RBC and Boeing in '12 "stepped in as primary sponsors" for the PGA Tour RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, but their five-year contracts expire after the '16 event, so officials "have been in sponsorship talks" with reps from both companies about a renewal, according to Alan Blondin of the Myrtle Beach SUN NEWS. Tournament Dir Steve Wilmot said of holding the event again without a title sponsor, "I don’t want to go through that exercise again. We feel confident about it, but we’re not in a position yet to really get too excited.” Wilmot hopes the negotiations "progress enough to allow him to announce something during the tournament week of April 13-19." Wilmot: “The tour, as they did a few years ago, has taken the lead on it, and we need them to be and want them to be involved.” RBC Senior Manager of Brand Marketing Jessica Tan and Boeing South Carolina VP & GM Jack Jones "both professed two weeks ago that their companies are extremely pleased with the tournament and its benefits for them." A PGA Tour title sponsor generally provides at least $6M "annually to an event, though Boeing’s position as presenting sponsor may alleviate part of that burden for RBC." Jones noted that reps of seven airlines or plane leasing companies that do business with Boeing "played in Heritage pro-ams last year." He added that Boeing "will assess its future relationship with the tournament with or without RBC’s involvement at title sponsor." Blondin notes the "heavy involvement of tournament sponsors is evident in the recent addition of a second Wednesday pro-am at The Club at Savannah Harbor to the traditional Monday and Wednesday pro-ams at Heritage host course Harbour Town Golf Links" (Myrtle Beach SUN NEWS, 3/10).
