R.I.P. The Greenbrier Classic
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Jim Justice’s purchase of the Greenbrier Resort and subsequent ten playings of the Greenbrier Classic made for a welcome addition to the PGA Tour.
Besides bringing the pros to West Virginia and highlighting C.B. Macdonald’s work, the stop gave pro golf another look at an interesting old-school layout.
Lost though in the remaining 2020 schedule rollout was the tournament’s demise despite having seven years left on its existing contract, notes GolfDigest.com’s Joel Beall. Officials with the event blamed the move to fall, in part, on what killed off the event, according to Beall’s report.
In a statement, Greenbrier officials said the tournament moving to the fall had not gone as well as hoped compared to its Fourth of July date. The Greenbrier said attendance and the attractiveness of sponsors "dropped significantly."
The yearly tournament, A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier, has struggled to draw fanfare after moving from summer to fall. Last year, attendance dragged as the matches went up against college football home games, even as one of Justice's family mining companies bought 30,000 tickets to give away to fans.
“We are happy to reach a resolution with the PGA Tour that is mutually beneficial to both parties in this time of crisis,” said Jill Justice, the governor's daughter and president of The Greenbrier.
Just a reminder here that the PGA Tour rearranged it’s calendar schedule to the dreaded wraparound for two reasons: to avoid football season and to elevate the fall events into tournaments with FedExCup points status. The Greenbrier took a year off to accommodate a leap to the fall and now, is no more with seven years left on its deal.
