TOUR Insider: Players have high hopes for Heritage's future

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Davis Love III has won the PGA TOUR event at Harbour Town Golf Links five times in his career.

When Verizon decided last year that it would not extend the agreement to host the annual PGA TOUR event at Hilton Head, no one could have anticipated the difficulty it would be to find a replacement.

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The Verizon Heritage has had a place on the PGA TOUR schedule since 1969, when Arnold Palmer rode into town to win the inaugural event by three shots. The event has always been contested at the Harbour Town Golf Links, recogizable by the television audience for its iconic lighthouse on the 18th hole, and by the competitors for its playable conditions and family friendly atmosphere.

But when the cannon fired the ceremonial opening blast into Calibogue Sound on Monday afternoon, the tournament was still actively looking for a company to act as the title sponsor.

"It's such an iconic tournament," said five-time Heritage winner Davis Love III. "If we didn't have such a bad economy, this would be one where people would be standing in line to sponsor."

The list of past tournament champions reads like a roll call for the World Golf Hall of Fame: Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Hubert Green, Fuzzy Zoeller, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Greg Norman, Payne Stewart, Nick Price and Hale Irwin. More recently it's been Love, Stewart Cink, Justin Leonard and Boo Weekley.

For the last 24 years Verizon and its predecessors have grown the event into one of the favorites on the PGA TOUR. Until this spring the purse had been increased for 17 consecutive years, although a $5.7 purse and a $1.026 million check for the winner is certainly no embarrassment.

Equally important has been the tournament's charitable contributions. Since 1987 the event has generated $19.7 million. The last three years donations have totalled nearly $5 million. Last year it donated $1.763 million to more than 100 organization.

The event has everything going for it. Everything except a sponsor.

"This is a tournament that has got great visibility on television," said two-time Verizon Heritage winner Stewart Cink. "The lighthouse, the 18th hole are some of the most well-known and famous holes that you see on the TOUR anywhere. And it looks great on TV."

The tournament is far from running on fumes, but there is an undertone of concern. Two years ago the PGA TOUR event in Atlanta was cancelled after a 41-year run because of the inability to find a title sponsor. Still, Verizon Heritage tournament director Steve Wilmont and Rick George, the PGA TOUR's executive vice president and chief of operations, are both confident the matter will be properly resolved. They're exploring a variety of ideas, including knitting smaller sponsors together until a larger company can be found.

"We're very optimistic," George said. "This has been a very successful event for 42 years and we hope it's here for another 42 years."

In the meantime the players have responded. The field, which Wilmont called his "132 ambassadors" produced a tremendous show of support this week. Two players ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings (Jim Furyk and Paul Casey) are in the field; another, Ian Poulter, was a last-minute withdrawal. Three of the top 10 money winners and nine of the top 20 money winners are in the field.

But none may be more important in the big picture than Love, a player who is well-liked by sponsors and well-respected by his peers. Love is doing everything he can to ensure the survival of the event at Harbour Town.

"We've talked about it twice in the last 24 hours," Wilmont said. "He called me from the driving range. Davis is very concerned about this tournament."

Love has deep roots in the low country. He competed in the Heritage Junior and said he dreamed of one day being good enough to play in the Heritage. It's worked out well for him; in addition to his five victories, he's finished among the top 10 on 11 occasions. He's won more than $2.627 million at Hilton Head, which means the blood flowing through his veins probably has a tartan hue. Nearly seven percent of his career earnings have come from the Heritage.

"I have very close ties here," Love said.

He's also got plenty of business connections, too. Love has personally talked to numerous potential sponsors on behalf of the event. His track record is pretty good; Love helped Sea Island obtain an event for the Fall Series.

The players love the place. They enjoy the low-key atmosphere and a chance to decompress after spending a week under the microscope at the Masters. They like the flat, tree-lined Pete Dye course and the hospitality offered by the locals. Cink, who echoed the sentiment of many players in the field, said, "It's always one of my favorites, if not my very favorite tournament of the year."

All agree they hope a sponsor can be found. And soon.

"I don't think you could replace this event. It would be really sad if it happened," said defending champion Brian Gay. "It's very special to a lot of players and it's a unique event in a small community where everybody really rallies together. I think somebody will step up and keep it going."

They're trying awfully hard. And they're hopeful of a positive resolution.

"We believe people will look at this tournament and they'll see the quality field we have, they'll see the beauty of this place, the golf course," George said. "We think there's a lot of value in that for a title sponsor."