Westchester Country Club’s 41-year run as the sole host of the metropolitan area’s PGA Tour event will come to an end this summer when The Barclays is relocated to another venue. But a compromise struck between the Harrison club and the tour has the tournament returning to Westchester at least once before 2012.

The agreement, in which the PGA Tour will pay the club $1.1 million to relocate the event in 2008, is expected to be detailed to Westchester members at a town hall meeting this morning and posted on the club’s internal Web site.
A formal announcement from the tour is expected later in the day.

The earliest possible return to Westchester would be 2010, with the Barclays expected to be moved to Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J. this summer, and to Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J. in 2009.

The tour is also to pay an additional $100,000 this year to the The Barclays’ benefiting local charities, which include Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital and St. Vincent’s Hospital.

The deal is a reversal from the tour’s earlier stance of wanting to terminate outright its existing six-year agreement with Westchester, citing poor attendance and logistical problems at the 2007 Barclays as a reason. That original contract had Westcheser hosting the Barclays at least two more times before 2012. In the modified deal, the $1.1 million buyout would satisfy one of those years on the contract, but the tournament would have to return to Westchester one more time, with the option of a second time at the tour’s disposal.

As part of the announcement today, PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem sent a letter of aplology to Westchester members about the events of the past few weeks.

“Some reporters suggested that the movement of The Barclays was due to our view that Westchester Country Club was substandard. Nothing could be further from the truth,” Finchem wrote. “We have great respect for Westchester Country Club—your course, your membership and your great tradition. Our players enjoy playing there. We at the PGA Tour regret any offense created by these misplaced media comments and are sorry for the impressions these comments caused. Our return to your club at least one more time indicates our view that it is a world class facility.”

After the tour sent a Jan. 9 letter to Westchester president Phil Halpern wanting to terminate its contract with Westchester, it was revealed the tour had already been deep in negotiations with Ridgewood.