Riding Shotgun With A Tour Sponsor

It's raining Buicks on the PGA Tour. Two weeks ago the carmaker
rescued the financially strapped Greater Hartford Open, which
beginning in 2004 will be known as the Buick Championship. That
will once again give Buick four eponymous tournaments, including
last week's Open. (The Buick Challenge, in Pine Mountain, Ga.,
went defunct last year.) Here's how to tell the four tournaments
apart.

BUICK BUICK
INVITATIONAL CLASSIC

FORMERLY San Diego Open Westchester Classic

PLAYED IN La Jolla, Calif., Rye, N.Y.,
in February in June

2003 CHAMP Tiger Woods Jonathan Kaye

INAUGURAL Ted Kroll Jack Nicklaus
WINNER (1952) (1967)

COURSE; Torrey Pines; Westchester;
DESCRIPTION Macho muni will host Old-school
2008 U.S. Open shotmakers' paradise

VIBE Mellow, dude Old money

SIGNATURE FAN Wayward paraglider Wall Street swindler

TIGER Never misses it; U.S. Open scheduling
FACTOR two victories conflicts a killer;
only four appearances

IF THE Corvette convertible Cadillac
TOURNAMENT
WERE A GM CAR

BUICK CHAMPIONSHIP BUICK OPEN

FORMERLY Greater Hartford Open Lake Michigan Classic

PLAYED IN Cromwell, Conn., Grand Blanc, Mich.,
in July in August

2003 CHAMP Peter Jacobsen Jim Furyk

INAUGURAL Ted Kroll Billy Casper
WINNER (1952) (1958)

COURSE; TPC at River Highlands; Warwick Hills;
DESCRIPTION Sporty, and heavy Short and easy equals
on risk-reward birdie bonanza

VIBE Good family fun Dog days of summer

SIGNATURE FAN Jaycee Laid-off autoworker

TIGER Has never played, Shows up
FACTOR but given his Buick grudgingly, but
contract, that won big in 2002
will change

IF THE Suburban Buick
TOURNAMENT
WERE A GM CAR

COLOR PHOTO: MIKE SEGAR/REUTERS (KAYE)

COLOR PHOTO: BETTMANN/CORBIS (CASPER)

COLOR PHOTO: MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS (PARAGLIDER)

COLOR PHOTO: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX/IMDB (GORDON GEKKO)

COLOR PHOTO: TIMEPIX (CORVETTE)