WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Exec Dir Don Padgett III said ticket sales for next month's final tournament in Akron are "tracking quite a bit ahead" of the '17 event at Firestone Country Club, according to Kevin Kleps of the CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS. Last year's event had a "total attendance of about 85,000, which was 10,000 ahead" of the '16 tournament, but "about 5,000 down" from the '14 Bridgestone. The WGC event next year will move to Memphis, while the Bridgestone Senior Players will be played at Firestone, and Padgett said of the sales boost, "We've been in the news a little bit more than usual. I think we're just a little bit more top of mind with people. We've done a lot more targeted digital efforts as well." Kleps noted the event and the Pro Football HOF -- which will hold its induction ceremony and HOF Game during the same weekend as the Bridgestone -- have "conducted a digital campaign that has targeted potential customers in Chicago and Philadelphia." Padgett said that purchases "always pick up" as the tourney draws near. Padgett: "People know they're going to go and they're just trying to narrow down a day. We try to encourage people to buy early." Meanwhile, attendance for the PGA Tour Champions event in '19 is expected to "drop" from the annual WGC event. Padgett said that a "lot of the early buzz" for the '19 Senior Players has been the "return of the pro-am," which was not included in the WGC event. Padgett "expects more corporations to get involved" because of the "addition of the pro-am" (CRAINSCLEVELAND.com, 7/5).
