Las Vegas NowTourism rift as PGA moves Reno-Tahoe Open to same July weekend as Tahoe celebs
Associated Press - November 3, 2009 6:55 PM ET
RENO, Nev. (AP) - The PGA Tour is moving the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open to the same July weekend that a nationally televised celebrity golf tournament has been played at Lake Tahoe for 20 years, much to the chagrin of tourism officials at Tahoe.
The PGA event with a $3 million purse historically has been played in August at Montreux Golf & Country Club on the edge of Mount Rose between Reno and Lake Tahoe.
The new dates of July 15-18 announced today (Tuesday) put it opposite the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course at Stateline as well as the British Open being played next summer at St. Andrews.
Both of those tourneys air on network television. The Reno-Tahoe Open will continue on the Golf Channel.
The move is drawing sharp criticism from tourism officials at Lake Tahoe who are concerned both events will suffer as a result of their head-to-head competition for fans and sponsors at the two destinations 60 miles apart.
Carol Chaplin, executive director of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, says the date change is "shortsighted." She says it is a disservice to golf fans in the region that have had two annual tournaments.
Tourism officials in Reno disagreed. Ellen Oppenheim of the Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority says having the two events at the same time offers a "wonderful opportunity to showcase Reno-Tahoe as a premier golf destination."
DATELINE (AP)
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