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Farmers Salutes School Spirit at Farmers Insurance Open

Fans and players encouraged to wear their school colors for Saturday’s third round

LA JOLLA, CA – (January 29, 2011) In a nod to its own University of Farmers, Farmers Insurance is rewarding school spirit during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open on Saturday, January 29.

Farmers encourages all fans and TOUR players to wear their own university colors in support of Farmers new “University of Farmers” advertising campaign. For “extra credit” Farmers will award $30,000 total to the college golf programs of the three players posting the best third-round 18-hole scores. The player with the low third-round score will receive $15,000 for his alma mater’s golf team, second will receive $10,000 and third will receive $5,000.

If a player finishes in the top three who did not attend college, a donation in that players name will go to the Golf Coaches Association of America ("GCAA") to help cultivate future golf stars.

“Farmers new ad campaign highlights the world-class education we give our agents,” said Kevin Kelso, Farmers chief marketing officer and Case Western graduate. “This University of Farmers day celebrates the University of Farmers and all institutes of higher learning.”

“As TOUR players, we don't get an opportunity to demonstrate our school spirit each week,” said Ben Crane, defending champion of the Farmers Insurance Open and University of Oregon graduate. “The
Farmers program will be a fun day and provide a way for us to give back to the institutions that helped us refine our golf games and prepare us for life. Go Ducks!”

“Playing university-level golf better developed the professional players’ sportsmanship and competitive drive,” said Bob Woudstra, Farmers chief executive officer and Ferris State University graduate. “The winners ‘purse’ will support the next generation of leaders, both on and off the golf course.”

“Fans can show their school pride by wearing their own university colors,” said Jeff Dailey, Farmers president and University of Wisconsin graduate. “It should be quite a sight to see the different school colors worn by the fans and the players.”

Farmers first launched its ad campaign featuring actor J.K. Simmons as Professor Nathanial Burke in September of 2010. The ads play off the real life education Farmers agents receive at the real University of Farmers.
 
“In the newest ad, Professor Burke teaches the Farmers students the importance of knowing your customer,” said Paul Patsis, Farmers president of market management and Villanova University graduate. “We hope this University of Farmers day shows our customers the value we place on providing best-of-class education to our agents.”

The Farmers Exchanges, as a group, are the third-largest personal lines insurer in the United States and the largest auto insurer in California. Farmers provides a wide range of other insurance, business insurance and financial services products primarily through a national distribution network system of professional insurance agents, who service more than 15 million customers.

About Farmers Insurance Group of Companies
Farmers is a trade name and may refer to Farmers Group, Inc. or the Farmers Exchanges, as the case may be. Farmers Group, Inc., a management and holding company, along with its subsidiaries, is wholly owned by the Zurich Financial Services Group. The Farmers Exchanges are three reciprocal insurers (Farmers Insurance Exchange, Fire Insurance Exchange and Truck Insurance Exchange), including their subsidiaries and affiliates, owned by their policyholders, and managed by Farmers Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information about Farmers, visit our Web site at www.farmers.com.

Farmers Group, Inc. is a management and holding company, which along with its subsidiaries is wholly owned by the Zurich Financial Services Group. The Farmers Exchanges are managed, but not owned by Farmers Group, Inc. The Zurich Financial Services Group has been a long-time sponsor of the PGA TOUR's Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Just as Zurich stepped up by proving its commitment to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, Farmers Insurance proved its commitment to San Diego following a series of devastating wildfires in recent years.

About The Century Club of San Diego
The Century Club of San Diego is a non-profit corporation organized for the main purpose of administering and promoting San Diego's annual PGA TOUR event, the Farmers Insurance Open. The net earnings of the corporation are used solely for charitable and eleemosynary purposes, including the primary support of the San Diego County Junior Golf Association and for donations to other charities and golf-related activities in the San Diego community.

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 and Nationwide Tour.

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 communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.

In 2011, the three Tours collectively have tournaments in 29 states and in 12 countries and territories outside of the United States. PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to nearly 600 million households in 225 countries and territories in 30 languages.

Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2010, tournaments on the three Tours generated more than $120 million for local charitable organizations, bringing the TOUR’s all-time total of charitable contributions to more than $1.6 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, FL. ###