The PGA Tour and The St. Paul announced a major, expanded multi-year agreement on Monday whereby The St. Paul becomes the presenting sponsor of the PGA Tour West Coast Swing beginning in 2001.
The "PGA TOUR West Coast Swing presented by The St. Paul" encompasses the first nine tournaments of the 2001 season held in January and February. It begins with the season-opening World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship in Melbourne, Australia and concludes with the Nissan Open in Los Angeles.
The sponsorship provides $300,000 purse enhancements for each tournament, excluding the Accenture Match Play Championship, and includes a $1 million "King of the Swing" bonus pool to be divided by the top three West Coast performers, as determined by a points system. The winner will receive $500,000, followed by $300,000 for second and $200,000 for third.
Points are distributed to the top eight players each week with 100 points awarded for a victory down to 10 points for an eighth-place finish. Tiger Woods has won the last two PGA TOUR West Coast Swing titles. Phil Mickelson won the inaugural title in 1998.
"We are excited about the support The St. Paul has brought to the West
Coast Swing program," said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. "The St.
Paul's support of the PGA TOUR through its presenting sponsorship of the West Coast Swing will help make our early season events even more
attractive to our players, tournament organizations and fans."
"The St. Paul has a long-standing relationship with the PGA TOUR, and we're proud to be affiliated with this premier organization," said St. Paul Executive Vice President Stephen W. Lilienthal. "We view our sponsorship of the 2001 West Coast Swing as an opportunity for us to reach the key business decision makers who watch these prestigious events."
