Bausch & Lomb Championships

Special/The MPS Group Championships -- ATP player Brian Gottfried, (from left) The MPS Group Championships tournament director John Arrix, ATP player Todd Martin, Senior Vice President Corporate Development MPS Group Tyra Tutor, Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio and COO & General Manager Sawgrass Country Club George Fetherston at today's press conference announcing the Jacksonville-based MPS Group will sponsor and the Sawgrass Country Club will be the site of the women's professional tennis tournament formally based at the Amelia island Plantation.

By FRANCINE KING

The Times-Union

It appears the WTA Tour tennis tournament that has been played at Amelia Island Plantation since 1980 will remain in the Jacksonville area for its 30th anniversary.

But it might have a new home.

Residents of Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach received a notice Thursday that the Sawgrass Board of Governors has approved in principle a proposal from Octagon Enterprises to have Sawgrass play host to the event, which was previously known as the Bausch & Lomb Championships.

Octagon, the company that manages the women's professional tennis tour event, acknowledged Friday that it is trying to close a deal to bring the event to Sawgrass, but it still has to iron out a contract with a new local sponsor.

Bausch & Lomb ended its 22-year title sponsorship after the conclusion of the 2008 tournament, which was won by Russian star Maria Sharapova.

"Our intent clearly is to keep this event in the Jacksonville area and make it financially viable," tournament director John Arrix said. "We're exploring keeping it at Amelia Island, as well as going to Sawgrass. We're really hustling to find a new title sponsor and additional sponsors."

Jason Mudd, CEO of AXIA, the public relations firm hired by Octagon to help identify new sponsors, said three companies have expressed significant interest in the title sponsorship, and one has signed a letter of intent.

Arrix said if everything continues on course, he expects to make an announcement about the new sponsor in the next few weeks.

The notice to Sawgrass residents, a copy of which was obtained by the Times-Union, indicated that the agreement to move the tournament would be a three-year deal. But it acknowledged that the details of the contract had not been negotiated.

"For 29 years, we've appreciated the support of the Jacksonville area community at the Bausch & Lomb Championships," said Phil de Picciotto, president of Octagon. "With the restructuring of the women's tennis tour, we're doing everything possible to maintain our presence in the market with a new event."

I had a blast today at the Water's Edge/Florida Times-Union booth at the Bausch & Lomb Championships.

I took a ton of photos of the people who stopped by -- many of them locals -- to say hi. Check yourself out in the Sun Day gallery.

If you're taking pictures while you're out and about at the tennis tournament, I hope you'll share them here. If you're new to the site, just sign up to get a user name and then follow the instructions above to upload your photos.

My Nassau Sun staff members will be at the Florida Times-Union booth at the Bausch & Lomb Championships tomorrow, Wednesday, April 9.

The atmosphere is always great at the tournament and we're looking forward to being there.

If you're out at the tournament, I hope you'll stop by and say hello.