U.S. Walker Cup captain Buddy Marucci to play in and speak at 40th Pacific Coast Amateur August 1-4, 2006

George "Buddy" Marucci, the 2007 U.S. Walker Cup captain and a lifelong top-flight amateur golfer, has agreed to play in and speak at the 40th Pacific Coast Amateur Championship August 1-4 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Marucci accepted a Presidential Invitational into the prestigious, 72-hole stroke-play championship, which will be played over both the Lake Course and Ocean Course at The Olympic Club. Marucci joins a list of entrants that includes four former USGA national champions and defending champion Alex Prugh, among others. He will also speak at the annual players' dinner Tuesday, August 1.

The 53-year-old career amateur was runner-up to Tiger Woods in the 1995 U.S. Amateur. He was named captain of the 2007 USA Walker Cup squad earlier this year. As runner-up in the 1995 Amateur, he earned an invitation to play in the 1996 Masters. He continued to be one of the country's top amateur players, and reached the quarterfinals of the 1996 Amateur later that year. As a result, he was selected to consecutive USA Walker Cup teams, in 1995 and 1997. He has a combined record of 3-0 in foursomes (alternate shot) and 1-1-1 in singles.

The co-owner of Pennmark Auto Group, a company with four luxury car dealerships in the Philadelphia area, Marucci has qualified for 40 USGA championships, including 23 Amateurs. A 1974 graduate of the University of Maryland, Marucci resides in Wayne, Pa.

The next Walker Cup Match, a 10-man amateur team competition between the USA and a joint team from Great Britain and Ireland, will be played from Sept. 8-9, 2007 at Royal County Down in Newcastle, Ireland.