Golfer Greg Norman said he hopes “by the end of this week we hopefully would have locked down everything and are moving forward” toward a new title sponsor of the Shark Shootout. Norman, appearing on Golf Channel's "Morning Drive," said the business model for sponsorship packages "has changed" in recent years. Norman: "The PGA Tour has been fantastically helpful in this regard. NBC has been great, and Golf Channel. Everybody who is behind the scenes completely understands the dynamics of the economic situation that’s impacting the game of golf.” He added, “It’s been hard work, guys, I tell you. I sympathize and empathize with every tournament director out there who has to go through this. It's not easy because the game of golf is in a tough place in the United States. The United States is in a tough place from an economic … and from a confidence standpoint as a nation.” Norman noted there is "no confidence in the country from the CEO of major corporations who’ve got trillions in cash sitting on the side. They’re not going to invest until they get confidence to what’s coming out of the White House and what direction the country is really going from an economic standpoint” ("Morning Drive," Golf Channel, 7/27). In Florida, Greg Hardwig noted the Shark Shootout "has been without a title sponsor since Bank of America/Merrill Lynch decided it would not renew in January, after five years in that role." Franklin Templeton had been the event's "only other title sponsor." The tournament is scheduled to take place Dec. 9-11 in Naples, Fla. (NAPLESNEWS.com, 7/27).
