Three non-related events have conspired to eliminate the AT&T Classic, a PGA Tour event that's been on the schedule since 1967.

The ingredients that have put the Atlanta event in jeopardy are: the purchase of former title sponsor BellSouth by AT&T, the tournament's calendar change from late March to mid-May, and the addition of Tiger Woods' tournament to the PGA Tour schedule.

That combination has pushed the tournament toward possible extinction.

"It's still a little early to tell," PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said. "We are getting into the year, so we need to get this process completed, because if we don't ... we'll probably make some schedule adjustments. But we are not at that point yet."

The BellSouth purchase gave AT&T four signature golf properties: the AT&T National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach, and two tournaments on the Champions Tour. The overload came last spring when AT&T hooked up with Tiger Woods to create the AT&T National in Washington. It soon became obvious that AT&T would look to exercise the escape clause it inherited in the BellSouth contract.

The decision over the schedule change from late March to mid-May was a no-brainer for AT&T tournament director Dave Kaplan. Sponsors were complaining that too many cold days and erratic weather — snow and hail in 2003 — made it impossible to entertain clients. So the tournament petitioned the Tour to change its date from the week prior to the Masters.

The switch was made for the 2007 schedule and guaranteed nice weather, but also wounded the quality of the field.

"We went from having bad weather and a good field to good weather and a field that wasn't quite as good," Kaplan said.

The new date, which comes the week after The Players Championship, is considered one of the worst on the regular schedule. It is sandwiched after the Wachovia and Players Championship and before the Colonial and Memorial.

"I don't know why guys don't like it," said Dana Quigley. "It's a good, big, hard golf course. I mean, it's good, and they bend over backwards to do anything for us. But there are five great tournaments in a row and it's tough picking a schedule."

The tournament was able to draw on its cadre of reliables: Ryder Cup regular Stewart Cink, who lives at Sugarloaf and tries to recruit his buddies to play; Masters champion Zach Johnson, who has two wins there; and two-time U.S. Open winner Retief Goosen. Much of the field is made up of younger players trying to break through.

The tournament, in its second season as the AT&T Classic, has been a rock of stability since its inception in 1967. It has had only two title sponsors: Georgia Pacific from 1982-88, and BellSouth/AT&T since 1989. Such permanence has been rare on the PGA Tour. Only four events have retained their title sponsor longer: the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, both since 1989; the Honda Classic, since 1982; and the Buick Open, since 1981.

Tournaments otherwise swap title sponsors as often as soap opera characters change partners. Over the last 25 years the Buick Invitational has been through four sponsor changes. The Western Open, one of the oldest events on the schedule before being morphed into the BMW Championship by the FedEx Cup playoffs, saw six changes during that time.

"Things like this happen every year," Kaplan said. "It was our turn."

This time Atlanta had company. The Tampa tournament lost PODS as its title sponsor, had less time than Atlanta to find a replacement, and will announce its new name soon.

"If we are not done in Tampa, we are very close to being done," Finchem said. "And we are down the road in Atlanta."

"Even when the uncertainty of the economy and some aspects of the economy falling off, our product is holding up nicely. We don't have the phones ringing off the hook about sponsors having problems and want to get out of their position, so that's very good. Given that, I feel bullish about (getting a sponsor) and we'll see what happens."

And while losing a golf tournament might wound civic pride, it would be more costly to local charities. Since 1983 the event has raised more than $16 million for local charities, principally Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

"I can't see a tournament in Atlanta failing," said Alpharetta resident Troy Matteson. "We're too strong in that town. I think people will come out and support it."