Columnist Victoria Sun: LV tour stop in jeopardy

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, April 18, 2001 | 10:06 a.m.

Victoria Sun's golf column appears Wednesday. Reach her at 259-4078 or victoria@lasvegassun.com.

If the rumors that have been circulating through the Senior PGA Tour locker room for the last few months are true, the Las Vegas Senior Classic may not be around next year, much to the chagrin of senior tour professional Dana Quigley.

"I love playing here," Quigley said Tuesday afternoon. "I've heard we're liable not to have this tournament after this year.

"It's possible. We've talked about it. I will be very disappointed if we don't get to play here next year."

Quigley is playing in the $1.4 million tournament that started today at the TPC at Summerlin with a pro-am and concludes Sunday.

Tournament director Charlie Baron confirmed that if the Las Vegas Founders Club does not find a corporate sponsor, ideally within the next three months, the tournament may cease.

After the three-year sponsorship agreement with Tru-Green Chem Lawn expired last year, the Founders Club had to find other sponsors to keep the tournament afloat.

Fortunately, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority continued its support of the tournament and other companies, including Charles Schwab, became partial sponsors.

"In the world of sports today, to be a purist and say you can do it yourself (is foolish), you need that corporate involvement," Baron said. "The Founders Club is going to evaluate where we are at the end of the year with our sponsorships and see where we go after that.

"Until we have something put in contract form, we need to evaluate where we are. The word is out there (that we need a sponsor). This is a great venue. The players and sponsors have enjoyed it."

For sentimental reasons John Mahaffey, a member of the Senior PGA Tour policy board, would also be saddened if the event does not survive.

"I won my first tournament here (in 1973)," Mahaffey said. "I know that we'd sure love to still play in Las Vegas.

"I just hope that we could find a sponsor."

Losing the title sponsor isn't the only reason the tournament is struggling.

Baron said the closing of the Desert Inn hurt because the resort used to buy about 30 spots in the pro-am at $5,000 each, so the tournament office had to solicit new buyers. The tournament also lost its ties to Cadillac because the car company dropped its relationship with the senior tour.

"The community has also changed," Baron said. "Now, you're faced with a lot of mergers where all of the hotels are grouped together.

"That has affected things because before, each hotel would maybe buy a certain number of pro-am spots or do some type of sponsorship and now it's one big group."

"You have parity on the regular tour with the exception of one guy, Tiger Woods," senior tour veteran Bob Murphy said. "Now, we would have to say Phil Mickelson has moved out of the parity situation. He would be the leader out there were it not for Tiger."

So what will the current seniors be doing by the time Woods turns 50 and is eligible to join them?

"We'll be sitting in front of the television, lucky to turn it on by the time Tiger turns 50," Murphy said with a hearty laugh.