The PGA Tour announced the final round of its Tour Championship next month on NBC "will be aired with extremely limited commercial interruption thanks to a new 'proud partner' arrangement between" Atlanta-based sponsors Coca-Cola and Southern Company, according to Stan Awtrey of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. All but four minutes of the final three hours of NBC on Sunday "will be commercial free," and when the final twosome makes the turn on the last day, all commercials "will cease." PGA Tour Commisioner Tim Finchem said, “That’s nirvana for our fans. Once the last three or four groups reach the 10th hole, you won’t have another advertisement, which means you can really tell the story.” The limited-commercial arrangement was "made possible by Coke and the Southern Company agreeing to share the branding on promotions and marketing, as well as the broadcast leaderboards and vignettes." Southern Company this year "joins with Coke as a 'proud sponsor,' similar to the model used at the Players Championship." Meanwhile, East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, the permanent site of the PGA Tour Championship since '04, has "received an extension to host the tournament" through '20 (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 8/11).
