by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Two things about The Players Championship are virtually guaranteed to go up every year: the winner’s take and the amount the tournament generates for local charities.
This year is no exception. While Canadian Stephen Ames was running away with the championship, the tournament was in the process of raising $2.7 million for over 100 local charities. Monday at the Hyatt, PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem and about 350 others gathered for the Tour’s annual “Giving Back” luncheon.
Gov. Jeb Bush was in attendance as were several “Red Coats” also known as former chairs of the tournament. Ames, who hurt his back recently, couldn’t attend but sent a message via fax.
“The governor is here to help bring attention and focus on what The Players does for the community,” said Finchem.
Bush said he was impressed with what the Tour and the tournament do for charity on an annual basis.
“I am so appreciative of what the PGA Tour does to give back to the communities,” said Bush. “No other sport comes close. Without The Players Championship, a lot of great organizations and charities would suffer.”
Finchem said the $2.7 million is a record for The Players and the best is yet to come.
“It’s an extension of what we do,” he said. “As we grow so do our charitable contributions.”
This year, the PGA Tour surpassed the $1 billion mark in charitable contributions, a mark that took 66 years to attain.
“In the next eight years, we will pass the $2 billion mark,” said Finchem.
In addition to awarding charitable grants and scholarships, the luncheon served as an opportunity for Finchem to update many outside the golf world on the progress of the 2007 Players Championship — a tournament that will be unlike any Players ever due to a multitude of changes:
• A move to May that will place the tournament between The Masters and the U.S. Open and likely assure drier, warmer weather.
• A new corporate sponsor. Jeld Wen Windows & Doors joins UBS and PriceWaterhouseCoopers as major sponsors. The new TV contract also allows for more coverage. “There will only be four minutes of commercials per hour,” said Finchem, adding this allow viewers to see tee shots, something that only happened on select holes in years past. “Viewers will learn the nuances that make the golf course special.”
• NBC will broadcast the tournament in high-definition and the Golf Channel will replay the first two rounds in prime time on Thursday and Friday.
• The Stadium course, after a massive renovation to help with drainage and viewing, will reopen for resort play Nov. 13.
• Finchem said there’s mixed news regarding the new clubhouse. Thanks to good weather, it’s “definitely on schedule. That’s the good news,” said Finchem. “The so-so news is that the schedule has it being open about an hour before the first tee time.”
“There’s no telling where The Players Championship can go as far as impacting our community,” said Finchem.
Other notes:
• The Golf Channel’s Jennifer Mills emceed the event.
• When he took the stage, Bush noticed the podium was shaped like a golf tee. “Do I look like a Titleist on top of this tee?” he asked.
• Bush is an avid — but not good — golfer and said that will work out well in a couple of months when his second term as governor ends in December. “Anybody looking for a fourth, you can get me at [email protected]. I’m going to keep that e-mail address,” he said, adding, “There are 58 million rounds of golf played a year in Florida and when I’m done in December I intend to add to that.”