CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — Thank you for voting on wsoctv.com sports. VOTE: Who Will Will Win The Wells Fargo Championship Who do you think will win the 2011 Wells Fargo Championship? Rory McIlroy Bubba Watson Phil Mickelson Jim Furyk Someone else
The Charlotte Regional Visitor's Authority said the Wells Fargo Golf Championship will bring in an estimated $18 million to Charlotte, mostly from food and hotel sales.
The tournament events begin Monday morning and run through Sunday.
About 35,000 spectators purchased tickets to watch the action each day. There are also 2,400 volunteers.
"I think it's a real tribute to the city of Charlotte and the whole region as to how well they support this event," said tournament director Kym Hougham.
Managers at Taco Mac's, a sports bar near the golf course, hope to see a 25 percent increase in business all week long. And on Friday night, when there are weekend pass giveaways, the restaurant expects to see a double than normal crowd.
"We plan on being busy every single day. When you have an event like that, for a week-long process, you're going to see a lot of people coming in and out of here every day," said manager Robert Rose.
In 2010, Tiger Woods teed off at Quail Hollow since news broke of his adultery scandal but he withdrew from this year's tournament because of a knee injury.
Eyewitness News asked the tournament director if casual golf fans would be turned off from paying attention this year.
"If this was our second year on the tournament, it would be pretty huge. But this is our ninth year. We have a great field. The tournament is established. We're not just a golf tournament, we're an event," Hougham said.
Hougham said Quail Hollow added two new jumbo scoreboards on the 18th hole, to make it easier for fans to track their favorite players.
Tournament Information: • 2011 Wells Fargo Tournament Schedule • Transportation To Wells Fargo Championship (Parking) • Mobile Device And Other Policies • 2011 Wells Fargo Championship Sold Out
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