Stryker Heads to TPC® Sawgrass With Latest Ambassador, Pro Football Hall of Famer, Jerome Bettis and 2005 Tournament Winner, Fred Funk

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May 10, 2016, 08:02 ET

MAHWAH, N.J., May 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Stryker Orthopaedics, "The Official Joint Replacement Products of the PGA TOUR" announced its return to THE PLAYERS Championship in Ponte Vedra, FL for the third consecutive year. This year, the company is taking its commitment to consumer education one step further by bringing a new voice to spread its message with Jerome Bettis.

Although the former Pittsburgh Steeler and Hall of Fame running back does not have a joint replacement, Bettis will be in attendance to speak about joint health and his experience in dealing with joint pain after 13 seasons of playing professional football. He'll be teaming up with Stryker's longtime brand ambassador, knee replacement recipient and professional golfer, Fred Funk on-site during tournament week. The duo will be stationed at the company's joint health destination – the Stryker Mobility Zone – interacting with golf fans and sharing their personal stories.

"This will be my first tournament stop with Stryker and I'm really looking forward to it," said Jerome Bettis. "Staying healthy and keeping active is something that I'm very passionate about, so while I'm there I'll be talking to golf fans about what they can do to keep moving – which includes taking the Stryker Challenge which is right on-site. On a personal level, THE PLAYERS Championship is one of my favorite tournaments to watch as a golf fan, so to be here standing next to Fred Funk, a former champion, makes the experience that much better."

This year the company has added a new element to the Stryker Mobility Zone - the Stryker Challenge. Featuring a series of golf-inspired activities, the Stryker Challenge is designed to address questions specifically related to joint health, mobility and golf in a fun and interactive way. As an added incentive to participate, fans who complete the Stryker Challenge also have the opportunity to enter for the chance to win a trip for two to TPC® Sawgrass to play alongside Funk and additional brand ambassador and two-time tournament winner, Hal Sutton.^{1, 2}

Funk said, "The best part about the Stryker Challenge is that the activities featured are very relatable. And not just for me as a golfer, but for lots of people. These motions that seem very easy to do are actually real-life scenarios that I experienced trouble with when I was suffering from knee pain. And I think it's great that Stryker is encouraging consumers and golf fans to take that first step and make a move toward speaking with a doctor if you are experiencing pain."

Jerome Bettis is one of the best running backs of all-time in the NFL. He was recently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015 and was the recipient of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2001 for his work with his charity "The Bus Stops Here Foundation." 2006 Super Bowl XL champion, Bettis is one of the National Football League's most popular retired players, the sixth best rusher of all-time and a six-time Pro Bowl selection. Currently Jerome serves as a Studio analyst for ESPN on Sports Center, Numbers Never Lie, and NFL Live.

Funk, a Stryker brand ambassador since 2011, is one of the most recognizable names and personalities in professional golf. During his career, which spans more than 20 years, Funk has won eight titles on the PGA TOUR, including THE PLAYERS Championship 2005, and six titles on PGA TOUR Champions, including the 2009 U.S. Senior Open. Funk underwent total knee replacement in November 2009 and received Stryker's GetAroundKnee. He won the 2010 JELD-WEN Tradition the following season, becoming the first player ever to win a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event after total knee replacement surgery.

Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) are not eligible to enter the Stryker Challenge Sweepstakes or participate in the any of these promotions. HCPs are defined as those individuals or entities involved in the provision of health care services and/or items to patients, which purchase, lease, recommend, use, arrange for the purchase or lease of, or prescribe Stryker's products.
No purchase necessary to enter or win Sweepstakes. Void where prohibited by law. For official rules visit StrykerChallenge.com. Open to legal residents of the US & US Territories, 21+ as of date of entry. Sweepstakes begins at 12 am ET on 3/21/16 and ends at 11:59 pm ET on 11/13/16. Sponsored by Stryker.

About Stryker
Stryker is one of the world's leading medical technology companies and, together with our customers, we are driven to make healthcare better. The Company offers a diverse array of innovative products and services in Orthopaedics, Medical and Surgical, and Neurotechnology and Spine that help improve patient and hospital outcomes. Stryker is active in over 100 countries around the world.

About PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is the world's premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 130 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR China.

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

Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to more than 1 billion households in 226 countries and territories in 32 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2015, tournaments across all Tours generated a record $160 million for local and national charitable organizations, bringing the all-time total to $2.3 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.

SOURCE Stryker