By George, He's Got It: Senior PGA Tour Event Taps Brett

	George Brett

Royals VP/Baseball Operations George Brett was named yesterday as Chair of the Senior PGA Tour Bayer Advantage Invitational, according to Mechelle Voepel of the K.C. STAR. Brett, Senior Tour player Tom Watson, PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, K.C. Mayor Kay Barnes and other area leaders attended "what might be called a high-power pep rally" yesterday at The National Golf Club of K.C. Brett will "help lure talent for a new aspect to the event," The National Celebrity Classic, which will have a format "similar to the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, with celebrities and community/ corporate leaders competing Friday and Saturday in the first two rounds" of the 54-hole event (K.C. STAR, 9/13).

MORE ON THE SENIORS: In Philadelphia, Mike Kern reports that because the Senior Tour's Princeton stop lost its title sponsor, Instinet, "there are many questions about what's happening with that tournament." Tournament Dir Mary Ann Saleski said that "there was a very good chance the event will move from its May date. It's also likely the event won't return to Princeton, although some of that might depend on who emerges as the sponsor." Kern adds "there's also the possibility that," with the Senior PGA Championship coming to the Philadelphia area, the event "could go on hiatus for a year" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 9/13)....GA-based Robertson & Markowitz Advertising & PR has been tapped as the agency of record for the Senior Tour's Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf in Savannah. Next year's event will be held April 21-27, and all three rounds of the tournament will be televised live on ESPN and ABC (Robertson & Markowitz).

RECORD SALES AT HAZELTINE: In St. Paul, Charley Walters writes PGA Championship execs "won't release merchandise sales revenue figures" from its tournament in MN last month, but they "admitted the event broke a sales record with about 200,000 purchases" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 9/13).

AND THE LADIES: GOLF WORLD's Dan O'Kane writes that "despite tumbling stock prices and thousands of employees being laid off," Tulsa-based Williams Company will sponsor the LPGA Williams Championship in Tulsa next year, the final year of a three-year contract (GOLF WORLD, 9/13).