The PGA Tour announced that Barclays will end its sponsorship of the opening tournament of the FedExCup playoffs after this year, with Northern Trust to replace Barclays with a five-year title sponsorship beginning in '17. With the changes, Northern Trust will not renew its sponsorship of the annual tournament at The Riviera Country Club in L.A. after next month's event. The financial company has sponsored that Tour stop since '08. Barclays became title sponsor of its Tour event in '05. The tourney two years later became the lead FedExCup playoffs event. This year’s Barclays will be held at Bethpage Black. When Chicago-based Northern Trust replaces Barclays, the event will rotate through courses within the N.Y. area beginning with Glen Oaks Club on Long Island (John Lombardo, Staff Writer). The AP's Doug Ferguson notes Northern Trust's move "could create a small domino effect of sponsors." Hyundai Motor America had a one-year deal to sponsor the Tournament of Champions, and it "has been talking with the PGA Tour about becoming title sponsor" in L.A. The automaker's U.S. HQ are a "few hours away in Orange County." Even if Hyundai moves, the Tournament of Champions "would not be without a title sponsor," as Korean TV company SBS has a 10-year deal through '19 and had "farmed out the title to Hyundai in 2011." The PGA Tour would still "look for another title sponsor for Kapalua, and the tournament could be more attractive the way the PGA Tour is trending toward youth." Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank is "in the final year of its contract for the second FedEx Cup playoff event outside Boston and is not likely to renew" (AP, 1/19).
