THE GOLF CHANNEL TO LINK WITH CANADIAN TOUR; WEIR'S TV EVENT

          The Canadian Golf Tour's purse "likely will increase"
     from the current $2M to $3M in 2002, "thanks in part to an
     expected multi-year deal with The Golf Channel," according
     to Mike Koreen of the TORONTO SUN, who writes the cable
     channel is "planning to announce today it will air live
     coverage of four Canadian Tour events next season with an
     expanded schedule for the following year" (TOR. SUN, 5/18).
          PLAYING IN THE BAND: GOLFWORLD's Geoff Russell reports
     that Canada "has devised its own version of Tiger &
     Friends," as golfer Mike Weir will face Wayne Gretzky, Brett
     Hull and others in a three-vs.-one match June 26 in Halifax,
     NS.  ESPN2 has purchased the U.S. TV rights to the event and
     will broadcast it "in late July" (GOLFWORLD, 5/19 issue).