Tampa Situation
/Tim Finchem was asked last week about the sponsorship situation for Tampa's March event...
Q. Speaking of sponsorship, why can't you find one for Tampa, and what's the status there?Bob Harig reports on that discussion today...
COMMISSIONER TIM FINCHEM: I suspect we will, and we are in conversations with a sponsor right now, and we fully anticipate Tampa will be sponsored.
Q. By the time you get to the tournament?
COMMISSIONER TIM FINCHEM: We will have more to say about that in a couple of weeks.
Q. You can't tell us who it is?
COMMISSIONER TIM FINCHEM: That would be announcing it, and we're not prepared to announce it, no. (Laughter).
PGA Tour marketing executives lobbied Pinellas County tourism officials Wednesday for $4-million, funding they say is necessary to help secure the future of the local professional golf tournament beyond this year.
A presentation to the Tourist Development Council sought $2-million for this year's PGA event - formerly known as the Chrysler Championship - and another $2-million for 2008.
And the money quote...
Bill Foster, a St. Petersburg city councilman, brought up a point that is a factor at every PGA Tour event: Will all the best known players, the ones that draw the biggest crowds and TV audiences, show up.
"If you could assure us that Tiger (Woods), Phil (Mickelson), Vijay (Singh) and Ernie (Els) will be here..." he said.
