Insperity Championship finds new date for 2012

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The Champions Tour announced Wednesday that the Insperity Championship presented by UnitedHealthcare will feature new dates for the 2012 Champions Tour season.

The Insperity Championship will move from its traditional October timeslot into the week of April 30-May 6.

Tournament officials agreed the new tournament dates will benefit the event through improved golf course conditions due to the spring date, and should bring another great field of professionals.

"Houston is going to be the focus of the golf world in the spring of next year," said Champions Tour President Mike Stevens. "Fans are going to experience the best of the PGA TOUR with the Shell Houston Open at the end of March before the stars from the Champions Tour arrive at the start of May."

The Woodlands Country Club, the home of the Insperity Championship where Fred Couples is the defending champion, formerly hosted the Shell Houston Open, currently held at the Redstone Golf Club Tournament Course. Couples, who played on the golf team at the University of Houston, also won the Shell Houston Open in 2003.

Couples (2003, 2010) is joined by Jay Haas (1987, 2006) as the only two players on the Champions Tour to have won both the Shell Houston Open and the Insperity Championship.

The Insperity Championship, which will be played for the eighth time this week, has produced other quality champions including World Golf Hall of Fame members Larry Nelson (2004) and Bernhard Langer (2007, 2008). Mark McNulty won in 2005 and John Cook, a three-time winner this season, in 2009.

"We have an excellent field this week but with our position within the Champions Tour schedule next year, we anticipate our best tournament ever," said Paul Sarvadi, Insperity Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

The complete Champions Tour schedule for the 2012 season is expected to be finalized later this year.