Buick won't be providing courtesy cars to most tournaments next year: In a sign of fragile financial conditions, some PGA Tour events are trying to figure out transportation for players after learning over the weekend Buick will not be providing courtesy cars to most tournaments next year.

"We've already started scrambling to try to approach local dealers or national suppliers to see if they're interested," said Clair Peterson, tournament director of the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill. "The car industry as a whole is in a tough spot. We've already had one company tell us everything has been frozen in '09."

Other tournaments Buick — the official car of the PGA Tour — will no longer supply include the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee, the AT&T National in Washington and the Transitions Championship outside Tampa, Fla. Shell Houston Open officials remain hopeful of keeping their Buick deal.

The Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles had a deal with Nissan, its previous title sponsor, that expired. Tournament director Tom Pulchinski said he tried to arrange a deal with Buick and was turned down.

Twenty years ago, it was routine for most players to rent their own cars. Players in recent years have a car waiting at the airport, and a tournament volunteer drops them off at the airport at the end of the week.

Kevin Sutherland, 18th on the PGA Tour money list this year, said, "I expected some of the perks we've gotten in the past are going to be cut back, and it only makes sense. It's easy to take this for granted. You show up, you get your car. You bring in your dry cleaning, they do it for you. Some of this stuff is over the top, and you get spoiled over time. But so many companies are struggling."

Saw this on TGC home page. It seems that the economy is hitting everyone. I think some tournaments may have a tough time that are sponcered by auto makers. Some won't know how to act if they have to get their own car!

One big change is that the will bring the car back with a full tank

Or either pay $6/Gallon to fill it up!!!!!!

They will fill it...or have their caddie fill it

Our outing here uses Cadillacs as does most of the champs tour. they might get hit too.

Tiger will probably still get his Buick for his events!

The rest of them will just have to rent one...that's pretty tough duty for a businessman to have to rent a car when he travels!!

Besides, it's a write-off expense. It'll probably save 'em money!!

How true. I can remember the last time tiger was here and his car broke down about a half mile from the course. It sat by the side of the road for 2 days. Not good advertizing for Buick.

You got that right !!!!!

LMAO,,,, your most likey right !!!!!!

Only the beginning.....soon ; they will have to pay for those drinks on each tee. Visions of Tiger fumbling through his pockets for a dollar for that bottle of water.
No more free practice range balls..........let's see how many Vijay hits NOW !!!!
Prize money payed for the top ten places only ; in each tournament......something that was done way back in the thirties when Ben Hogan was eating oranges to survive on Tour. That will weed out the riff-raff.
The volunteers will finally get fed-up and form a union. No more abuse from Fanny Sunneson when they shout for quiet just as that tall Swedish guy is taking the club back.
A new "rota" of courses will include some of the places that I PLAY. Advice from the caddy will sound something like this "Fade it just off that chainlink fence ....but be careful to keep it away from those high tension wires ..or it will drop down in that power sub-station , which is out of bounds."

Yeah....it's going to be tough out there this year.