WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS - After making a bold move to buy The Greenbrier, after capitalizing on an opening and landing a PGA tournament, and after a year preparing his resort for this week's Greenbrier Classic, just one question remained for owner Jim Justice.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS - After making a bold move to buy The Greenbrier, after capitalizing on an opening and landing a PGA tournament, and after a year preparing his resort for this week's Greenbrier Classic, just one question remained for owner Jim Justice.
How will Justice enjoy the fruits of his labor - and the capital spent on those fruits - this week?
"I'm going fishin','' he said.
Justice smiled. He said that, indeed, he could fish a little Tuesday evening. Then he took a stab at the answer.
"I'll probably just go out and enjoy the people,'' he said. "I enjoy people, especially little kids.
"I rode around in a golf cart [Tuesday] with [PGA executive] Rick George. Unbelievably, some asked for my autograph. But I saw people having a good time and that's it for me.
"I'm not interesting in piling up a bunch of gold. I want longevity for this event. I really believe this is what I'm supposed to be doing.''
As reported in Tuesday's Gazette, Justice again explained that a hole-in-one on No. 18 would mean $250,000 for the golfer, $750,000 for charity and $100 for each spectator in the stands. (The payout per day for fans rises to $500 for a second hole-in-one and $1,000 for a third.)
The resort owner said he's pulling out all the stops to make the Classic one of the PGA's best events.
"I'm not going to stop until they at the PGA come to me and say it's the best on the PGA Tour, except maybe for the majors,'' Justice said.
"It's just a matter of time before we attract all the top golfers. We're going to make it that good. Maybe to get to that level we have to add length to the course. I'm prepared to do that. I'm not going to quit until they tell me it's the best.''
Justice's close friend, PGA Tour tournament director Slugger White, said the Classic is off to a good start.
"I think the golfers are going to like this a lot,'' White said. "There's not a lot of length, but I think they'll like the course.
"It's so neat. The fescue around the bunkers ... there are a lot of things players don't see every day.''
White waved his hand at the impressive media center.
"The presentation here takes a back seat to no one,'' he said.
Reach Mitch Vingle at 304-348-4827, mitchvin...@wvgazette.com or follow him at http://twitter.com/MitchVingle.
