PGA Tour: FedEx St. Jude takes on World Golf Championship mantle
The PGA TOUR is continuing its realignment efforts for the 2019 schedule. The most recent revision will see the popular Memphis event rechristened as the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.
When it was announced that the PGA Tour was going to try to end the 2019 season by Labor Day, it was apparent that some tournaments would be dropped or moved from the spring and summer schedule. Now we know about that one that will move and one change in designation. The cities involved are Memphis and Akron.
First, FedEx, which sponsors the season long points race and the FedEx Cup, will sponsor the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. The tournament will be held in Memphis at TPC Southwind. The time for the tournament in 2019 may change from its current slot, but no dates have been given for 2019 PGA Tour tournaments yet.
“The World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational is a significant milestone not only for FedEx and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, but also the larger Memphis community,” said Patrick Fitzgerald, senior vice president of Integrated Marketing and Communications for FedEx.
“We are proud to continue our title sponsorship to benefit St. Jude, and we look forward to the many opportunities and positive economic impact a World Golf Championship event will bring to the city.”
“We are thrilled FedEx has signed on as the title sponsor of this World Golf Championships event. We look forward to working with FedEx and continuing to grow a tournament that it has supported for 30 years and carries one of the most impactful charitable stories on the PGA TOUR,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan.
The WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational will replace the WGC-Bridgestone tournament as a summer WGC event.
PGA TOUR doesn’t abandon Firestone, moves Senior PLAYERS to Akron
Meanwhile, Bridgestone will pick up sponsorship of the Senior Players Championship beginning this year and will move the tournament to Firestone CC in 2019. The 2018 Bridgestone Senior Players will be held at Exmoor Country Club (Chicago) July 9-15. The 2019 tournament will be played July 8-14 at Firestone CC in Akron. The Senior Players Championship is a major on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.
"“The Akron community and the sport of golf have played significant roles in Bridgestone’s history and will continue to play significant roles in our future, so it is important to us that we carry the sport’s legacy in this area forward. We are excited to work with absolute legends of the sport to start a new chapter in a 65-year tradition of premier golf events that have made so many positive economic and charitable impacts on this community,” said Gordon Knapp, Chief Executive Officer and President, Bridgestone Americas."
“Bridgestone has been a tremendous partner and valued member of the PGA Tour family since 2005, and we are excited to begin this new journey with them as we bring major championship golf to Northeast Ohio with the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. “With Firestone Country Club’s South Course as the host venue, golf’s 65-year tradition in Akron will continue.”
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Past champions of the Senior Players include the late Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Fred Couples and Bernhard Langer. It is anticipated that well-known PGA TOUR Champions golfers will participate including Langer, Vijay Singh, Colin Montgomerie, John Daly, Steve Stricker, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, and, back willing, Fred Couples.
The winner of the Senior Players will continue to have a spot in The Players Championship.