The PGA Tour Greenbrier Classic this year will, for the first time, be "free and open to the public, but there will be no concerts at the annual July extravaganza," according to David Gutman of the CHARLESTON GAZETTE-MAIL.The Greenbrier resort Owner Jim Justice, who is also a Democratic candidate for governor of West Virginia, announced the changes "via a news release sent by his political campaign." In prior years, grounds passes for the week "had started at about $80 and included tickets to the concerts that the resort put on in conjunction with the golf tournament." Last year’s Greenbrier Classic Concert Series featuring Keith Urban and The Band Perry on Wednesday and Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton on Friday "drew an estimated 50,000 people." Gutman noted Justice "asked the Legislature to remove" the state’s $1.75M sponsorship of the tournament. In prior years, the government "used the sponsorship to market the state and used the tournament as grounds to recruit businesses to the state." Meanwhile, Justice's campaign said that he spends $9-13M "of his own money annually to put the tournament on" (CHARLESTON GAZETTE-MAIL, 5/17).
