Buick To Determine Company's Future In Golf Within Next 90 Days
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Woods Captures Title At What May
Be The Final Buick Open |
Golfer Tiger Woods yesterday won the Buick Open at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc, Michigan, amid reports this year's event could be the last, and GM North America VP/Buick-Pontiac-GMC Susan Docherty said that she is giving Buick Golf Marketing Manager Larry Peck 90 days to "figure out the company's future with the sport," according to Larry Lage of the AP. Docherty: "There's been a long history between Buick and golf and there definitely will be a connection going forward. What we need to do [is] stop and evaluate what we want to do going forward." But Lage noted "spending about" $7M to title sponsor the Buick Open "might not be part of the plans." Woods said, "Hopefully, we'll get back to this region soon" (AP, 8/2). CBS' Bill Macatee talked with Docherty during yesterday's final round of the tournament and referred to the "wonderful relationship" between Buick and golf the past half-century. Docherty said the brand's involvement in this year's Buick Open gave the company a "chance to showcase our new products and celebrate not only with our current Buick buyers but our future ones as well" (CBS, 8/2).
OFFICIALS WORKING WITH PGA TOUR: Peck said GM is "working with the PGA Tour with what the next step is." Peck: "Right now we are just going to enjoy what a great tournament we had and worry about tomorrow, tomorrow." He gave "no timeline or dates as to when a decision would be made" (FLINT JOURNAL, 8/3). In Detroit, Chengelis, Markowski & Rayno cite a Buick official as saying that an official announcement on the future of the tournament "likely will come midweek." The Buick Open dates reportedly "already have been switched" to an event at The Greenbrier in West Virginia, but "nothing ... has been confirmed." Woods after yesterday's round said, "We're not coming back here. Just want to say thank you to all the people here" (DETROIT NEWS, 8/3). West Virginia Golf Association Exec Dir Ken Tackett said, "We're excited about the prospects of a PGA event coming to the state of West Virginia." The Greenbrier "boasts three championship courses," including one renovated by Jack Nicklaus in '77, and has hosted the '79 Ryder Cup and '94 Solheim Cup (Parkersburg NEWS & SENTINEL, 8/1).
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Golfers Very Pleased With Crowd Support
Throughout The Entire Tournament |
LIKELY THE END OF AN ERA: Woods said, "I've never played ... in front of fans like this. This has been incredible, especially what's going on here in the area, for everyone to come out, it just makes it that much more special for all of us." Golfer Jason Gore said that he "could not understand why the tournament had to leave an area that has supported it for 51 years." Gore: "This is the best, most well-attended tournament I think we've seen all year. I know this area's going through some tough times, but it still gets a lot of support. People want to come out here. I don't see why you'd take away something that they love to do, especially at a time like this." Golfer Corey Pavin: "I don't know if it does go away what's going to replace it" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 8/3). Meanwhile, in Detroit, Barnas & Monarrez report fans this past week "flocked to the merchandise tents on the course," as hats, T-shirts and golf balls "flew off the shelves all week." There was "no luck finding golf balls with the Buick Open logo" yesterday because they sold out Saturday. Another "hot seller was the commemorative lithograph of Warwick Hills' famed 17th hole." Warwick Hills PGA Professional Doug Brody: "We've had record sales all week" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 8/3).
NO SPONSORS TO FILL THE VOID: In Detroit, Drew Sharp wrote the PGA Tour "didn't want to leave Warwick Hills," but the "bad Michigan economy left it with no alternative." There was "no other major Detroit sponsor either willing or capable of stepping up to fill GM's void because there are few, if any, major corporations headquartered in southeastern Michigan that aren't either directly or indirectly tied to the struggling automobile industry" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 8/2).
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