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BRASELTON, Ga. , February 18, 2011 — Wonderful® Pistachios will extend its catchy ‘Get Crackin’ campaign to the American Junior Golf Association’s Get Crackin’ Pace of Play program in 2011, launching this weekend with events near Orlando (ANNIKA Invitational) and Houston (HP Boys Championship at Carlton Woods).
As title sponsor of the program, Wonderful® Pistachios will be available to AJGA golfers at all tournaments and will become the Official Health Partner of the AJGA.
“Wonderful® Pistachios are an ideal fit for the AJGA,” said Jason Etzen, AJGA chief business officer. “The Get Crackin’ Pace of Play program will continue to develop positive values in the next generation, and will be a platform on which to demonstrate the connection between top performance and deliciously good nutrition.”
The Get Crackin’ Pace of Play program sponsored by Wonderful® Pistachios revolves around solving the problem of laborious rounds of golf. The campaign was initiated by the AJGA in 2002, and is utilized in all competitions held in the United States and Mexico.
Need proof in the pistachio that the program works? According to Golfweek, the average round at the 2010 NCAA Division I Championships was between 5:15 and 5:30. The Get Crackin’ Pace of Play program’s average is 4:30.
“There are so many reasons why the Get Crackin’ Pace of Play program should be top of mind for everyone,” said Stephen Hamblin, executive director of the AJGA. “No one wants to be out playing a round of golf for 5-6 hours – and that’s everyone (players, parents, college golf coaches). The AJGA plays most events in the heat of the summer and we feel our average pace makes a difference for the health, safety and well-being of everyone involved in our tournaments.”
Next to speedy play on the course, the message of essential nutrition for junior golfers are just as important off the course. Pistachios are a healthy addition to athletes’ diets as the nuts are a good source of protein and antioxidants, and are the all-natural way to fuel fitness. Pistachios also provide more than 30 vitamins and nutrients, including important electrolytes such as sodium and potassium.
“As the sponsor of the Get Crackin’ Pace of Play program, Wonderful® Pistachios is proud to serve as the Official Health Partner of the AJGA. We believe in supporting young athletes who are passionate about their game,” said Dominic Engels, vice president, global marketing, Paramount Farms, producer of Wonderful® Pistachios. “Golfers know the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle, and all-natural pistachios – which offer a satisfying combination of protein, fiber and carbohydrates – are the perfect complement to any sports program.”
So how do AJGA junior golfers Get Crackin’? Here’s how it works:
- Six timing stations are used on each golf course.
- Volunteers at these stations measure each group’s position (the AJGA measures “position” as being no more than 14 minutes between each group) and time par (or the amount of time all players should take to complete a round, factoring in the course difficulty and conditions, weather, distance of walks, number in each pairing and size of the tournament field).
- Competitors are shown a red or green card at each timing station checkpoint: a strategy for keeping tabs on their pace.
- If red cards – which indicate a warning – are shown, AJGA rules officials provide groups with the information players need to get back on track.
- The good news: Of more than 2,600 red cards issued in 2010, only one percent of players were issued penalty strokes for slow play.
About Wonderful® Pistachios
The Wonderful® Pistachios brand features upscale, premium packaging and a bold contemporary look, appealing to a sophisticated, health-conscious consumer. Wonderful Pistachios are grown in Lost Hills, California, part of the San Joaquin Valley, the agricultural heartland of California. Grown, processed and packaged by Paramount Farms, Wonderful Pistachios are available at retail outlets and grocery stores nationwide including Albertsons, Giant Eagle, Kroger, Safeway, Vons and Wegmans, and are available in a variety of sizes. For more information about Wonderful Pistachios or the Get Crackin’ campaign, visit www.wonderfulpistachios.com, www.getcrackin.com, www.facebook.com/wonderfulpistachios and www.twitter.com/getcrackin.
About Paramount Farms
Paramount Farms is the world's largest vertically integrated supplier of pistachios and almonds. The company’s 30,000 acres of pistachio orchards, located in California’s San Joaquin Valley, are the largest in the Western Hemisphere. Paramount Farms’ pistachios can be found in the produce department of grocery stores nationwide sold under the Wonderful ® and Everybody's Nuts! ® brand names. Paramount has also developed PistachioHealth.com, the leading online source of information on the health and nutrition benefits of pistachios as a resource for both consumers and health professionals.
About the AJGA
The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships, and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and 30 countries. To ensure scholarship opportunities for all junior golfers who have the skill, the AJGA created the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant program to provide financial assistance to young players in need.
In 2011, AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 400 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel.
For more information, please contact Roseanna Smith (rsmith@ajga.org) in the AJGA Sponsorship Department at (678) 425-1741. ##AJGA##
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