Advance ticket sales for this year's tournament have increased by 67% while premium tickets are up 40%GETTY IMAGES
The PGA Tour Genesis Open begins tomorrow at Riviera Country Club with significant increases in ticket and sponsorship sales due in part to the NBA All-Star weekend in L.A., along with Tiger Woods, who is making his second start of the season there. Woods is playing in the tournament for the first time in 12 years. Genesis Open GM Dave Klewan said that advance ticket sales for the tournament this year have increased by 67% with premium tickets up 40% from '17. Sponsorship sales are up 42% with Vineyard Vines, Grey Goose and Hexadyne signing on as new sponsors this year. Genesis began its title sponsorship of the event last year. “Advance ticket sales went through the roof when Tiger committed,” Klewan said. “The NBA All-Star Game has helped some of our corporate partnerships and hospitality and with All-Star being around, it has helped with ticket sales. Our Saturday and Sunday corporate hospitality has gone up as well. It will be an amazing week for sports in L.A." (John Lombardo, Staff Writer). GOLFCHANNEL.com's Rex Hoggard noted it "will be a star-studded event for at least two rounds," as Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy and Woods are grouped together on tomorrow and Friday. Although Thomas was paired with Woods for the first two rounds in December at the unofficial Hero World Challenge, this week will "mark the first time the two have played together in an official event" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 2/13). Thomas and McIlroy "have won" the past two FedExCups, respectively, while Woods has won it twice (GOLFWEEK.com, 2/13).
