Honorary Chairman Announced

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Paul Fulton, Jr. of Winston-Salem, N.C. has been named the honorary chairman of the 2007 Wyndham Championship. Fulton is the first Honorary Chairman selected from outside Guilford County, and he is a member of the Executive Committee of the Greensboro Jaycees Charitable Foundation Board which oversees operation of the Wyndham Championship.

Fulton, 71, is the Chairman of Bassett Furniture Industries in Winston-Salem, a position he has held since stepping down as Chief Executive Officer in 2000. Fulton is a member of the Board of Directors of Bank of America Corporation, Charlotte, N.C.; William Carter Company, Atlanta; and Lowe’s Companies, North Wilkesboro, N.C. He currently serves on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Trustees. He also serves as Co-Chairman of their $1.8 billion “Carolina First” Capital Campaign and is Co-chairman of the North Carolina Higher Education Bond Oversight Committee.

“The Wyndham Championship is the Piedmont Triad’s PGA TOUR event,” Bobby Long, Chair of the Greensboro Jaycees Charitable Foundation said. “That means our tournament leadership should reflect the diverse nature of our entire region. This tournament needs to touch all of the communities that comprise the Piedmont Triad.

“Paul Fulton is a leader in the Winston-Salem community, and his selection as this year’s Honorary Chairman is one of the many ways that we are reaching out to the entire region. The Honorary Chairman is more important than ever before as we become a more regional event. Last year’s honorary chairman, Mike Haley, was instrumental in many of the positive changes we made with the tournament. Mike and Paul are the kind of people that understand what it takes for our tournament to grow regionally and compete nationally.”

“This appointment is truly a great honor,” Fulton said. “The Wyndham Championship is the Piedmont Triad’s crown jewel of professional sports, and it’s gratifying to me to see our tournament reach out and grow throughout the entire region. I am humbled and proud to be associated with the rich history of this PGA TOUR event and look forward to the bright future that lies ahead.”

Fulton joins an impressive list of former honorary chairmen that includes Mackey McDonald Chairman and CEO VF Corporation, Dennis Glass, president and chief operation officer of Lincoln Financial; Jim Melvin, president of Bryan Foundation and former mayor of Greensboro; Charlie Reid, former chairman of United Guarantee and Fred Star, former chairman of Thomasville Furniture.

“Paul has already played a vital role in this year’s tournament,” tournament director Mark Brazil said. “He has opened the door to several large companies and has introduced us to one of the most important charities in the region, the Crosby Scholars Program. Having a person of Paul’s caliber working on our behalf is a big deal for the Wyndham Championship and our future.”Fulton began his business career as a trainee at Hanes Hosiery in 1959 and served as vice president and general manager of L’eggs Products during the development and introduction of the revolutionary pantyhose in an egg-shaped container. He was named president of L’eggs Products in 1972 and later promoted to executive vice president of Hanes Corporation with responsibility for L’eggs Products and Hanes Hosiery.

Hanes Corporation was acquired by Sara Lee Corporation in 1979, and Fulton was elected president of the Hanes Group and senior vice president of Sara Lee Corporation in 1981. He was elected executive vice president and a member of the board in 1987 and served as president of Sara Lee Corporation from July 1, 1988 through June 30, 1993, when he retired to assume the position of Dean of the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served as Dean until July 1997.

Fulton assumed the position of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc. July 7, 1997. He served as CEO of Bassett until April 2000, when he became non-Executive Chairman of the Board, the position he still holds today. He is a graduate of Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg, Va., where he chaired the Board of Trustees from 1973 to ‘79, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The 2007 Wyndham Championship is set for Aug. 13-19 at Forest Oaks Country Club in Greensboro, N.C. The tournament welcomes Wyndham Worldwide as its new title sponsor and thanks Premier Partners, AIG, Harris Teeter and VF Corporation for their continued support. Additional tournament information is available at www.wyndhamchampionship.com or through the tournament office at (336) 379-1570.