ING Named as New Title Sponsor of Duramed FUTURES Tour Tournament in Connecticut's Greater Hartford Area

The grace and power of women's professional golf hits New England with a bang this July as the LPGA's Duramed FUTURES Tour announced today a new title sponsor for its Connecticut tournament. ING, one of the world's leading financial services companies with a major presence in the greater Hartford area, has entered into a sponsorship agreement that involves naming rights, as well as a variety of marketing, community outreach and charitable components.

The tournament, now named the ING New England Golf Classic, will be held July 17-19, at Wintonbury Hills Golf Course in Bloomfield, Conn., a new venue for the 11th annual event. The LPGA's Duramed FUTURES Tour is the developmental tour for the LPGA.

"When ING gets behind an event, we know they're serious about creating an exceptional experience for participants, spectators and the community," said Zayra F. Calderon, CEO of the Duramed FUTURES Tour. "We're thrilled to have ING as the Tour's newest title sponsor, helping to make this regional event even better by drawing the best women golfers from around the world and offering tremendous value to the state of Connecticut."

Chip In For A Cure returns as the official charity of the ING New England Golf Classic with a mission to raise money to support Greater Hartford initiatives addressing breast health issues. In past years, more than $300,000 has been raised by Chip In For A Cure, with proceeds divided equally between Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center and Hartford Hospital.

"The Hartford area is home to one of ING's largest and most successful businesses in the world, so we're thrilled to be involved in an event that brings these outstanding athletes together with our employees and the community in a positive way," said Tom McInerney, chairman and chief executive officer of ING Americas. "The women playing this tournament work hard to get to the top of their game. The commitment and long-term focus they have for their sport reflect many of the same values we, at ING, believe are important in our retirement services business headquartered in Connecticut."

The 54-hole tournament will offer a purse of $100,000 and will be the Tour's 11th event on its 17-tournament schedule this year. The ING New England Golf Classic will attract professional women golfers from throughout the nation and around the world.

As title sponsor, ING plans to encourage spectator participation by "painting the links orange" - the company's trademark color. The company will draw upon its nearly 2,000 Hartford-area employees as brand ambassadors to help staff the ING New England Golf Classic.

"Today's announcement also underscores ING's commitment to a great cause that will benefit women's health and support two of the region's premier hospitals," added McInerney. "With the ING New England Golf Classic, our company adds another prominent event to our list of local community leadership activities, which includes the ING Hartford Marathon. We look forward to making this event even more exciting and fun for everyone who participates."

"Fans and sponsors will be amazed at what these world-class players can do. They are simply the best young professional women golfers in the world and they represent the next generation of LPGA stars," said Maura Majeski, Tournament Director.

"The move to Wintonbury Hills Golf Course is a natural progression with the growth of the Tournament," Majeski added. "It is the No. 2-ranked public course in Connecticut, designed by the legendary Pete Dye -- and is his first championship golf course in New England. With a new name and title sponsor for the ING New England Golf Classic, the new venue and new dates, this event really puts the 'new' in New England."

Player confirmations and upcoming community outreach programs will be announced at a later time.

For ticket, pro-am spots and sponsorship opportunities, please visit ingnewenglandgolfclassic.com or call Tournament Director, Maura Majeski, at 860.930.0016.

About the LPGA's Duramed FUTURES Tour

The Duramed FUTURES Tour, the LPGA's official developmental tour, is in its 29th competitive season. The Tour's mission is to prepare the world's best women professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. The top 10 money winners each season earn automatic memberships on the LPGA Tour for the following season. With more than 500 alumnae moving on to the LPGA, former Duramed FUTURES Tour players have won a total of 345 LPGA titles, including 37 major championships. The Tour is playing for a record season purse of nearly $1.8 million this year. Duramed FUTURES Tour events have contributed more than $4.5 million to charitable organizations throughout the nation since 1989. For more information, visit www.duramedfuturestour.com.

About ING

ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, investments, life insurance and retirement services to over 85 million private, corporate and institutional clients in over 40 countries. With a diverse workforce of about 114,000 people, ING is dedicated to setting the standard in helping our clients manage their financial future.

In the U.S., the ING (NYSE: ING) family of companies offers a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, which includes life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, direct banking, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits, financial planning, and reinsurance. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves approximately 30 million customers across the nation.

ING's diversity management philosophy and commitment to workforce diversity, diversity marketing, corporate citizenship and supplier diversity fosters an inclusive environment for employees that supports a distinctive product and service experience for the financial services consumer. For more information, visit www.ing.com/US.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

SOURCE: ING Americas

CONTACT: NEGC: Jay Sloves/Elkinson + Sloves, Inc., 1-860-674-9902;
DURAMED FUTURES TOUR: Lisa Mickey, +1-386-214-9726; ING: Phil Margolis,
1-860-580-2676

Web Site: http://www.ing.com/us