Champions tour a boon for fans, businesses

Not only are local golf fans giddy about PGA Tour Champions coming to town so, too, are the golfers themselves.

Murray Thomas — tournament director for the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada’s Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist stop in Victoria next month — said he spoke to local senior competitor Jim Rutledge shortly after word broke out amongst the tour players.

“He said guys are coming up to him and saying, ‘Jim, do we have to fly to Alaska to get to Victoria?’ So he says, ‘No, you can get a direct flight from San Francisco right to Victoria.’ And they’re like, ‘Wow, that’ll be cool,’ ” Thomas said with a chuckle.

Thomas himself is thrilled to see the Champions tour come to Bear Mountain for the Pacific Links Championship, Sept. 19-25.

Rutledge no longer carries full playing privileges on tour, but will surely be considered for a sponsors’ exemption, like he received this week at the Insperity Invitational in Woodlands, Texas.

“Man, I would love to see him playing here at Bear Mountain. A local boy, from Victoria — you would think and hope that he would be in,” added Thomas.

“He’s very excited. It would be nice for him to showcase his city.”

Currently, Rod Spittle and Stephen Ames are the lone Canadians carrying full-fledged tour cards.

Keith Dagg, who is responsible for sponsorship and marketing for the Mackenzie Tour stop at Uplands Golf Club next month, is also delighted.

“The PGA seniors coming to Victoria is very exciting news for golf in Victoria. We probably get to see our own Jim Rutledge playing against the best seniors in the world,” said Dagg, whose committee of volunteers will likely jump in and assist.

“We have already been approached by the organizers to see how we can work together as we have been putting on these events here for so long and we are excited about doing that.”

Bear Mountain did host the Telus World Skins Game in 2010, which drew roughly 5,000 fans a day and local organizers are expecting much more than that for the PGA Tour Champions circuit.