Tennis Event Loses Sponsor

There will be an Acura Classic next year . . . in Carlsbad, not Manhattan Beach.

The car manufacturer signed a four-year deal as the title sponsor of the women’s tennis event held at the La Costa Resort & Spa, it was announced Monday. This development ends Acura’s role of title sponsor of the women’s tournament at the Manhattan Country Club in Manhattan Beach.

IMG, which has put on the Manhattan Beach event for three years, is searching for a new title sponsor. Acura, the title sponsor at Manhattan Beach the last five years, was looking for increased space and other facilities to entertain dealers and customers and found that La Costa best fit its needs.

The La Costa tournament has had two title sponsors the last two years, TIG this year, and Toshiba in 1998. It featured record attendance this year and sold out the semifinal and final sessions. Manhattan Beach’s attendance, also a record, was up 11% this year and the tournament sold out the final four sessions.