Tour Staff Manages Only One "Stanford" Mention In Release, GWAA Award Seems Inevitable

There should be an award for craftiest press release given out by the Golf Writers. Oh wait, that's the Daily Column category. Scratch that thought. This deserves a special award since only an artist could craft a release announcing the renaming of the Memphis stop and only mention the beleaguered Ponzi-scheme of a sponsor once. Now that's craftsmanship.

From the PGA Tour:

MEMPHIS’ PGA TOUR EVENT RENAMED FOR 2009

This summer’s PGA TOUR event in Memphis will be called the St. Jude Classic (SJC), tournament officials announced today. The event, formerly called the Stanford St. Jude Championship, will be played June 8-14, 2009 at TPC Southwind.

“Our focus is on producing a great PGA TOUR event for golf fans of the Mid-South and raising awareness and funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” said Wes Kraker, president of Children's Champions for Hope, Inc., the tournament’s host organization. “We have lots of work to do, but with the continued help from a dedicated group of volunteers and strong support from the community, we will succeed.”

No thanks to Stanford.

David L. McKee, chief operating officer and interim CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising organization of St. Jude, said: “Since St. Jude became the sole beneficiary of the Memphis PGA TOUR event in 1970, we have improved the survival rate of the most common form of childhood leukemia from less than 50 percent to 94 percent. That incredible progress is possible only because of generous supporters who believe in our mission. In the PGA TOUR, we have such a supporter and we are immensely pleased to continue this relationship as we strive for the day when no child will die in the dawn of life.”

Rick George, PGA TOUR Chief of Operations, said: “The PGA TOUR has been part of the fabric of the Memphis sports scene since 1958 and we look forward to returning in June. We are confident that with the continued support of our fans and the Memphis corporate community, along with the volunteers and the leadership of Children's Champions for Hope, the tournament will deliver another significant fundraising effort for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.”

No thanks to Stanford.