Jacobsen Says Canadians And Players Will Respond

Peter Jacobsen sees a good helping of high-profile names showing up for the inaugural Montreal Championship (see News Now) in July because on the Champions Tour, these guys are not only good, but these guys are humble too.

What do you expect from a crew that gets such unflattering nicknames such as “roundbellies” and “graybeards?”

“One thing about the Champions Tour is we have a few breaks in the schedule – sometimes a week, sometimes two weeks, maybe sometimes even three weeks,” said the seven-time PGA Tour winner.

“On (the PGA Tour), we have (a tournament) every week and it’s hard to play them all, but on the Champions Tour, we get a great number of players participating,” said Jacobsen, winner of the 2004 U.S. Senior Open and 2005 Ford Senior Players Championship.

“The Champions Tour is starting to go a little bit more international. This is really a big hole in our schedule that’s been filled. We need to play in Canada more than what we have in the past. This is a great start for us, right here in Montreal,” he said.

The players will enjoy themselves once they get there too, according to Jacobsen, who estimates he’s played in the Montreal area five or six times.

“Every time I play in Canada, whether it’s the Canadian Open or the Greater Vancouver Open, which we played over a few years, they’re very knowledgeable golf fans, love their game, understand the game,” said Jacobsen.

“That’s really what makes a great golf event is they understand the game, they understand the nuances of the competition, the ebb and flow of the competition. It makes for a great championship,” said Jacobsen.

At yesterday’s news conference to announce the event officially, there was a lot of talk about the 2007 Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal. Jacobsen says the success of that major event underscores his point about the way Canadians respond to high level golf events.

“The Presidents Cup, I think, was arguably the most successful Presidents Cup we’ve had since the inception and I think a lot of that was due to the Canadian people and the golf fans’ commitment to the Presidents Cup and I don’t think it’s going to be any different with the Champions Tour,” he said.

“There are so many fantastic golf courses up here and now, for us to be able to come back to a brand new event in Montreal is very exciting for all of us.”

Related Posts:

• Industry Needs To Follow RBC Lead
• Canadian PGA Championship Is Dormant, But Not Dead
• Janes Is “Hip” To 2010 Canadian Tour Season
• Mills, Risdon Take Last Shots At Top 25
• Canadian Tour Takes Steps To Enhance Its Image As A Development Circuit