The Players Championship to boost northeast Florida economy

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two weeks from now, golf fans from all over will gather in northeast Florida for The Players Championship.

For the local business community, the tournament is about much more than just golf.

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Last year, about 174,000 fans, business executives and members of the media attended the tournament.

Tournament organizers and the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce estimate that it has a $151 million economic impact each year.

Last year, more people attended the tournament from outside the five-county northeast Florida area than attended from within the five-county area.

The tournament's executive director said that means a lot for the future of the local economy.

"They also have the ability -- they're business decision makers. So they can influence where their companies do business," said Matt Rapp, executive director of The Players. "When you expose people like that to what a wonderful place that we have, it's a win-win, as they say."

Local companies have also been busy just setting up for the tournament, starting in January.

An estimated 2,000 jobs are created as a result of the tournament each year.

The Players begins with practice rounds on May 6 and wraps up on May 11.