Williams Ends Association With San Diego PGA Event

Andy Williams has ended his involvement as celebrity host for San Diego’s annual PGA Tour event after 21 years, the Century Club of San Diego announced Tuesday.

“Andy Williams has been a valued partner and one of the most influential forces in the growth and success of our event,” said Griff J. Hayes, Century Club president. “We respect his wishes to discontinue his involvement and thank him for 21 wonderful years.”

Williams and the Century Club, the founding and organizing body for the Shearson Lehman Hutton Andy Williams Open, initiated their partnership in 1968 when the tournament moved to its current home at Torrey Pines Golf Course.

“Basically it was his decision,” said Tom Morgan, Century Club executive director. “It takes his name away from it, but more importantly it takes away his participation in our dinner show. The biggest void we will have to fill now is basically producing the dinner show without Andy’s involvement.”

Williams, who is on tour and could not be reached for comment, did not have a financial commitment with the tournament. Morgan said the resurgence in the entertainer’s career and his declining prominence with the tournament because of corporate sponsorship, contributed to the decision.

“It’s not an easy marriage with corporate sponsorship and celebrities,” Morgan said. “He had this tournament to himself for so many years. That led him to feel he served his purpose and helped us in how we got to where we are today.”

The tournament, to be known as the Shearson Lehman Hutton Open, will be played Feb. 14-19.