The International is history

[titan]

Reports on a couple of Denver radio stations today say that the International Golf Tournament will be no more. One said they'd play it this summer and that would be it, the other said the tournament won't be played this year and an announcement will come tomorrow.

Too bad. The International had a unique scoring system and was the only pga tour stop in Colorado. If it does go away I hope Castle Pines can host a major every once in awhile (US Open and/or PGA) now that Cherry Hills is being bypassed on the "major" rotation.

[BroncoBuff]

To bad .... I recall when it debuted, Jack Vickers wanted it to be a "mini-major."


PGA slices state's "gem"
The lack of an $8 million sponsor is said to be the cause, helped by a certain star's distaste for altitude.
By Anthony Cotton
Denver Post Staff Writer


The International, the local stop on the PGA Tour since 1986, is ceasing operations. The tournament had been near extinction for weeks as it looked to find a title sponsor.

Tim Finchem, PGA Tour commissioner, and Jack Vickers, the founder of the event with the unique scoring system, will officially announce the tournament's demise at a news conference this morning in Denver. The tournament was scheduled to be played July 5-8 this year.

"This is very disappointing news if you're a fan of golf," said Ed Mate, the executive director of the Colorado Golf Association. "The mission of the CGA is to serve the game of golf, and this was the showcase event on our calendar. It was a window into the culture of Colorado through the lens of golf."

International officials released a statement announcing the end of the tournament but would not comment. Tour officials also would not comment.

However, a golf-industry source said the demise happened primarily because of the tournament's inability to find a title sponsor. The International, located at Castle Pines Golf Club near Castle Rock, hasn't had a title sponsor since 2004, and along with the Canadian Open was one of two events on this season's 44-week schedule without one.

As recently as last year's tournament, Vickers and The International's executive director, Larry Thiel, expressed confidence that a title sponsor would be found to foot the majority of expenses for an event that paid out a $5.5 million purse last year.

They were looking for a sponsor to commit up to $8 million, the source said. When Vickers decided not to underwrite the event at the amount required to stage it this year, the PGA Tour had no choice but to cancel the tournament, the source said.

No Tiger, no tourney

The future of The International grew dim in recent years because of a number of factors. One, it was unable to attract Tiger Woods, the world's No. 1 player, who brings with him huge crowds, television exposure and potential sponsors.

"Jack Vickers could put it on whatever date he wants, but Tiger is still not going to play there," said Jonathan Kaye, a Denver native and PGA Tour player. "I don't think he likes the golf course. He doesn't like playing at altitude. And he doesn't have to. He can do whatever he wants. He's the man. He owns the world right now."

Woods made two appearances at The International, in 1998 and 1999. Numerous shifts on the PGA calendar did not help The International attract Woods.

Also, PGA players have long spoken of the difficultly in adjusting to a golf ball traveling farther in Colorado's thin air, which then plays havoc with their games when they return to sea-level events. In addition, this year's early July date created major concerns, both for potential sponsors as well as for foreign players whose travel plans would not allow them to compete here.

An odd scoring system

The International's quirky scoring system, the modified- Stableford, also did not appear to help. Instead of the traditional stroke play used in every other PGA event, the modified-Stableford gives numeric values to birdies and bogeys.

The tournament has been without a title sponsor since 2004, when Qwest declined to renew its five-year contract. Last year, the event had five presenting sponsors.

"It's a sad day for Colorado sports; it was a landmark event," said Don Hinchey, vice president of communications at the Bonham Group, a local sports marketing firm. "It has been a high-profile vehicle for Colorado tourism, with tremendous TV exposure for the state. It's also been a great showcase for businesses wanting to relocate here."

An economic-impact figure for the event has never been calculated, but Rob Cohen, founder of the Metro Denver Sports Commission, said, "To lose one of our gems is certainly not positive."

The frontrunner to replace The International on the PGA calendar appears to be Washington, D.C. Long a stop on the tour, the nation's capital lost its event before the start of this season when Booz Allen, a technology consulting firm, pulled its sponsorship.

On Wednesday, however, Steve Skinner, the president of Kemper Sports Management, the group responsible for staging the D.C. event, said Kemper would be willing to step in to pick up the now open date.

Staff writers Julie Dunn and Tom Kensler contributed to this report.

Staff writer Anthony Cotton can be reached at 303-954-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com.

[Rohirrim]

I guess this goes down as the tournament that Tiger killed.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

I guess this goes down as the tournament that Tiger killed. The only way to get a PGA tourney in Colorado is design a course that doesn't rely on 350 yard drives for scoring but one that requires shot making.

[watermock]

It's a stupid scoring format. It's a beautiful course.

[watermock]

The only way to get a PGA tourney in Colorado is design a course that doesn't rely on 350 yard drives for scoring but one that requires shot making.

You should see the opening tee...It's breathtaking but I can hit 300 as the elevation drop is at least 100 feet. They change the scoring they might be able to find a sponsor...I suppose that didn't occur to Vickers.

[TailgateNut]

I guess this goes down as the tournament that Tiger killed.
Good! No more traffic jams on Hwy 85 and Castle Pines Pkwy.

[Garcia Bronco]

Way to roll over Vickers.

[azbroncfan]

I guess this goes down as the tournament that Tiger killed.


No it's the stableford scoring system. Tiger doesn' play a lot of places and FBR is a prime example you don't need him to fill the stands.

[Billy Clyde Puckett]

No it's the stableford scoring system. Tiger doesn' play a lot of places and FBR is a prime example you don't need him to fill the stands.

No - It is the lack of a national corporate sponsor. They could not get one because without Tiger, they can't get the TV ratings. Heard a PGA official say today that the same will happen to more tournaments. Just like football, it's not the fans in the stands but the TV ratings/money that carries the sport.

[bronco militia]

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