North Carolina Readies for PGA Tour 

By BLAIR HOLLEY

GREENSBORO--To stage any kind of golf tournament you need four things: players, producers, sponsors and a venue. This is true for the simplest of tournaments, but with a PGA Tour event everything is amplified and certainly not simple.

For the 64th time, the Greenboro Jaycees will present the Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic, once again at Forest Oaks Country Club, the week of April 22-28.

LPGA, Senior Tour and other PGA tournaments have come and gone from the state, but the PGA stop in Greensboro remains the constant.

Greensboro native Lee Porter, who regained his PGA Tour card for this year at the demanding Qualifying School, noted in a letter to a newspaper last year that Greensboro is one of only 42 cities in the world to host a PGA Tour event.

The Greensboro Jaycees organization is the guiding force behind the GGCC and proudly notes that, in its 64th year, it is the third oldest event on the Tour. And the Greensboro Jaycees is the largest Jaycee organization in the United States for men and women ages 21-39 and has been serving the Greensboro community since 1938.

Bolstered by thousands of loyal volunteers — the true lifeblood of any big tournament — the Jaycees run a real major league event. To augment their part of the quartet, as producer they have hired a new tournament director, North Carolina native Mark Brazil, to take the front line in the massive effort.

Chosen from among 30 candidates, Brazil, 34, is a former executive of the American Junior Golf Association and has 10 years experience in the golf business. Much of that work has been in sales, sponsor relations and player relations, all key elements in putting together a PGA Tour event. Last year, Golfweek honored him as one of 40 people under age 40 which that national publication considered "to most likely shape the game — and the business of the game — for the next 10, 20 or 30 years."

Brazil is not just a "desk man." He has experience as a player and served as the American Captain for several national junior teams, including the 1997 and 1999 Junior Ryder Cup teams.

"The Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic is rich in history and prestige,” says Judy Revels of the Jaycees. “We need a tournament director who recognizes this and who can strategically take us to the next level. Mark can help the GGCC continue to be one of the premier stops on the PGA Tour."

The Executive Committee of the GGCC has fine-tuned the role of the new tournament director with guidance and input from the PGA Tour. The position will mainly concentrate on the sales, marketing and strategic long-term planning of the event.

Forest Oaks Country Club in eastern Greensboro will again be the site this year and probably for several years to come.

Although the amount of star quality in the field has been a sore subject in recent years, the level of play has been superb. Raleigh native and former Wake Forest star Scott Hoch is the defending champion.

A strong cast is expected to assemble again this year.

If the Jaycees sign an agreement with Love Enterprises to design a new GGCC course, you can bet Davis Love III will be in this year's field. Negotiations are ongoing between the Jaycees and Love’s company. A site was purchased in 2000 by the Jaycees off Rock Creek Dairy Road in eastern Guilford County near I-85 for just that purpose.

A spokeswoman for Love Enterprises says that "discussions are moving in a forward path. I think something is going to come from this. We also don't want to see the tournament die.”

Says Jaycee President Randy Harris: "We are not pursuing any other options than the Love group. We are excited about their interest in us as well."

The sponsor’s portion of this tournament is, of course, huge -- ranging from the overall tournament sponsor, the loyal Chrysler Corporation, to the local companies that pay the freight in many other ways. Two Pro-Ams, April 22 and 24, the latter known as the Wednesday Pro-Am, give customers and clients the chance to play a round with a PGA Tour pro.

Another chance to play with a pro will be during the weekend of the tournament. The PGA Tour’s Saturday Series Pro-Am will be played at Grandover Resort on April 27. The national network of events has expanded to nearly 40 tournaments nationwide. Pros are from the GGCC field who miss the 36-hole cut. More information is available from Chris Gibson at 540-420-1303.

Porter will be in the tournament as the "local favorite," a huge amount of pressure for a native golfer. He calls Forest Oaks "one of the best conditioned courses I've ever played in 12 years as a pro."

Jeffrey Lankford of Mocksville, who tied for 28th in last year’s event, is another local favorite. He’ll be back by virtue of his Carolinas Section championship of 2001.

A couple more club pros will earn starting times March 25 with section qualifying at Forest Oaks.

Open qualifying is set for April 22 at Bryan Park’s Champions Course