CN Extends Title Sponsorship of CN Canadian Women’s Open Through 2013

North America’s Railroad to continue success story with Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship as well as CN Canadian Women’s Tour and CN Future Links

Oakville, Ont. – The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) is pleased to announce that CN will continue as title sponsor of the CN Canadian Women’s Open, as well as the CN Canadian Women’s Tour and CN Future Links. The extended three-year agreement will see CN continue its’ valued support of Canadian golf through 2013 with an additional two-year option through 2015.

"CN is delighted to announce that we will continue our title sponsorship of the CN Canadian Women’s Open, the CN Canadian Women’s Tour and CN Future Links," said CN President Claude Mongeau. "We at CN are very proud to be associated with the only LPGA tour stop in Canada - the CN Canadian Women's Open. Equally as important, our continued involvement with the event will provide a platform through the CN Miracle Match program to leave a lasting legacy at children’s hospitals in our event host communities. We are also committed to helping the RCGA ensure the future of the game of golf through our on-going support of the developmental CN Canadian Women's Tour as well as the CN Future Links program that helps junior golfers at the grass roots level learn to play and develop a passion for the game. Each of these tremendous properties is making an impact through golf in local communities across Canada.”

The partnership between CN and the RCGA dates back to an announcement made on October 29, 2005 that the inaugural CN Canadian Women’s Open would take place in 2006.

The CN Canadian Women’s Open, through the support of CN, has been elevated to become one of the premier tournaments in women’s professional golf. The $2.25 million (U.S.) purse for the 2010 CN Canadian Women’s Open to be held August 23-29 at St. Charles Country Club in Winnipeg will rank among the Top-5 purses on the LPGA Tour this season.

“CN represents the best in their business, so we’re thrilled to extend our relationship with a transportation company with such a rich history and bright future,” said LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan. “CN is the only railroad that crosses the continent east-west and north-south, serving the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts; the LPGA strives to satisfy its fans in the same fashion that CN clearly has done for its growing number of customers and partners. We thank both CN and RCGA for their long-time and on-going commitment to the LPGA, and we look forward not only to making our annual trip to Canada but also enhancing a relationship that extends well beyond the ropes into many facets of women’s golf development.”

The tremendously successful CN Miracle Match Program has continued to grow as the charitable component to Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship and further illustrate CN’s commitment as community champions. The program debuted in 2006 and to date has helped to raise just over $3.5 million for children’s hospitals in the host communities of the CN Canadian Women’s Open, including a record $1.6 million raised in 2009 for the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary. More information about the program is available at http://www.cnmiraclematch.ca/.

“CN is playing a major role in supporting excellence in Canadian golf and we are thrilled to have them continue on as sponsor of the CN Canadian Women’s Open as well as the CN Canadian Women’s Tour and CN Future Links,” said Scott Simmons, RCGA Executive Director and CEO. “In addition to their commitment to raising money for children’s hospitals in the name of the event, they have elevated the status of the CN Canadian Women’s Open and women’s golf in this country, and are helping to support thousands of young golfers in communities across Canada. We are honoured to be continuing our partnership with CN and on behalf of the RCGA Board of Directors and staff, we thank them for continuing to invest in the future success of golf in Canada.”

ABOUT THE 2010 CN CANADIAN WOMEN’S OPEN
Stars of the LPGA Tour will challenge for the 2010 CN Canadian Women’s Open from August 23-29 at the St. Charles Country Club in Winnipeg. For more information about tickets, volunteer opportunities or corporate hospitality, please visit www.cncanadianwomensopen.com.

ABOUT THE CN CANADIAN WOMEN’S TOUR
One of the world’s premier developmental tours, the CN Canadian Women’s Tour continues to attract rising Canadian and international female golf professionals as well as top female amateurs. Many of Canada’s top professionals including Lorie Kane and Alena Sharp as well as 2010 LPGA Tour member Lisa Meldrum and Samantha Richdale have competed on the CN Canadian Women's Tour as a springboard to future success. The 2010 season will see events hosted Quilchena Golf and Country Club in Richmond B.C., Blue Springs Golf Club in Acton, Ont. and Club de golf Rivermead in Gatineau, Que. Total season prize money for 2010 is $180,000 (CDN); each championship purse will be $60,000 with the champion earning $10,000. As well, the top three players on the CN Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit will be awarded direct entry and entry fees paid into both LPGA Tour Sectional Qualifying Tournaments ($5,000 value each). For more information, visit http://www.cncanadianwomenstour.ca/.

ABOUT CN FUTURE LINKS
CN Future Links is Canada’s national junior golf program conducted by the RCGA, the Canadian Professional Golfers’ Association (CPGA) and Canada’s provincial golf associations. The program is designed to forge a link between Canada’s youth and golf to ensure the future of the game in Canada. Since the inception of the program in 1996, more than 845,000 young Canadians have taken part in CN Future Links. A number of new initiatives including the recently launched Learn to Play program have succeeded through CN’s sponsorship of the program. For more information visit www.cnfuturelinks.com.

NORTH AMERICA’S RAILROAD
CN – Canadian National Railway Company – spans Canada and mid-America, from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico, serving the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the key cities of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, St. Louis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. For further information please visit www.cn.ca.

CN DELIVERS THE GREAT GAME OF GOLF
CN is proud to support golf in Canada and is pleased to bring the best of women’s professional golf to Canada with its title sponsorship of the CN Canadian Women’s Open and the CN Canadian Women’s Tour. In addition to supporting women’s golf, CN contributes to the development of golf among young people across the country through its sponsorship of the CN Future Links program. CN is pleased to work with the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) to help develop golf as a sport for women and juniors across Canada and to increase the accessibility of golf to recreational and competitive golfers. Visit http://www.cn.ca/.

ABOUT THE ROYAL CANADIAN GOLF ASSOCIATION
The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) is the governing body of golf in Canada, representing 377,000 members at 1,600 clubs across the country. Recognized by Sport Canada as the National Sports Organization (NSO) for golf in this country, the RCGA’s mission is to grow participation in and passion for the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. The RCGA conducts programs and services to help shape the future of golf in Canada. High performance athlete development, Rules of Golf and amateur status, handicapping and course rating, turfgrass and environmental research, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum and CN Future Links, Canada’s national junior golf program, are only some of the initiatives the association leads for golf in Canada. In addition, the RCGA conducts Canada’s most prestigious golf championships. The RBC Canadian Open and CN Canadian Women’s Open attract the best professional golfers in the world, while regional junior and national amateur championships showcase the best in Canadian golf.

For further information on what the RCGA is doing to support golf in your community please visit http://www.rcga.org/.