The PGA Tour finally got around to releasing the 2011 schedule this past weekend, with just four weeks to spare until the Hyundai Tournament of Champions begins at Kapalua. There are a few new sponsors on board this year as well as five new courses. I have picked out a few things below that stick out to me:
- The Valero Texas Open, the PGA event in my hometown of San Antonio, has moved again this year to the week after The Masters. This week was typically when the Heritage took place at Hilton Head, but this year that tournament moves back one week. We will see if we can get some of the big name players back to San Antonio again this year, so stay tuned for up-close pictures.
- Four new sponsors, Cadillac, Hyundai, and Nationwide are new title sponsors this year. That’s great news. Also today, the PGA Tour announced Franklin American Mortgage Co. agreed to a three year sponsorship deal for the Bob Hope Classic. A couple things. 1.) Two car companies signing up as new sponsors has to be good news for the auto insustry, and 2.) Franklin American must have missed out on the mortgage crisis to sign this sponsorship, but good for them and good for the tour.
- There are 41 events again this year. I am preparing another post for this topic but I think this number should be reduced significantly. There should be less events which would make the tour more prestigious.
- The WGC-Accenture is moving to an 18-hole final, instead of the 36-hole final we have seen for years. This is great news. When a player goes UP 12 with 18 holes to play it makes for pretty boring television.
- The U.S. Open is at Congressional this year, one of the new courses in the rotation. The PGA Championship is at Atlanta Athletic Club which should make for a smoking hot August tournament..
So there you go, the 2011 PGA Tour schedule. It’s about time PGA Tour. Thanks for getting around to releasing it.
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