Stacy94PGT

October 2, 2002
BY DAN BOLLERMAN
BLOOMBERG NEWS

MIAMI -- Ford Motor Co., the world's second-largest automaker, agreed to become title sponsor of the U.S. PGA Tour's event in Miami for the next four years.

The tournament, to be known as the Ford Championship, is scheduled for March 6-9, 2003 on the Blue Monster course at the Doral Resort and Spa in Miami. Financial terms of the contract weren't disclosed by the PGA Tour or the Miami event.

"Doral is a marquee event and draws a very strong field," Ford Division President Steve Lyons said in a press release. "We expect that the Ford Championship will become a fixture of the PGA Tour schedule for years to come."

The course has hosted a PGA Tour event since 1962. The Miami tournament, which begins the tour's Florida swing, was known as the Genuity Championship for the past two years. Genuity Inc., a data-network operator, ended its sponsorship in April, three months before the company defaulted on $3 billion in loans.

This tournament marks the first time that Ford has sponsored an event on the main U.S. tour. Since 1993, the company has been title sponsor of the Senior Players Championship, which is played in Ford's headquarter city of Dearborn, Michigan.

The automaker signed Phil Mickelson, the world's second-ranked player, to a multiyear endorsement contract last month. Senior PGA Tour player Jim Ahern also has a sponsorship contract with the company.

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Stacy94PGT
My first car was a 67 Mustang Coupe, 2nd one was a 67 Cougar XR-7, 3rd one was a 66 Mustang Coupe. Why did I get rid of these cars for ? I know why, because I'm stupid, stupid, stupid.

My next Ford.....