Ben Crenshaw, Curtis Strange, Lee Trevino and Lanny Wadkins have accepted sponsor exemptions to play in the MasterCard Championship on the Big Island next week Friday through Sunday at Hualalai Golf Course. It is the first of 29 official Champions Tour events for 2008.

The foursome joins a field of eligible players featuring winners of Champions Tour major championships the past five years, and winners of Champions Tour events the past two years.

Trevino will compete at Hualalai for the 14th year. Trevino, a three-time Champions Tour player of the year, has won six majors on the PGA Tour and four on the Champions Tour. He has won 58 tournaments overall and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1981.

Crenshaw, a World Golf Hall of Fame member since 2002, has 19 PGA Tour titles, including the 1984 and 1995 Masters. Strange was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame this past year. The winner of back-to-back U.S. Opens (1988-'89) won 17 times on the regular tour. Wadkins won 21 times, including the 1977 PGA Championship.

The sponsor invitation category was created in 2002 and allows up to four exemptions to be granted to players who have a minimum of 30 combined PGA Tour/Champions Tour victories or players with a minimum of 15 career victories who also have a minimum of one major championship. The addition of Crenshaw, Strange, Trevino and Wadkins brings the field to 42.

Topping the list of eligible players is defending champion and World Golf Hall of Fame member, Hale Irwin, who earned his eighth victory in Hawa'i at Hualalai last year. He has won an unprecedented 45 Champions Tour titles since making his debut in 1995, and also has 20 PGA Tour victories including three U.S Opens (1974, '79, '90).

Eight of the 42 qualifiers are playing for the first time: John Cook, R.W. Eaks, Keith Fergus, Scott Hoch, Bernhard Langer, Lonnie Nielsen, Denis Watson and Mark Wiebe.

HOST FAMILIES SOUGHT FOR FIELDS OPEN PLAYERS

O'ahu residents interested in providing accommodations for LPGA professionals are needed for the Fields Open in Hawai'i. The tournament is Feb. 21 to 23 at Ko Olina Golf Club. Families selected to host must be available from Feb. 17 to 23.

Priority consideration will be given to residences in the communities surrounding Ko Olina Resort. Families who are selected to host LPGA players must abide by LPGA policies and player regulations. Player hosts are not compensated.

For more information, contact committee directors Gary and Tish Rockwood (882-4039) or Henry Shinohara (780-8619), the Fields Open office (671-1727) or visit www.fieldsopen.com.

Volunteers are also needed for the tournament. No experience is necessary. Lunch, tournament uniforms and discounted golf vouchers are provided.

Tickets for the tournament are $10 daily and $25 for a season pass. Pre-ticket sales start Feb. 1.

GOLF SCHOOL OFFERING LESSONS AT KO OLINA

Balance Point Golf Schools, a two-time Golf Magazine Top 25 Golf School, is offering instruction at Ko Olina Golf Club through April 13.

A variety of one- to five-day schools are offered, covering full swing fundamentals, mental game and short game instruction. Balance Point founder Jim Waldron's schools integrate physical mechanics, balance and tempo training with mental conditioning. Balance Point has conducted instruction programs here every year since 1995.

For more information, visit www.balancepointgolf.com or call 1-800-898-4563.

THREE ORGANIZATIONS FROM HAWAI'I GET GRANTS

Three Hawai'i organizations received grants from the U.S. Golf Association as part of the organization's commitment to support golf programs across the nation for economically disadvantaged juniors and individuals with disabilities. The grant funds are part of the $5 million the USGA distributed last year for instruction, golf course and range access, equipment, transportation and the construction of accessible golf facilities.

The USGA has awarded more than $58 million since it implemented the "For the Good of the Game" grants initiative in 1997.

North Kohala Community Resource Center received a $47,500 grant, while Kaua'i Economic Opportunity, Inc. and North Shore Junior Golf Association got $17,500 apiece.

North Kohala operates the Kamehameha Park Golf Learning Center, a six-hole course and practice facility built with the help of a 2005 grant. This money will be used for construction of three more holes.

NOTES

The first Players Ability Test for the O'ahu Junior Golf Association will be Jan. 17 at Honolulu Country Club. Call Andy (636-1390) to schedule a time.

Monday's "Golf Hawai'i" show will feature four-time PGA Tour winner Billy Andrade and Norwegian Cruise Line America's Hawai'i cruises. Host Mark Rolfing's My View will be about the season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship field. The show will premier at 7 p.m. on The Golf Channel and re-air Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. and 9 p.m., and Jan. 21 at 1:30 p.m.

PGA professional Wade Nishimoto will provide free club fittings Saturday at Makalei Golf Club. Fittings are intended to identify proper loft and lie to create ideal ball flight. Reservations are recommended and spots are limited. Contact Kyle Herzberg (325-6625) for a time.