The PGA Tour is interested in holding a tournament at electronics tycoon John Fry's exclusive course in Morgan Hill but doesn't have a target date set, according to spokesmen from both the PGA Tour and Fry's company, Fry's Electronics.
Initial reports said the world's most prestigious golf tour planned to hold an event at "The Institute" golf course no sooner than 2010. A source close to Fry, however, said that announcement is only partially true.
"It's sort of been blown out of proportion," said Fry's spokesman Manuel Valerio. "We're excited that the PGA is showing interest in our course, but it's premature to say there's going to be an event here by 2010. It is logical to hypothesize something coming to fruition in the future, but we don't want to get ahead of ourselves."
Dave Lancer, a PGA Tour spokesman, added that 2010 seemed a good "target" date for a potential tournament.
"We want to make sure everything is in place before anything gets planned," Lancer said. "The interest is there, though."
To bring the Tour to his 192-acre "Institute," Fry reportedly has to submit a detailed plan for accommodating such an event with its enormous crowds and traffic. The course is mainly nonurban and unlikely to provide parking on site, which could spill over into environmentally sensitive land.
"An environmental impact report still has to be done, so there's still a lot to be finished," said Morgan Hill Mayor Steve Tate. "It's not going to be easy, but we want to do it right."
The immense 7,952-yard course has been tangled in controversy since its expansion from a nine-hole course in the early decade, a process done without proper permission.
Fry's company currently has specialists working to bring the course "closer in harmony with the environment," Valerio said.
"It's our intention to meet the requirements of any environmental agencies," Valerio added. "We want this to be a world-class institute without a second-class enviroment."
A PGA Tour event in Silicon Valley would be the first in roughly four decades.
Fry's Electronics currently sponsors two major golf events, including one in Scottsdale, Ariz., that would be succeeded by the event in Morgan Hill, PGA Tour officials said earlier this week. Valerio said that, too, is just speculation.
Scott J. Adams Scott J. Adams covers Morgan Hill sports for South Valley Newspapers. Send him an email or call him at 779-4106.
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