Furyk, Singh could play at Turning Stone Resort Championship - Sunday, July 22, 2007

VERNON, N.Y. -- With just two months until the first tee shot, the brain trust at Turning Stone is leaving no stone unturned in its quest for the best field for its inaugural event. The Turning Stone Resort Championship, scheduled for Sept. 20-23 at Atunyote Golf Club in Vernon, already has drawn the likes of fan-favorite Fred Funk, an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour, and two-time Ryder Cup team member Chris DiMarco. Now the brass at Turning Stone is putting on a press to bring some of the game's biggest names to Central New York. They've sought advice from the PGA, gained help from tour players and teaching professionals who played at Atunyote last summer, and have attended numerous tournaments throughout the country in trying to recruit players. Earlier this month, Oneida Nation Representative and CEO Ray Halbritter, with the help of Turning Stone Resort Championship ambassadorNotah Begay III, spoke with Tiger Woods at the AT&T National. Begay III, Woods roommate at Stanford University, signed a two-year agreement to become an ambassador for the property. Begay, the only Native American on the PGA Tour, also has an active role, as an insider, in helping with player recruitment. Woods did not give an indication whether or not he would attend the event. While Halbritter is doing his best to lure the world's No. 1 to Atunyote, Wolf Clan representative Keller George has been jumping from tournament to tournament over the past couple of months talking to players. "We're getting a good response," said George, who has already been to tournaments at Doral, The Byron Nelson in Irving, Texas, and the Stanford St. Jude Championship in Memphis, Tenn. "Vijay Singh has shown interest, and Jim Furyk has indicated that he's coming, but they haven't signed up yet. I think we're going to have a really good field," said George, who added that John Rollins, who won the B.C. Open Presented by Turning Stone Resort last July at Atunyote, and Rory Sabbatini are among others showing interest, but have yet to sign up. Halbritter, who also attended the Masters, and Begay III were unavailable for comment. Officially, players have until Friday, Sept. 14 at 5 p.m., or 30 minutes after play ends that same day at the TOUR Championship, to officially commit to the Turning Stone Resort Championship. Meaning, even Funk, DiMarco and the others who've signed up for the tournament can still back out of the tournament until that deadline. After 5 p.m. on Sept. 14, players need a valid excuse, such as a medical problem, to withdraw. The others who've signed up to play in the inaugural tournament are: Woody Austin, Robert Gamez, Jason Gore, Rocco Mediate, Kevin Stadler, Duffy Waldorf and Bubba Dickerson. Being new to the process, Turning Stone officials have received some direction from the PGA. "We talked with one of the No. 1 guys on the PGA, Ross Berlin," George said of the senior vice president, player affairs. "He's one of the top player development persons with the tour. And he's given us some pointers. He told us to make up a brochure. "Number one, we have some professional people working on it in doing a number of things. We've been promoting it on brochures and distributed them at tournaments. (The brochures) give background on the course, amenities, the property and what changes we've made to the course. They also talk about (Atunyote architect Tom) Fazio and how he is known for being one of the best." Even with all the effort and recommendations, there are still plenty of obstacles to overcome. The biggest problem Halbritter and George face is the timing of the tournament. It takes place right after the FedEx Cup Playoffs and before the Presidents Cup. The PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedEx Cup features four tournaments. There is a progressive cut through the first three events to determine the final 30 players who will qualify for THE TOUR Championship, where the FedEx Cup Champion will be determined. The Barclays (Aug. 23-26) opens the playoffs with 144 players, followed by the Deutsche Bank Championship (120) and the BMW Championship with 70. THE TOUR Championship (Sept. 13-16) is the week preceding the Turning Stone Resort Championship. The week after Turning Stone, top players from the United States and the rest of the world, excluding Europe, head to Montreal for the Presidents Cup matches. Meaning some of the Presidents Cup contestants, if they choose to play at Atunyote, will have to play six consecutive weeks. George is fully aware of this hurdle. "We've been pitching to a lot of players that it's right on the way to Montreal and a lot of them say it's not a problem," said George, who will be attending the Barclays in Westchester and then will make a final push at THE TOUR Championship in Atlanta, Ga. "But I'm hesitant in naming names, because until they put it in writing, I kind of hate to say they're coming."