Barring an unexpected change in plans by General Motors, it appears that the 51st Buick Open this week at Grand Blanc, Mich., will be the last under the Buick sponsorship umbrella. According to a source who requested anonymity because the person is not authorized to speak about the sponsorship agreement, Buick’s parent company, General Motors, will cease sponsorship after this week’s tournament.
The revelation follows reports by The Associated Press that said G.M., which emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings July 11, would end its sponsorship of the tournament, a $5.1 million event at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club, and would instead focus its marketing budget on new product advertising. A separate report in The San Diego Union-Tribune said Buick was expected to withdraw its sponsorship from the 2010 Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines Golf Course.
Pete Ternes, a G.M. spokesman, said Tuesday that the company was in discussions with the PGA Tour about both tournaments, which are contracted through 2010, and added, “We have not agreed to any changes.”
Ty Votaw, a spokesman for the PGA Tour, said the tour had no comment on the reports. Votaw said that the commissioner, Tim Finchem, would meet Tuesday night with tournament officials and members of the tour’s Player Advisory Council but would not issue a statement afterward.
Golfweek magazine last week said the PGA Tour would announce a new event and sponsor next week, and quoted the tour player and council member Tom Pernice confirming that this week’s event would be the final playing of the Buick Open.
“Buick doesn’t have the finances; G.M. can’t afford it,” Pernice was quoted saying in Golfweek. “From a perception standpoint, you can’t lay off all of those people and then sponsor a golf tournament. They’ve supported us forever. It’s been a huge part of the tour. I think a lot of people knew the writing was on the wall.”
Ternes said Buick would not discuss its plans about the tournament until after it ends on Sunday. Despite reports of the tournament’s demise, Buick has a strong promotional presence at Warwick Hills.
If this is the final edition of an event that was born in 1958 as part of Buick’s 50th-birthday celebration, it has the opportunity to end on a high note. Tiger Woods is making his ninth Buick Open appearance, and his first since he won in 2006.
