Wrong club for this shot

The Heritage Classic doesn't just bring many of the world's best golfers to Hilton Head Island. It brings many big-spending visitors and millions of dollars for area charities. But now the tournament's loss of a sponsor has brought state lawmakers to the brink of using $10 million of the state's Insurance Reserve Fund for a loan to help it escape the financial rough. That sounds like an inappropriate -- and risky -- shot.

This year's Heritage, which runs April 15-18, will be Verizon's last as title sponsor. As the Hilton Head Island Packet recently reported, Rep. Brian White, R-Anderson, wants to authorize that state loan, if needed, to buy tournament officials more time in their search for a new sponsor.

The proposed House budget includes a provision, under the billing of tourism promotion, to lend Beaufort County (or other municipalities there) up to $10 million. Though it doesn't specifically name the Heritage as the intended recipient, Rep. White told the Packet that it's "narrowly drawn to help the Heritage," which he hailed as "a vital asset to the state."

Certainly the Heritage, long played the week after the Masters, has drawn deserved praise for being an entertaining tournament in a fun venue. And the Pete Dye-designed Harbour Town Golf Links, where it's played, has earned high marks as a demanding test of precision shot-making skills.

The looming 42nd Heritage, with $1.026 million to the winner, will feature at least two of last year's major champions -- U.S. Open winner Lucas Glover and British Open winner Stewart Cink. But alas, though the lately scandalized Tiger Woods announced Tuesday that he will return to the PGA Tour for the Masters, he apparently again will skip the Heritage, which he has played only once. He finished tied for 18th in 1999, when first place rated a mere $450,000.

Rep. White stressed that the state money for the tournament would be a loan, not a gift, and would be repaid within five years, along with any lost interest on earnings, from local accommodations taxes.

Yet the Insurance Reserve Fund's mission statement defines its role as "to provide Property and Liability Insurance products that meet the needs of its governmental customers in a secure and financially responsible manner at the least possible cost."

How could that needed function be legitimately stretched to providing what would be, in essence, a government bailout of a professional sports event?

The safest use of Insurance Fund money is for its proper --and limited -- purposes.

And the safest shot for the Heritage is to find the private sponsor it needs.