PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said that an effort to find a new title sponsor for the annual Tournament of Champions is "well under way," according to Rob Collias of the MAUI NEWS. Seoul Broadcasting System "has two years remaining on a 10-year deal to sponsor" the event if "no other backer is found." SBS served as title sponsor for this past weekend's event, which was won by Justin Thomas, after Hyundai had sub-leased the title rights for the past six years. The automaker last January "announced a deal with the tour to sponsor an event at Riviera Country Club" in L.A. instead of the Kapalua tourney. Monahan said SBS "would like to see another brand come in." He replied to speculation about the tournament's future by saying, "We are taking an active role in trying to find a replacement sponsor. If I’m not worried about it, I don’t think you should be worried about it” (MAUI NEWS, 1/8).
LADIES & GENTLEMEN: GOLFCHANNEL.com's Randall Mell reported the PGA Tour is "considering sharing" the Tournament of Champions with the LPGA. Monahan said that "talks are in the works" with LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan to "stage a similar women's event jointly with the men's in the future." Monahan "didn't give specifics on how the joint event would be presented" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 1/8). Golf Channel's Geoff Shackelford said it is "exciting" people are "talking about some variations on the normal week-to-week golf and we're throwing good ideas out there and trying to make interesting things work to kind of get things excited." Shackelford: "I love the idea of it. I love that they're thinking outside the box” (“Morning Drive,” Golf Channel, 1/9).
