PARSIPPANY, N.J. and PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla., July 16, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PGA TOUR and Avis Car Rental announced today that Ken Duke has been voted the June PGA TOUR Player of the Month presented by Avis. As the official rental car company of the PGA TOUR, Avis will make a $50,000 contribution in Duke's name to the Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).
In a fan decision on PGATOUR.COM, Duke outpolled Justin Rose, Matt Kuchar and Bill Haas. The four were nominated by a panel of national media for their performances during the month of June.
Duke posted rounds of 69-68-65-66 at the Travelers Championship and outlasted Chris Stroud in a playoff to win his maiden PGA TOUR event. At the age of 44 years, four months and 25 days, Duke became the second-oldest first-time PGA TOUR winner since 1970. With the victory at TPC River Highlands, Duke moved into the top 30 in the FedExCup standings. Duke also posted an additional top-25 finish during the month with a tie for 16 th at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide.
"PGA TOUR fans take note of great performances, and the month of June was no exception – they enthusiastically voted Ken Duke as June's PGA TOUR Player of the Month," said Tom Gartland, president, North America, Avis Budget Group. "We are proud to contribute to the Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute in honor of Ken Duke's success."
At the age of 15, Duke underwent corrective surgery for Scoliosis where a 16-inch metal rod was attached to his spine to guide the straightening process. The doctor that performed the surgery, Dr. Richard McCarthy, is now a UAMS Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon.
"It was a long road to the winner's circle, but the win at the Travelers Championship made the journey that much sweeter," said Duke. "I dealt with Scoliosis in my younger years and I'm grateful for Avis' contribution to the Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute to further its mission of helping people with spine-related issues. My sincere thanks also to the fans who voted for me, I certainly appreciate their support."
The Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is a center for research, education, and clinical care related to the spine. It is named for philanthropist Jack Stephens of Little Rock, whose historic gift to UAMS made the institute's 12-story building possible.
For more information or to vote for the PGA TOUR Player of the Month presented by Avis, visit www.pgatour.com .
About Avis
Avis Car Rental operates one of the world's best-known car rental brands with approximately 5,750 locations in more than 165 countries. Avis has a long history of innovation in the car rental industry and is one of the world's top brands for customer loyalty. Avis is owned by Avis Budget Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: CAR ), which operates and licenses the brand throughout the world. For more information, visit www.avis.com .
About PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is the world's premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 100 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and PGA TOUR Canada.
The PGA TOUR's mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in the communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.
Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to nearly 945 million households in 225 countries and territories in 32 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2012, tournaments across all Tours generated more than $130 million for local charitable organizations, bringing the TOUR's all-time total of charitable contributions to more than $1.8 billion.
The PGA TOUR's web site is PGATOUR.com , the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Alice Pereira Avis Car Rental 973.496.6113 Joel Schuchmann PGA TOUR 904.280.4707
