December 2017 PGA Tour Sponsorship Status...

Here's a December 15, 2017 Update on Sponsor Committments on the PGA Tour. Listed first is the term of the current contract, then the event.

CAUTION - Much of this is subject to "change" with the coming of the new schedule in 2018-19. When the FedEx Cup came in 2007 and the Fall Series created, there was a fallout of 6 events off the schedule and 6 new ones added (and Western and Tucson upgraded). There will be some shakeup for 2018-19 as a bunch of puzzle pieces are going to need to be moved around. I wouldn't expect the upheaval of 2006-07, but some of the below (even with supposedly firm sponsor commitments) might not be able to work with a major date change.

And as we learned with Dean & DeLuca and Colonial, even a supposed long term sponsor deal is only as strong as the Title Sponsor is as a company... most of the below look solid, but you really never know for sure.

The main "up in the air" issues are Noted in the list and discussed below

2020 - Safeway Open
2020 - CIMB Classic
2027 - CJ Cup Korea
2020 - WGC HSBC Champions
2026 - Sanderson Farms Championship
2020 - Shriners Hospitals for Children
2018 - OHL Classic at Mayakoba
2020 - RSM Classic
2022 - Sentry Tournament of Champions
2022 - Sony Open in Hawaii
2021 - CareerBuilder Challenge
2019 - Farmers Insurance Open
2025 - Waste Management Phoenix Open
2024 - AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
2019 - Genesis Open
2021 - The Honda Classic
2023 - WGC-Mexico Championship
2019 - Puerto Rico Open
2020 - Valspar Championship
2020 - Arnold Palmer Invitational
2019 - WGC-Dell Match Play Championship
2021 - Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship
2018 - (1) Houston Open
2023 - RBC Heritage
2028 - Valero Texas Open
2019 - Zurich Classic of New Orleans
2019 - Wells Fargo Championship
xxxx - The Players Championship
2018 - AT&T Byron Nelson Championship
2018 - (2) Colonial
2021 - The Memorial Tournament
2018 - (3) FedEx St. Jude Classic
2024 - Travelers Championship
2018 - (4) The National
2021 - Greenbrier Classic
2023 - John Deere Classic
2018 - Barbasol Championship
2023 - RBC Canadian Open
2018 - (5) WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
2018 - Barracuda Championship
2026 - Wyndham Championship
2022 - Northern Trust
2018 - (6) Dell Technology Championship (formerly Deutsche Bank)
2019 - BMW Championship
2020 - Tour Championship

(1) - Houston Open - WILL play this year but no title sponsor news yet. Steve Timms has locked down staff from talking about anything. I dunno if thats a good thing or bad thing RE sponsorship front. But one thing for sure, the loss of Shell has already "demoted" this event as Valero Texas Open on the heels of a 10-year renewal has apparently swooped in and got Houston's coveted pre-Masters week going forward. I wouldn't be surprised to see Houston go to the fall.

(2) - Colonial - Dean & DeLuca bailed and while there have been talks with other potential "title sponsors" it appears the tournament would prefer to go with the "multiple partners" model as per the PLAYERS and Tour Championship. With American Airlines committing to be one of those partners, and AT&T supposedly considering being another, and the strong leadership of Fort Worth politico's.. it appears this event will remain.

(3) - FedEx St Jude Classic - This one is listed NOT because there is any sponsor issue, but because it's been suggested FedEx wants WGC designation for this event. With the Bridgestone situation (see below)... it's a legitimate possiblity. I can't see the PGAT just letting a WGC go away as both the domestic and international broadcast rights are too valuable to let disappear. Plus the

(4) - The National - It's on the schedule and even if sponsorless will play in 2018, but no course announced as of yet. Media reports (guesses I think) are all over the place, from Quicken coming back in the fold (instead of hosting a new Michigan event), a new different title sponsor and even Hero taking it. NONE are credible enough to report as likely IMO, but it was odd that Quicken branding disappeared from "the National" website for a short while... then returned. Dunno what that means.

(5) - WGC Bridgestone - Reports are suggesting Bridgestone is out and wants to add a Japan based event to the fall Asian Swing instead. That "seems" to make sense for Bridgestone. That leaves Firestone holding the bag. There seems to be a love/hate feeling about that course from media/players/fans... but the PGAT/Firestone relationship has been an excellent win/win for both parties. The Tour would hate to lose that, but if FedEx wants the WGC... well... money talks...

(6) - Dell Technologies (BOSTON playoff event) - All signals are the playoffs will be reduced to 3 and this is the event that goes away. BUT, TPC Boston might be included in a Rota of courses for the first 2 playoff events.


OF NOTE:

• The Players had lost one of it's "Proud Parners" but that situation has been resolved with Grant Thornton being secured a week or so ago.

• 3 of the Alternate events (OHL, Barbasol & Barracuda) have agreements through 2018. OHL looks solid but not sure on the others. Sanderson Farms renewed for 10-years, very stout for an "alternate" event, which does make one wonder if perhaps this one might be elevated to full status someday. The new alternate "Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship" in the D.R. is a 4 year commitment.

• AT&T still hasn't formally announced a long term situation with the Nelson. But being involved with the new course (Trinity Forest) and local favorite son Jordan Spieth, I can't imagine there are issues there.

• Hero World Challenge (unofficial) - Hero's original 4-year commitment was through 2017. No renewal was announced. Have no clue the status there... other than the Tiger of the last 4 years was probably pretty crappy value to Hero... but a future Tiger might be a different story... who knows.

• FedEx - and of course FedEx has renewed their Umbrella sponsorship through 2027

Thanks robo, Fascinating to see how the chips may fall.

Is the Valero switch a permanent one, pre-Masters week, or is it just a one-off as we saw a few years ago, I think when Martin Laird won? That was caused by an unusual quirk in the calendar I think.

Houston's demise continues to amaze, me anyway! It seems from 2,000 miles away that the Senior event in Houston is one of the more successful - but then the SGO looked that way too.

In general the PGAT appears to be in good health based on what you have posted above but it reducing the play offs to 3 events would further decrease the legitimacy of that method for determining the season long winner.

Is it known how the cut offs would change if the play offs were reduced to 3 events?


Great post by the way, a lot of work must have gone into that. Thanks.

kwinigolfer wrote:Thanks robo, Fascinating to see how the chips may fall.

Is the Valero switch a permanent one, pre-Masters week, or is it just a one-off as we saw a few years ago, I think when Martin Laird won? That was caused by an unusual quirk in the calendar I think.

Houston's demise continues to amaze, me anyway! It seems from 2,000 miles away that the Senior event in Houston is one of the more successful - but then the SGO looked that way too.

My understanding is Valero is supposedly going to play before the Masters going forward. it's "assumed" that will be mostly in the immediate week before in Houston's old spot, but that's not carved in stone apparently.

We're still at a situation were moving the Playoffs up 4 weeks to finish by Labor Day requires at MINIMUM, 2 events moving out of the Jan-August schedule. They either go away, convert to alternate (not likely) or have to move to fall. Two of the 4 weeks can be accounted for by eliminating the Boston playoff event and the off week... That leaves 2 more... Too many possibilities to fathom at this moment.... my only "wild ass guess" is the season ends with a WGC and 3 playoff events in 4 successive weeks. That would put 2 weeks after the Open before the WGC. (swamp-ass city if Memphis gets an August WGC)

McLaren wrote:In general the PGAT appears to be in good health based on what you have posted above but it reducing the play offs to 3 events would further decrease the legitimacy of that method for determining the season long winner.

Is it known how the cut offs would change if the play offs were reduced to 3 events?


Great post by the way, a lot of work must have gone into that.  Thanks.

Thanks Mac... but actually I track it on an ongoing basis so it's not that big a deal.

As for the "legitimacy" of a season long winner... IMO it's MORE legitimate with 3 instead of 4... makes the regular season more valuable. I have no clue how they would break it... maybe 125, 100 & 30.... That would give most the guys outside "the 30" TWO bites at the apple to move in... that's enough IMO.

I guess it will depend on the new points allocation over the three events but if more points are handed out per event would that not make it a little easier for those off the pace in the regular season to move up through play offs if they suddenly hit a hot streak?

McLaren wrote:I guess it will depend on the new points allocation over the three events but if more points are handed out per event would that not make it a little easier for those off the pace in the regular season to move up through play offs if they suddenly hit a hot streak?

I suppose anything is possible, but I think the consensus is players want the regular season more meaningful. So my guess is however they allocate points/#players in those events would be towards that objective.

Cheers robo, interesting stuff.