Tour's Disney stop in need of sponsor
When the 2013 PGA Tour schedule was confirmed earlier this week, what was listed for March 14-17 was the “Tampa Bay Championship.”
With Transitions having ended its three-year run as title sponsor of the tournament at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla., the search has been on for a new one. A PGA Tour source said there is great optimism that officials have someone ready to move in, but until the contract is signed, the event will be listed as is.
Such optimism doesn’t spread, however, to the annual tournament spot at Walt Disney World near Orlando, which has been on the schedule since 1971.
The Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ contract as title sponsor will be up after this year’s final round (Nov. 11), and the same PGA Tour source said as of yet a replacement hasn’t been found. Thus, the 2013-14 schedule doesn’t include the stop at Disney, though room certainly could be made should an interested sponsor arrive.
As for the first wraparound 2013-14 season, it will tee off Oct. 10-13 with the Frys.com Open, then move to Las Vegas (Oct. 17-20). The CIMB Asia Pacific Classic in Malaysia will be Oct. 24-27, the HSBC Champions Oct. 31-Nov. 3, then a lengthy trip back to Sea Island, Ga., for the fourth edition of the McGladrey Classic (Nov. 7-10).
Presently, plans call for the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Cancun (Nov. 14-17) to close down the first portion of the FedEx Cup schedule, but the Tour source said Nov. 21-24 would remain open, should the Disney stop beat the odds and survive.
Players would then have six or seven weeks off to prepare for the resumption of the schedule at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions on Maui.