate from TCU in 2008, and continued on with her college internship at Fort Worth-based wealth management firm, Luther King Capital Management. It was not long before she realized she could not give up her dream of playing on the LPGA Tour and Bieber re-dedicated herself to the game, turning professional at the end of 2008. She is currently playing on the Duramed Futures Tour in 2010.

Tanaka went to school at UCLA with a dream to compete on their Division I golf team. She made the team in her junior year as a walk-on and proved valuable to the team’s third place finish at the NCAA Division I National Championships. In her final two years as a Bruin, Tanaka posted four top-20 finishes in collegiate tournaments and helped her team to consecutive runner-up finishes at the National Championships. She currently plays on the Duramed Futures Tour and continues to chase after her dream of competing on the LPGA Tour.

For Round 1 pairings, click here.

The event is free for spectators to attend. For directions, please visit the Burlington Golf & Country Club website at http://www.burlingtongolfclub.com/index.cfm?ID=78

About Nike Golf Canada:
Based in Thornhill, Ontario, Nike Golf Canada markets, sells and distributes industry leading Nike Golf golf equipment, apparel, balls, footwear, bags and accessories throughout Canada. Nike Golf is passionately dedicated to honouring and respecting the traditions and heritage of the game, and to providing committed golfers with the absolute best equipment in the game. For more information on Nike Golf Canada, visit www.nikegolf.ca. Editors and journalists seeking editorial information and downloadable images, visit www.nikegolf.com/presscenter.

About the Canadian PGA:
Established in 1911, the Canadian Professional Golfers’ Association is a non-profit association comprised of approximately 3,500 golf professionals across the country with a mandate to promote and advance the game of golf, serving the needs of both its membership and the golf public through professional and junior golf development programs and high-calibre competitive events. The National Office is located in Acton, Ontario with nine Zone Offices across the country. For more information, visit www.cpga.com

For more information contact:
Jeff Dykeman
Director of Business Development & Brand
Canadian PGA
800.782.5764 ext 232
jeff@cpga.com

Adam LeBrun
Tournament Director
Canadian PGA
800.782.5764 ext 227
adam@cpga.com