EA SPORTS and the PGA TOUR Offer Golf Fans the Chance to Play Against the Pros at the AT& Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Featuring Tiger Woods

Business Wire, Feb 1, 2000

Business Editors &Sports/High-Tech Writers

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)

February 1, 2000 -

First Real-Time Consumer Internet Tournament Boasts $45,000

in Prizes -- including a new Buick Regal GS

Have you ever dreamed of playing a round of golf with Tiger Woods?

EA SPORTS(TM) and the PGA TOUR(R) today announced that the dream is now a reality with Play Against The Pros, a revolutionary Internet technology that allows cyber golfers to compete in real-time at PGA TOUR events against PGA TOUR members. No green fees or caddies to tip

-- participants on the Internet play at no cost for the first three tournaments.

&uot;The Play Against The Pros technology has added a whole new element to the sport of golf,&uot; said Tiger Woods, the world's No. 1 ranked golfer. &uot;My friends at EA SPORTS tell me that some of the cyber golfers practice four hours a day and have scoring averages in the low sixties -- that beats my average by six strokes, and I thought I had a pretty good year last season! As if it isn't enough to play against great PGA TOUR players like Justin Leonard and Mark O'Meara, now EA SPORTS opens up the field to everyone.&uot;

The first Play Against The Pros tournament will be held Feb. 3-6, 2000 in conjunction with the AT& Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Owners of the PC games Tiger Woods 99 PGA TOUR Golf (with The Monterey Courses add-on disc) and the Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Golf Collection may compete head-to-head with four present-day golfing greats, including Tiger Woods and Mark O'Meara, a five-time AT& Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Champion.

&uot;Today's couch potato becomes tomorrow's couch competitor,&uot; said Larry Probst, CEO of Electronic Arts. &uot;More than 50,000 rounds of cyber golf are played each month on easports.com. Play Against The Pros technology is changing the way golf is delivered to the consumer, altering the definition of entertainment and erasing the line between player and spectator.&uot;

The Play Against The Pros tournaments are not complete fantasy. With more than $45,000 in prizes, competitors of all skill levels have a chance to win. More advanced cyber golfers compete for the chance to drive home in a brand new 2000 Buick Regal GS automobile courtesy of Buick, the presenting sponsor of Play Against The Pros, and the Official Car of the PGA TOUR.

The second-place winner receives an all-expense paid trip for two to a Buick-sponsored PGA TOUR event in 2000. Additional prizes will be awarded for third, fourth and fifth place. And you don't have to be a scratch cyber golfer to walk away a winner -- everyone who registers is entered automatically in a random drawing to win an all-expense paid trip to Pebble Beach for two, including golf and lodging at the world-renowned Pebble Beach Golf Resort.

Consumers do not need to compete to enjoy this new technology. The PGA TOUR CyberViewer, powered by EA SPORTS provides an excellent venue for golf lovers to experience the PGA TOUR like never before. A special promotional preview of the viewer will be available during the AT& Pebble Beach National Pro-Am allowing consumers to view Tiger Woods for free by logging on to PGATOUR.com or www.PlayAgainstThePros.com.

In addition to the AT& Pebble Beach National Pro-Am event, EA SPORTS and the PGA TOUR have planned three other Play Against The Pros tournaments in 2000: THE PLAYERS Championship, March 23-26; MasterCard Colonial, May 15-21; and the Buick Open, Aug. 10-13.

About EA SPORTS

EA SPORTS (www.easports.com) is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world. Its top-selling franchises and games include FIFA Soccer, John Madden Football(TM), NHL(R) Hockey, Knockout Kings(TM), NBA LIVE Basketball, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR(R) Golf, Triple Play Baseball(TM) and NASCAR(R) 2000.

About the PGA TOUR

The PGA TOUR is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers. Its primary purpose is the operation of tournaments on the PGA TOUR, SENIOR PGA TOUR, and the BUY.COM TOUR. More than 125 events are being contested on the three tours in 2000, for prize money of approximately $220 million. In addition to providing competitive opportunities for its membership, PGA TOUR events also generate significant sums of money for charity. TOUR events have raised approximately $515 million for charity since 1938, the first year such records were kept.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:ERTS), headquartered in Redwood City, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, Electronic Arts posted revenues of more than $1.2 billion for fiscal 1999. The company develops, publishes and distributes software worldwide for personal computers and video game systems. Electronic Arts markets its products under seven brand names: Electronic Arts, EA SPORTS, Maxis(TM), ORIGIN(TM), Bullfrog Productions(TM), Gonzo Games(TM), Westwood Studios(TM) and Jane's(R) Combat Simulations. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://www.ea.com.