WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Exec Dir Don Padgett III said ticket sales for next month's final tournament in Akron are "tracking quite a bit ahead" of the '17 event at Firestone Country Club, according to Kevin Kleps of the CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS. Last year's event had a "total attendance of about 85,000, which was 10,000 ahead" of the '16 tournament, but "about 5,000 down" from the '14 Bridgestone. The WGC event next year will move to Memphis , while the Bridgestone Senior Players will be played at Firestone, and Padgett said of the sales boost, "We've been in the news a little bit more than usual. I think we're just a little bit more top of mind with people. We've done a lot more targeted digital efforts as well." Kleps noted the event and the Pro Football HOF -- which will hold its induction ceremony and HOF Game during the same weekend as the Bridgestone -- have "conducted a digital campaign that has targeted potential customers in Chicago and Philadelphia." Padgett said that purchases "always pick up" as the tourney draws near. Padgett: "People know they're going to go and they're just trying to narrow down a day. We try to encourage people to buy early." Meanwhile, attendance for the PGA Tour Champions event in '19 is expected to "drop" from the annual WGC event. Padgett said that a "lot of the early buzz" for the '19 Senior Players has been the "return of the pro-am," which was not included in the WGC event. Padgett "expects more corporations to get involved" because of the "addition of the pro-am" ( CRAINSCLEVELAND.com, 7/5 ).
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