WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — July’s Greenbrier Classic has received a commitment from Phil Mickelson, and tournament officials continue to hold out hope Tiger Woods will be returning as well.
Greenbrier resort owner Jim Justice said the PGA Tour event received Mickelson’s pledge about 24 hours before Tuesday’s media gathering. Fan favorite John Daly — whose big personality meshes with Justice’s — also will be returning to the July 1-7 event.
Rory McIlroy is unlikely to participate because of a conflict with the Irish Open, and word has yet to come from Woods, who draws megagalleries, and mega TV ratings, wherever he plays.
“All I can report on Tiger, is we don’t have a no. And we don’t have a yes either,” Justice said. “He’s in super demand, that’s for sure.”
Defending champ Ted Potter Jr. will be returning to the field. The 29-year-old Ocala, Fla., native earned his only PGA win last year at the Greenbrier by rallying to force a playoff against Troy Kelly.
“It’s definitely a treat to come back,” Potter said Tuesday, seated next to Justice. “This is a very special place to me because it jumpstarted my career on the PGA Tour.”
That victory netted Potter about $1.1 million — a sizable chunk of his $1.38 million yearly earnings — and guaranteed him a berth in the British Open two weeks later, along with a trip to the 2013 Masters.
Though he posted 14 wins on the Hooters and Web.com tours, Potter admitted he carries a new sense returning to the Greenbrier.
“I’ve never defended a PGA Tour event before, so there’s definitely a little load on your shoulders there,” he said.
More player commitments are forthcoming, and tournament director Monte Otrel said the event wants to be “second to none on the tour.” That means frequent recruiting trips and daily calls to agents and players.
“We’ve had great fields in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and this year we will have the best field to date,” Ortel said.
Justice called notoriety for his Greenbrier resort a given, but he reiterated that the growing tournament should be a source of state pride.
“What I want to accomplish is I want the average everyday West Virginian to be able to hold his head or her head a little bit higher and be a little more proud of themselves,” he said. “I want the world to see how good we really are. This is a special place. A lot of times we’re overlooked, and I’d like to try to change that.”