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PGA Makes 'Transition' To New Tampa Sponsor

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By MICK ELLIOTT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 3, 2008

Updated: 06/03/2008 12:22 am

PALM HARBOR - Tampa Bay's place as a PGA Tour stop will begin a new era on Wednesday when locally based Transitions Optical, Inc., as earlier reported by The Tampa Tribune, will be announced as the title sponsor of the annual March tournament played at Innisbrook Resort.

A 10 a.m. news conference has been scheduled at the resort "to announce the sponsorship that will keep the Tampa Bay area PGA Tour tournament at Innisbrook." PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem is scheduled to be in attendance.

The scheduled announcement will end a stretch of uncertainty for the Tampa Bay event that has been plagued by a series of sponsorship issues since its 2000 inception. After three different corporate partners in six years, the tournament faced possible termination after its most recent corporate backer, PODS, withdrew after this spring's tournament.

The agreement is described at "long-term" will keep Tampa Bay as part of the early season "Florida Swing." IMG, the Cleveland-based management company that, among others, represents Tiger Woods and operates the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, represented Transitions during negotiations.

Officials at PGA Tour headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach declined to comment on the sponsorship.

"All I can do is confirm that we have an announcement scheduled and Commissioner Finchem will be there," PGA Tour executive vice president Ty Votaw said.

Nevertheless, negotiations with Transitions Optical have been on-going with only minor details being ironed out in recent weeks.

The coming announcement has been common knowledge for the past month among players, and even Finchem alluded to the agreement last month during a news conference during the Players Championship, saying "I thought we'd already announced Tampa."

Reporter Mick Elliott can be reached at (813) 281-2534 or melliott@tampatrib.com.

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