Consortium saves Mississippi’s PGA Tour event

17 October 2011 | Posted in Sponsorship, Golf, North America | By Tom Love

Randy Watkins, tournament director of Mississippi's PGA Tour event, has announced that a consortium of companies have verbally agreed to sponsor the 44-year-old golf tournament, previously known as the Viking Classic.

The tournament will be rebranded as the True South Classic after kitchen appliance company Viking Range Corporation discontinued its title sponsorship of the US$3.6 million event.

The new tournament name is based on the Mississippi's 'Find Your True South' slogan.

"There have been some dark days, but I think this is going to be the tournament's finest hour," said Watkins who refused to reveal the "three or four" companies involved in the consortium. "It's a very neat way to do it. Instead of one company promoting themselves, it's a group of companies promoting something even bigger than themselves - promoting Mississippi," he added.

As yet the tournament's date has not yet been set, however, the newly renamed True South Classic will continue to be played at the Hattiesburg Country Club.