Garten, the tournament director for the Accenture Match Play Championship, said six months ago there was an 80 percent likelihood the World Golf Championships event would return to La Costa after 2002. Make that 90 percent now, thanks to a groundbreaking agreement with the San Diego International Sports Council. With the PGA Tour looking for some spark of interest after two years of poor ticket sales, Garten began talks with Sports Council president Ky Snyder in April 2000. Without a significant increase in support from San Diego, the city could lose a world-class event viewed by millions in 140 countries. That got Snyder's attention, because 70 board members and about 500 participants at the Sports Council are accustomed to attracting high-profile events such as the Super Bowl and the NCAA Men's Basketball Regional, not seeing them disappear.
Any loss weakens the others in some capacity.
The important thing is to keep growing, and we would be taking a step back if we lost this event. The result is an unprecedented commitment by the Sports Council to promote the tournament. The setup is a first for an organization that has historically stayed away from the business of selling tickets. In addition, the Sports Council will soon approach 40 local organizations to enlist their help in a grassroots ticket drive. This seems to be the right event in the right place at the right time.