April 25, 1997 Contact Maureen Shine (541) 346-3145 Source: Ann Baker Mack, UO Foundation, (541) 346-2127 EUGENE--Oregon's greatest golfer will receive the 1997 University of Oregon Pioneer Award during a gala event in Portland May 10. Peter Jacobsen, 43, will be honored during an evening program at the Portland Hilton for his success in professional golf, business and charitable activities. The event, expected to be attended by 500 people or more, will include a reception, dinner, program and dancing. Net proceeds will fund a UO Presidential Scholarship, and those who wish can contribute to the scholarship fund even if they don't attend. For more information about tickets and the scholarship fund, call the UO Foundation special events office, (541) 346-0793. Inaugurated in 1979, the UO Pioneer Award is presented to alumni and others who have become leaders and risk-takers in their fields. Last year's award went to Edwin L. Artzt, former chief executive officer of Procter & Gamble. Jacobsen says he's "honored and flattered" to be receiving the award. "I still look back on my years at the University of Oregon as probably the four most important and best years of my life," he says. A 19-year veteran of the PGA Tour, Jacobsen has won six tournaments, including back-to-back victories in the 1995 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and the Buick Invitational of California. He was a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup teams in 1985 and 1995. In 1988, he formed Peter Jacobsen Productions, Inc., to manage the Fred Meyer Challenge golf tournament. Now one of the most successful non-PGA tournaments in the country, the event has raised almost $5 million for children's charities. The company has 25 employees and manages 15 other sports events. Jacobsen's flair for comedy and promotion have helped make the Fred Meyer tournament a favorite among golf pros, celebrities and fans. He is known on the PGA Tour as much for his comic imitations of other golfers as for his own golf career. Through his Jacobsen-Hardy Golf Design firm, Jacobsen co-designed the Oregon Golf Club in West Linn, Ore., the Creekside Golf Course in Salem, Ore., and the Golf Club at Genoa Lakes in Lake Tahoe, Nev. While attending the UO from 1972-76, Jacobsen was a three-time All-American and won the Pac-8 Conference individual title in 1974. He and his wife Jan, also a UO alum, have given almost $250,000 to the university for Duck athletic programs. They live in Lake Oswego, Ore., with their three children, Amy, 16; Kristen, 15; and Mickey, 12. -30- #O-4079/Local,OrDailies,PDX,Special