Crane is proposing the event be played at Golf Club of Houston in mid-October '19GETTY IMAGES
Astros Owner Jim Crane has "pulled together a group of local investors" to cover the expenses of the PGA Tour Houston Open and "continue providing significant funding for Houston-area good causes," according to Dale Robertson of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. Crane was told by the PGA Tour that the Houston Golf Association "had until Friday to secure a sponsor," which "didn't happen, so he sent his proposal" to the Tour that day. Crane "expects to ultimately have '10 to 12' partners in the deal -- the names will be announced once it's finalized -- he may or may not go forward with the HGA involved, pending conversations" with HGA President & CEO Steve Timms and the board. Crane is "proposing a mid-October date" in the fall of '19, with the tournament "continuing to be played on the Golf Club of Houston course" at least through '20, pending a move to Houston's public Memorial Park course following renovations. Crane said that he is "willing to take a lead fundraising role for that project as well." Crane's involvement with the Houston Open "rescue mission began when he was approached by the HGA to sponsor the tournament." The price is $12M annually for five years, which "includes a significant advertising buy on NBC's telecast -- and the latter was a major stumbling block for him." It is "believed a wide rift has opened between Crane and the HGA over his unwillingness to step up under the organization's umbrella, even suggesting he had been sabotaging its efforts to corral a sponsor so he could run the show." But he "insists it's simply a matter of doing what makes the most fiscal sense and best serves the big-picture needs of the community" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 6/5).
