by Fred Seely
Editorial Director
The economy hasn’t affected the area’s biggest sporting event, says its leader, and the future doesn’t look any dimmer.
With other sports suffering from a reduction of corporate involvement, The Players Championship continues to grow and PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem says he sees more coming from the local community.
“We’re just getting started in the amount we can give back to this community,” Finchem said Monday prior to handing out checks totaling $1.85 million to a variety of area charities, including four major gifts to charities directly involved with the Tour. “We’ve realized great growth and there’s more ahead. It’s the corporate commitments we have, and there are more companies out there which we feel can get involved.
“What we’re giving this year is going to grow every year.”
The 2002 tournament’s proceeds were significantly above last year’s record of $1.6 million. It brought the overall total to over $15 million since The Players Championship was placed here permanently in 1977.
“And that’s in uncertain economic times,” said Finchem. “The economy is getting better, so we look for a good future.”
Most of the 64 charities receiving money were represented at the Hilton luncheon, which also drew a turnout of top local politicians and businessmen including Jaguars’ owner Wayne Weaver, Mayor John Delaney and State Attorney Harry Shorstein. The players side was represented by Jacksonville’s Mark McCumber, who filled in for defending champion Craig Perks who had been caught by bad weather at his Louisiana home. Perks spoke to the 400 in attendance via telephone.
The major gifts went to the Tour’s First Tee initiative, which is designed to bring golf into the inner city. The national program, headquartered at the World Golf Village, got $350,000 and the local programs in Jacksonville and St. Augustine received a total of $250,000.
The Players Championship Village, a rehab center off Beach Boulevard formerly known as the Nancy Reagan TPC Village, got $200,000 and the Players’ scholarship fund got $150,000.
Finchem credited his tournament’s health to several factors.
“You start with the commitment of the people of this area,” he said. “The continuing overall popularity of the game has people interested, and they like what they see when they come to the tournament.
“The Players is growing in stature within the golf community, too. It is being recognized more and more as one of golf’s great events.”
He said the tournament would expand in the next few years to “enhance the fan’s on-site experience. There are things we can do to make the visit more pleasurable.”