Signs of renewal in air for RBC Heritage

Any lingering questions about the PGA Tour’s continued return to Hilton Head Island appear close to being answered.

A news conference has been scheduled for Wednesday at the RBC Canadian Open, where expectations are that the Canadian banking giant will announce a renewal of its sponsorship for both that tournament and the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing.

Steve Wilmot, RBC Heritage tournament director, flew to Canada early this week and is expected to be on hand. Though he declined to offer confirmation, Wilmot was upbeat about his travels when reached by phone Tuesday.

“It’s exciting,” Wilmot said. “I’m here; it’s important. We hope to have some good news when it’s all finished.”

PGA Tour sponsorship deals typically run four or five years, though the Honda Classic this year announced a 10-year extension for its South Florida event.

RBC has been the primary sponsor at Harbour Town since 2012, joining with Boeing to rescue the event from a crisis that saw the Heritage Classic Foundation reach into its reserves to put on one sponsor-less edition.

Originally a five-year deal, the parties agreed last spring to extend it another year with an eye on a longer renewal. With the RBC hierarchy experiencing some turnover in recent years, more time has been needed for due diligence.

“There’s always moving parts, and (RBC has) two events,” foundation chairman Simon Fraser said during Heritage Week. “So they have to coordinate their renewals for two events. But everything’s on course.”

This story was originally published July 19, 2016 at 9:16 PM with the headline "Signs of renewal in air for RBC Heritage."