Cy Connelly says "More CEOs, Less Barbeque at Greensboro Open"

"The Greater Greensboro Open was long one of the most popular events on Tour: the last stop before the Masters, and legendary for its hard-drinking galleries and congenial Southern vibe. Even into the mid-Nineties, the Greensboro stayed true to its laid-back, regional roots: how many other tournaments had K-Mart as a title sponsor, Fuzzy Zoeller as course architect, or Sam Snead as unofficial host? Indeed, the entire tournament was run by the Greensboro Jaycees, a loose-knit group of volunteers dedicated to the principle that "the Earth’s great treasure lies in human personality."

However, today’s Tour is a global, hyper-competitive business. As the Greensboro’s shaky future suggests, soft assets like regional flavor and community spirit can be difficult to convert into hard assets like ticket sales and TV ratings.

To its credit, the tournament has scrambled to adapt to the new economic realities, agreeing to Tour advisories to redesign the course (with Davis Love III stripping out Zoeller’s work); to appoint a full-time professional director; to accept a less desirable, late-season date; and most recently, to turn over control of the tournament to a new board composed of local CEOs and other "leading citizens." "

This excerpt was taken from the following link. To read the entire article go to:

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=golf-m/news/BEN3981921.htm


More CEOs, Less Barbeque at Greensboro Open
In the Scoring Tent
by Cy Connelly