'The Tour needs us'

HILTON HEAD ISLAND -- In spite of the challenge of finding a replacement for title sponsor Verizon, the Heritage will continue as a PGA Tour event in 2011, tournament director Steve Wilmot said Monday.

Last fall, Verizon announced it would not renew its contract with the tournament after 24 years as title sponsor under several different names (MCI, Worldcom and Verizon). The sponsorship ends after this year's event, scheduled April 15-18 at Harbour Town Golf Links.

Wilmot said the search for a new sponsor goes on 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And without question, he said the Heritage will be held again next year.

"The Tour needs us as much as we certainly need them," Wilmot said of the bid to keep the 42-year-old event on the schedule. He said the tournament has a lot going for it -- history, tradition and a list of well-known winners beginning with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.

"Honestly, it's a work in progress. We have not sat in front of anybody and negotiated," Wilmot said.

The magic number for title sponsorship is between $7 and $8 million, with $4.2 million being the television component of the contract. CBS and The Golf Channel carry more than 16 hours of live coverage of the tournament. But the numbers are fluid, depending upon the type of relationship the sponsor seeks, the amount of signage and the number of pro-am spots.

Wilmot even admitted there have been conversations about having several smaller main sponsors, although that is an issue with the networks who prefer to deal with only one main sponsor.

Wilmot said the difficult economic climate has made the Heritage Classic Foundation, which runs the tournament, reassess ways it can stress the importance of the event to the community. He pointed out that the Heritage now has an estimated $100 million annual economic impact on the area. The Heritage Classic Foundation distributed more than $1.3 million to area charities and institutions last December, and since 1987 has given nearly $20 million to charities.

In addition to working with the PGA Tour, the tournament also has worked with the Chamber of Commerce and the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. The Sponsorship Partners Club was founded this year, with 60 volunteers going out into the community and pointing out that the event brings people who eat in restaurants, sleep in hotels, play golf and otherwise spend money in the area.

"The partnership has opened a lot of eyes," Wilmot said. "They have gone out and helped raise $108,000 from the community and that's newfound money for the Heritage Classic Foundation."

As work continues to find that new sponsor, Wilmot said nothing is off the table, even a change from the tournament's traditional week after the Masters spot on the PGA Tour schedule.

--The Heritage has announced six player commitments for this year's tournament, including defending champion Brian Gay. Also announcing they will participate are Lucas Glover, Stewart Cink, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson and former Players Amateur champion Rickie Fowler.

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