Not only are local golf fans giddy about PGA Tour Champions coming to town so, too, are the golfers themselves.
Murray Thomas 鈥� tournament director for the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour sa国际传媒鈥檚 Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by sa国际传媒 stop in Victoria next month 鈥� said he spoke to local senior competitor Jim Rutledge shortly after word broke out amongst the tour players.
鈥淗e said guys are coming up to him and saying, 鈥楯im, do we have to fly to Alaska to get to Victoria?鈥� So he says, 鈥楴o, you can get a direct flight from San Francisco right to Victoria.鈥� And they鈥檙e like, 鈥榃ow, that鈥檒l be cool,鈥� 鈥� Thomas said with a chuckle.
Thomas himself is thrilled to see the Champions tour come to Bear Mountain for the Pacific Links Championship, Sept. 19-25.
Rutledge no longer carries full playing privileges on tour, but will surely be considered for a sponsors鈥� exemption, like he received this week at the Insperity Invitational in Woodlands, Texas.
鈥淢an, I would love to see him playing here at Bear Mountain. A local boy, from Victoria 鈥� you would think and hope that he would be in,鈥� added Thomas. 鈥淗e鈥檚 very excited. It would be nice for him to showcase his city.鈥�
Currently Rod Spittle and Stephen Ames are the lone Canadians carrying full-fledged tour cards.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very, very exciting for the city. To get those guys to come here and play is going to be something else, there鈥檚 no doubt about that,鈥� said Thomas.
Keith Dagg, who is responsible for sponsorship and marketing for the Mackenzie Tour stop at Uplands Golf Club next month, is also delighted.
鈥淭he PGA seniors coming to Victoria is very exciting news for golf in Victoria. We probably get to see our own Jim Rutledge playing against the best seniors in the world,鈥� said Dagg, whose committee of volunteers will likely jump in and assist.
鈥淲e have already been approached by the organizers to see how we can work together as we have been putting on these events here for so long and we are excited about doing that,鈥� said Dagg.
Bear Mountain did host the Telus World Skins Game in 2010, which drew roughly 5,000 fans a day and local organizers are expecting much more than that for the PGA Tour Champions circuit, which includes the likes of John Daly, Bernhard Langer, Tom Watson and Fred Couples, the latter played in the Telus World Skins Game at Bear Mountain in 2010.
鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to see the potential of having these players up close and personal, these iconic ones we grew up watching and we鈥檒l be able to see them right here on our course,鈥� said David Clarke, chief financial officer for Ecoasis Development LLP that owns and operates the resort.
