The Enquirer and wire reports

Ray Floyd, winner of four major golf championships, has committed to play in the Kroger Classic for the first time in nine years.

Floyd, a member of eight U.S. Ryder Cup teams and the 1989 captain, has won 62 worldwide tournaments and $17 million in his career.

"It's been a while since I've played at the Kroger Classic, but I'm feeling great and I want to play a lot more golf," said Floyd, who underwent prostate cancer surgery last December.

Floyd's only previous appearance in the Kroger was 1994, when he finished runner-up to Jim Colbert.

Also committing to play in the Kroger Classic Sept. 5-7 at the TPC at River's Bend is 2000 Kroger champion Hubert Green, who is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for throat cancer.

"I'm in a nine-hole match with the devil, but I'll be there in Cincinnati," Green said. "This wasn't the way I had planned to spend my summer, but I don't want to stay at home feeling sorry for myself."

Craig Stadler, 50, a winner this year on both the regular and Champions tours, had committed to play the Kroger event but later informed tournament officials family obligations would probably preclude him from playing.

"Craig feels extremely sad that he won't be in Cincinnati, especially since he has played so well this season," tournament director Margie French said.

Bob Gilder will return to defend his Kroger title.

Player commitments

Tommy Aaron, Jim Ahern, Jim Albus, Isao Aoki, Hugh Baiocchi, Miller Barber, Dave Barr, Andy Bean, Rex Caldwell, Jose Maria Canizares, Luis Carbonetti, Bob Charles, Charles Coody, Eamonn Darcy, Rodger Davis, Terry Dill, Ed Dougherty, Dale Douglass, Allan Doyle, Seiji Ebihara, Danny Edwards, Dave Eichelberger, Vicente Fernandez, Ed Fiori, Bruce Fleisher, Floyd, Gibby Gilbert, Gilder, Stewart Ginn, Ted Goin, Green, Walter Hall, John Harris, Jim Holtgrieve, Joe Inman, Tom Jenkins, Gary Koch, Wayne Levi, John Mahaffey, Graham Marsh, James Mason, Dick Mast, Gary McCord, Mike McCullough, Pat McDonald, Jerry McGee, Orville Moody, Walter Morgan, Bob Murphy, Jay Overton, Don Pooley, Jimmy Powell, Dana Quigley, Mike San Filippo, John Schroeder, Tom Shaw, Butch Sheehan, Jay Sigel, Mike Smith, Des Smyth, J.C. Snead, Bruce Summerhays, Doug Tewell, Leonard Thompson, Rocky Thompson, Jim Thorpe, Howard Twitty, Steven Veriato, Bobby Walzel, Tom Wargo, DeWitt Weaver, Larry Ziegler.