Las Vegas back on PGA Tour schedule

A private sponsor has pledged $5 million to the PGA Tour's Las Vegas Invitational, ensuring the struggling golf tournament will be played this year.

The Las Vegas Founders, the charitable group that runs the tournament, signed a contract with the PGA Tour to host the 2004 event, said John Sullivan, the tournament's chairman.

During a news conference Wednesday, Sullivan said Helen Morton will give the tournament the $5 million over three years. She has already committed $1.5 million to this year's tournament, which will be held Oct. 6-10 on three courses.

``Helen really stepped up as our guardian angel,'' Sullivan said.

The rest of the money being paid is contingent upon whether the Las Vegas Founders has a contract in 2005 and 2006 with the PGA Tour, Sullivan said.

Dick Butler, PGA Tour's vice president of tournament business affairs, said the invitational was still looking for a corporate sponsor. Last year, the Founders had to put up the purse after previous sponsor, Invensys, pulled out. The company had sponsored the tournament since 2000.

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