The PGA Tour yesterday canceled the July 7-10 Greenbrier Classic "because of devastating flooding in West Virginia." The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs was "inundated with floodwater after heavy storms rolled into the state Thursday." Tour officials said that Old White TPC "suffered extensive damage and 'is beyond reasonable repair to conduct the tournament.'" This is the first time a PGA Tour event has been canceled since '09 (AP, 6/25). In addition to "loss of life, property damage throughout the area has shut down all of White Sulphur Springs" (Huntington HERALD-DISPATCH, 6/26). The Tour will "return to the Greenbrier next year" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/26).
PGA Tour Exec VP & Chief of Operations Andy Pazder said the Tour spent "some time speaking with Greenbrier officials" about playing the event at another course. But he said, "We did not find any that we felt would be a satisfactory venue, and beyond that the issue really was what was the right thing to do." Pazder said the Tour also looked at its calendar to "see if there were any available dates" in the fall, but was unsuccessful. Pazder: "We're comfortable in knowing we did the right thing here" ("Golf Central," Golf Channel, 6/25).
