PGA Tour's Milwaukee Stop Appears Dead

It looks like the end of the road for the tournament that was called the U.S. Bank Championship in 2009 and for much of its history was known as the Greater Milwaukee Open. Tournament organizers announced today they are shutting down their office and dissolving their organization, Milwaukee Golf Charities, and the event.

This outcome was considered a possibility as soon as title sponsor U.S. Bank decided early this year not to renew its sponsorship agreement. The search for a title sponsor to take over in 2010 immediately began, but so far no candidates have emerged.

The tournament has been played since 1968, when Dave Stockton was the first winner. It was the site of Tiger Woods' professional debut in 1996. But network television gave up the tournament when it was moved opposite the British Open on the PGA Tour schedule, and the event lost almost all the big names in golf as a result of that schedule change.

Wisconsin natives Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker claimed at this year's U.S. Bank Championship to have a plan to save the tournament, and Kelly still says they are in talks with potential sponsors. He just won't reveal who they are or how far along those alleged talks are.

The PGA Tour, meanwhile, issued a statement that read, in part:

"Upon receiving notification from U.S. Bank earlier this year of its decision not to continue title sponsorship of Milwaukee's PGA Tour event after 2009, the Tour and Milwaukee Golf Charities initiated a search for a new title sponsor. Unfortunately, their efforts to this point have not been successful. The Tour remains interested in having a tournament presence in Wisconsin and will continue to explore opportunities in the future."

At this point, "the future" looks like 2011 or beyond.