Buick is shifting its title
sponsorship from Callaway Gardens in Georgia to the Tampa Bay area -- with Tiger
Woods likely along for the ride.
That would make the Tampa
Bay tournament the biggest winner in the new PGA Tour television contract that
takes effect in 2003.
It goes from having no
title sponsor to the biggest sponsor on tour. Instead of being played opposite
a World Golf Championship or the Presidents Cup, it will be positioned alone the
week before the Tour Championship.
And best of all, it almost
certainly will get Woods.
Those close to Woods say
he is likely to play the Buick Championship at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor, Fla.
- not just because of his five-year endorsement deal with Buick, but because it's
only an hour from his home in Orlando.
Callaway Gardens is the
only Buick tournament Woods has not played. He was supposed to go there in 1996
while trying to earn his PGA Tour card, and caused a furor by withdrawing the
week before in Las Vegas.
It never bothered Buick
that Woods did not play there, anyway. The tournament, a favorite among players
because of its relaxed atmosphere and beautiful setting, had small crowds, little
network coverage and a minuscule market.
''We don't connect here,''
Buick Golf brand manager Tony Derhake once said.
Tampa Bay is more attractive
because of Buick's strong dealerships in the area, and because it has a better
chance of Woods playing.
So what happens to Callaway
Gardens?
It is looking for a new
title sponsor after the Buick contract expires next year, and tournament director
Dick Ellis said he hopes to find one in the next three months.
But it will suffer on the
schedule. A high-placed PGA Tour source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said
the tournament probably will be played opposite the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup
under the next television contract.
The next issue is the Texas
Open and its sponsorship problems.
The tour source said it
could be replaced as soon as 2003 by a tournament that would end on Labor Day
and get prime-time coverage. That means it would have to be played on the West
Coast, and Oregon has been mentioned as a possibility.
NO EASY
RYDER
What had been shaping up
as a great week for Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance fell apart at the British Open.
Five players outside the
top 10 on the European points list went into the final round with a chance to
win. None did, only that wasn't the problem.
Seven Europeans finished
among the top 12 at Royal Lytham, meaning the Ryder Cup points were diluted.
The exception was Niclas Fasth of Sweden, who virtually clinched a spot on his first Ryder Cup team by
finishing second to David Duval.
Ian Woosnam would have
been runner-up except for a two-stroke penalty for having 15 clubs in his bag.
Instead of moving from 18th place in the Ryder Cup standings to fifth and making
the team, he only went up to 12th place.
Bernhard Langer and Miguel
Angel Jimenez finished in a six-way tied for third. Langer went from 20th to 14th,
while Jimenez went from 21st to 16th. Sergio Garcia finished another stroke back
in a four-way tie for ninth, and lost a spot (down to 18th) in the standings.
Jesper Parnevik needed
to win, and the PGA Championship might be his last hope.
Torrance is likely to make
Parnevik and Garcia his two captain's picks, although Langer makes a compelling
point. He was the top European in The Players Championship and the Masters, and
was second-best in the British Open.
''Hopefully, he will consider
me if I don't make my way in,'' Langer said. ''I understand that other guys are
playing well, but with my current form I believe I should be there.''
If the team were selected
now, Europe would have four rookies -- five including Andrew Coltart, who only
got to play one match at The Country Club. One of those is Pierre Fulke, who shot
83 Sunday and hasn't finished higher than 60th since February.
OLYMPIC
GOLF
A decision is not expected
until 2003, but golf might have moved closer to becoming part of the 2008 Olympics
in Beijing.
David Fay of the U.S. Golf
Association and Peter Dawson of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club are heading up the
effort. Fay was in Moscow for the IOC meetings and ''came away with quite a warm
feeling about it,'' Dawson said.
Tiger Woods has said he
is not interested in the Olympics because golf already has four major championships.
Others, like Greg Norman and Hal Sutton, have supported it.
''I think the Olympic movement
will want to see the best players in the game competing,'' Dawson said. ''That
means top professionals. I think the bid has been put in on that basis.''
What type of participation
would Dawson expect?
''I think it would be very
similar to tennis,'' he said. ''Some of the top players like to go to the Olympics
and others don't. That would probably be true in golf.''
DIVOTS
David Duval has his own
version of the Nike Tour Accuracy golf ball, which he began testing last month
at Southern Hills and used to win the British Open. The ball, which features a
higher launch angle, is expected to be introduced in January at the PGA Merchandise
Show. ... Alternative spikes were a big hit in golf's oldest championship. For
the first time, more players in the British Open wore plastic cleats (80) instead
of metal spikes (76). ... The Hyundai Team Matches, an off-season event involving
the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and Senior Tour, will move to Monarch Beach Golf Links
in Dana Point, Calif. It had been at Newport Coast. ... Five of the past seven
British Open champions were in their 20s. ... The Presidents Cup was held in Australia
in 1998 and goes to South Africa in 2002. The PGA Tour is looking strongly at
Canada for 2006.
STAT OF
THE WEEK
Now that David Duval has
won the British Open, every player who has been No. 1 in the world rankings since
its inception in 1986 has won a major.
FINAL WORD
''All you have to do is
birdie the par 5s and shoot two birdies to get 66. It's not that hard when you
think about it.'' - Ty Tryon, 17, who closed with rounds of 72-70 at the B.C.
Open.
