20 PGA Tour champs in Glen Club tourney

The 2008 Bank of America Open, the Nationwide Tour tournament to be played at The Glen Club next week, features a field that includes 20 PGA Tour champions, according to the event's organizers.

About 40 players in the tournament have appeared on the PGA tour this year, and the 20 PGA Tour veterans represent a total 35 wins, led by six-time champion Steve Pate.

The Bank of America Open tees off at The Glen Club May 29. The added PGA Tour presence is due in part because The Memorial, a PGA Tour tournament, has a field of only 105 golfers as opposed to the regular field of 156.

Some golfers not eligible for The Memorial have opted to compete in the Bank of America Open n for a chance to win its $135,000 champion's purse.

The Bank of America tournament also has awarded sponsor exemptions to a pair of players with local ties. Gary Hallberg, a former star at Barrington, will be entered along with Northwestern University alum Jess Daley.

Hallberg, a state champion at Barrington in 1974, will make his final Nationwide Tour appearance at the Bank of America Open as he celebrates his 50th birthday during tournament play (May 31). After that, the three-time PGA Tour champ will join the Champions Tour.

Daley has appeared in the last five consecutive Bank of America Open tournaments and recently earned a spot in the PGA Tour's 2008 U.S. Open qualifier.

On Tuesday, open qualifiers will be held at Bolingbrook Golf Course and Deerfield Golf Club. The top 14 finishers of the 18-hole round will be awarded entry into the Bank of America Open.

Complete details on tournament play, related events, charitable programs and tickets are available at bankofamericaopen.com.