GM Urban bringing ‘new, fresh ideas’ to Sentry Tournament of Champions

It was simply an opportunity that Alex Urban could not let go by.

The first general manager of the Sentry Tournament of Champions saw the Kapalua Plantation Course up close and personal three times as a member of the PGA Tour's championship management communications team, a group of five people that handle the public relations and communications for the events that the PGA Tour owns and operates.

Urban was named to the TOC staff in April, joining long-time executive director Nancy Cross to assist with the day-to-day operations and lead the efforts in shaping the future of the tournament.

"I started more than three years ago working on this event, got the opportunity to come out here and meet the team, meet everyone and learn," the 29-year-old graduate of Clemson University said on Tuesday at Sue Cooley Stadium on the campus of Lahainaluna High School at an event announcing more than $330,000 in charitable donations from the 2018 event held in January.

"Fell in love with the place, it's hard not to. So, it was just one of those things -- sometimes you just have to be prepared for the right opportunity."

Urban began his PGA Tour tenure working on the corporate partnerships team, managing and forging relationships with key official marketing partners. After moving to the Tour's championship management communications team, one of his assignments was supervising the public relations for its flagship event, The Players Championship.

It was in that role that Urban was first introduced to the Sentry Tournament of Champions, managing the PR and communications for the event beginning in 2016.

Cross is happy to have the help.

"I would say that all of the things we want to accomplish in the future, you know, we really needed a new team member to help us achieve those (goals)," Cross said. "Alex's background, of course, is communications and he just is bringing some new, fresh ideas. We're thrilled to have someone join our team to achieve all the things we really want to do and elevate the tournament and focus on the long-term. It's been a great addition and I think we'll achieve some good things for the future."

Urban said of his role as GM of the TOC: "I think the definition can change all the time. I'm here to work with Nancy on the day-to-day operations of the event, make sure that that is taken care of. But I kind of alluded to it before, the strategic future of the event, overseeing, that is really where a lot of my focus is."

One of several ideas Urban has right off the bat is local food trucks selling their delicacies on site.

"Golf tournaments have changed a little bit, live sports has changed a little bit," he said. "What fans expect on site is different even from what it was just a couple of years ago. It's now so easy to watch on TV, which is not a bad thing, but you want people showing up to the event, having a great time. I'm really here as an additive."

The Plantation Course comes with unbeatable sightlines to be beamed around the world by the Golf Channel when many of the viewers are freezing.

"We're in a really good spot with this event and it all starts with the field -- it's the only event on the PGA Tour that features solely winners from the previous calendar year," he said. "That's our differentiating factor, but I think we need to take it further and celebrate the location of the tournament, the Plantation Course, which I believe is the most picturesque course you can play. It's absolutely gorgeous, the players love it."

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.