PGA Tour Looking To Fill Void Left By The International

PGA Tour officials said that they “likely will pick a city to host their July 5-8 tournament by the end of next week,” but several execs involved with DC’s former Tour event said that they “have doubts the tour will return” to DC this year, according to Leonard Shapiro of the WASHINGTON POST. Washington Golf Charities Exec Dir Marty Russo said, “I’ve heard they may have a sponsor — Sprint in [K.C.] — and they may have a foundation, but that’s just through the grapevine. ... We’re still very interested, but we’ve not heard from [the Tour].” A PGA Tour spokesperson “discounted any notion that Sprint was involved” and added that DC “remains a contender,” along with K.C., Philadelphia, Minneapolis and Portland. Booz Allen Chair Ralph Shrader, whose company sponsored a now-defunct DC Tour event for the last three years, said, “I don’t even know if we’re even on their radar screen. They haven’t talked to me at all, and no one has offered encouragement that they’re even anxious to talk to us” (WASHINGTON POST, 2/23).

PORTLAND: GOLFWEEK also cites sources as mentioning Sprint’s interest in sponsoring an event in K.C. Sources also said that Jeld-Wen has “an interest in a Tour stop, but it isn’t known if the event would have to be in Portland” (GOLFWEEK, 2/24 issue). Jen-Weld Sports Marketing Manager Gina Monterossi said the PGA Tour contacted the company after The International folded and the company is “interested in talking to them, but we have the [Champions Tour] Tradition.” In Portland, Kerry Eggers notes Jeld-Wen would not sponsor events in Oregon on both tours. Nike Brand President Charlie Denson said sponsoring a Portland PGA Tour event is “not a priority for us.” Eggers writes, “The cost of serving as title sponsor for a PGA event simply isn’t worth it for [Nike]” (PORTLAND TRIBUNE, 2/23).