Florida Swing bounces to Bay Hill |
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The PGA TOUR’s Florida Swing had its share of intrigue on the course in 2007 but perhaps the biggest story was the deviation from a schedule that had been in place for 20 seasons. Change was the norm for all four stops on the swing last year, whether it was a new name, location, sponsor or date on the Tour calendar. This year the confusion should be alleviated for players and members of the gallery, leaving golf as the main focus once again. As professional golf makes its long-awaited return to the east coast after stints in Hawaii and California, Florida steps into the spotlight for the better part of the month of March. Here is a quick look at what to expect, see and do during this year’s edition of PGA’s Florida Swing. ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL (March 13-16) The former Bay Hill Invitational is now known as the Arnold Palmer Invitational in tribute to his dedication and contributions made to the game of golf, the tournament and the PGA Tour, throughout his career. This year marks the 30th year of the tournament, which has become one of Central Florida’s signature events. As in years past, the event is expected to make a great impact on and off the course in Orlando. Vijay Singh has certainly had an impact on this event over the years and last March his hard work finally paid off. Singh exorcised his Bay Hill demons in ’07, defeating Rocco Mediate to earn his first win at Arnie’s course after suffering through three previous runner-up finishes. Singh ran off four birdies in a five-hole stretch to close out the front nine, leaving himself a comfortable margin for error by the time he reached the 72nd hole.
For those interested in making their way out to Bay Hill Club and Lodge, there are 10 different ticket options and proceeds from the tournament benefit the Arnold Palmer Medical Foundation. To purchase tickets for the 2008 Arnold Palmer Invitational, please visit www.arnoldpalmerinvitational.com or call 1-866-764-4843. Tourist attractions are plentiful in the area with Walt Disney World Resort, located in Lake Buena Vista, about 20 miles south of the city. Other notable attractions include SeaWorld and Universal Orlando. Orlando nightlife away from the theme parks is concentrated in the downtown area, specifically Central Boulevard and Orange Avenue. WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS – CA CHAMPIONSHIP (March 20-23) The last stop on the Florida Swing had been reserved for the Players Championship in Jacksonville but as of ’07 this slot will belong to one of the $8 million World Golf Championship events. Miami’s Doral Golf Resort & Spa once again welcomes the CA Championship in late March where a limited field, including the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings, is set to take aim at Doral’s Blue Monster Course. Last season’s champion was none other than world No. 1 Tiger Woods who, with the victory, is believed to be the first player to have won a PGA Tour event six times on six different courses. Woods also won this World Golf Championship event in Spain, Ireland, Atlanta, San Francisco and London. Tiger’s achievement is a feat as rare and exotic as a scene one might witness during a night on the town in Miami. The main portion of the city lies on the shores of Biscayne Bay which contains several hundred natural and artificially created barrier islands, the largest of which contains the city of Miami Beach and its famous South Beach district. Various ticket packages are available which include access to the tournament grounds, weekly parking passes for the event and certificates for special golf rates at Doral Golf Resort and Spa. For ticket information visit http://www.worldgolfchampionships.com/tournaments/tickets/r473/ or call 1-866-4WGC-TIX. Doral has four courses open to the public in addition to the championship course and many more public courses are located in the Miami area, giving tournament patrons plenty of places to tee it up during the week of the event. PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHP (May 8-11) If you missed any of your Tour favorites the first time through Florida, they’ll certainly be in Ponte Vedra Beach to compete for the richest prize in golf. The new slot on the calendar creates an inviting atmosphere for fans and players alike with more daylight hours and warmer temperatures. Last year Phil Mickelson claimed the top prize at the TPC at Sawgrass, displaying the efficiency and control he had lacked in the months leading up to the event, to earn his 31st career PGA Tour victory. Mickelson will be back and so will many of the world’s top players to take aim at the Stadium Course’s fabled No. 17 island green.
The Jacksonville area is sure to be a buzz all week, so don’t miss out on one of the hottest events on the PGA circuit. |
