PINELLAS PARK, Fla.—With its first annual Championship For Healthy Sight teeing off this week at the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club near its headquarters here, Transitions Optical will use ongoing Golf Channel televison coverage of the PGA Tour event, which takes place March 15 through March 22, to bring attention to the impact healthy sight has on work, play and home lives, company executives said last week.

"We see this tournament as an outstanding opportunity to put vision into the national spotlight as a crucial component to overall health," said Dave Cole, Transitions' general manager of the Americas. "It is our goal to encourage continued conversation between eyecare professionals and patients about ways to help them protect and optimize their vision."

Golf Channel coverage of the event will include live and taped tournament coverage and interviews with Transitions representatives and other eye health spokespeople, as well as tournament recaps and discussion on "Golf Central," the cable channel's post-tournament program devoted to event highlights, golf news, scores and statistics.

Transitions will also be running new print ads this spring tied to the Championship—using the slogan "Improve Your Vision, Improve Your Game"—that focus on the importance of good vision in sports performance.

"We view the Transitions Championship For Healthy Sight as an opportunity for the entire industry," Cole added. "We'll be working with our industry partners throughout the week to get consumers to think about sight as part of an overall healthy lifestyle. The tournament coverage will spread this message even further."