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Windfall to follow TV matchBy BRANT JAMES, Times Staff Writer© St. Petersburg Times published March 14, 2002 BROOKSVILLE -- Stan Cooke knows World Woods' reputation in Florida and the Southeast is impeccable. Consistent rankings as one of the top courses in the country drive that point home. Cooke, director of golf for the expansive course north of Brooksville, now wants to reach a little farther. So much so he and Interfive Florida Company -- which owns the course along with the Southern Woods and Sugarmill Woods courses in Citrus County -- were willing to invest $350,000 to land a Shell's Wonderful World of Golf event for World Woods on April 23. The made-for-television match will feature PGA Tour stars Phil Mickelson and David Toms in a head-to-head stroke-play tournament that will expose World Woods, Cooke hopes, to a new audience. "There's still a lot of people out there who haven't heard about us," Cooke said. "We're hoping this helps us take the next step." Part of the fee goes toward purses: $100,000 to the winner and $50,000 to the loser. Because Cooke hopes TV will provide the payoff, only 5,000 tickets are being sold. That includes those for $50 sold to individuals and the $10,000 corporate packages that come with 125 tickets. One thousand tickets had been sold as of Monday, Cooke said. "We're hoping to succeed through the whole ordeal, not through ticket sales or packages," Cooke said. "Primarily, what we want is publicity that comes from this being aired in the U.S. and other countries." The event will be held on the Pine Barrens course, which was ranked 45th-best in the country by Golf Magazine in 2001. The event is on a Tuesday to accommodate the players' tour schedules. Cooke said the choice of players was left up to Gaylord Event Television, which runs the event, but he asked for two top 10 players. He got what he wanted in Mickelson -- second on the world money list last season -- and Toms -- the reigning PGA Championship winner. "What they were trying to do is find out what a TV audience might enjoy," Cooke said. "And we got a couple of very good players." Gaylord first contacted Cooke late last fall and the contract was signed in January. The club has since been tailoring its over-seeding and hole placements to the course design Mickelson and Toms will use. An interesting wrinkle of this event will be fans' ability to get close to the players. Cooke said only the tees and greens will be roped off, allowing fans to cross fairways and stand within five to 10 feet during play. "It's going to be up close and personal," Cooke said. The match will be broadcast on ESPN on Oct. 7. Parking will be a challenge. The clubhouse lot will be used for VIP parking and vacant areas will be utilized as satellite lots. -- Staff writer Brant James can be reached at (800) 333-7505, ext. 1407. Send email to
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