The LPGA Tour has lost one of its marquee events.

Anheuser-Busch announced yesterday that it is not renewing its sponsorship of the popular Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill in Williamsburg, Va., after seven years.

Anheuser-Busch vice president Dan McHugh said that the company has decided to spread its sponsorships over a wider range of professional golf events. He says it will continue working with the LPGA.

"We're looking to give sort of a little bit more national scope," McHugh said. He said after a lengthy analysis after the May event here, the company wants to "create a footprint in more tournaments."

The LPGA has lost at least seven tournaments since 2007.

McHugh said yesterday's announcement will mean a Michelob presence at more events, and a continuing support of the LPGA Tour. McHugh added that the support would be with hospitality opportunities rather than a major sponsorship.

Anheuser-Busch owns the Kingsmill Resort and Spa, where the PGA Tour made a stop for 22 years before the LPGA took over seven years ago. McHugh said the decision-making process included considering the higher costs of being the owner and operator of a tournament.

Michelob Ultra also hopes to continue as the official beer of the tour, he said.

The news is expected to be taken especially hard by the players on the tour, who voted the event their favorite in 2007. Fans voted it their favorite event in 2008, said Eric Albrecht, vice president of marketing for the tour.

"I think it's a little bit the realities of the sports sponsorship landscape," he said, adding that the tour has "close to" 20 events confirmed for 2010. He said the tour is in discussions with nine other events and working with several potentially new event partners.

In 2007, the LPGA had 34 events on its schedule. It had just 27 this year, lost all three of its events in Hawai'i, longtime sponsor Corning after 31 years and several others.

EUROPEAN TOUR

DUBAI PRIZE MONEY CUT BY 25 PERCENT

Prize money for the Dubai World Championship and the bonus pool will be reduced 25 percent because of the global economic downturn.

The winner's check for the Nov. 19-22 tournament in Dubai will be $1.25 million, and first prize for the season-long bonus pool, known as the Race To Dubai, has been reduced to $1.5 million. The total for each has been cut to $7.5 million from $10 million.

When the tournament was launched two years ago it was hailed as the richest in golf, but the cuts mean it can no longer say that.

This week's Tour Championship at Atlanta also has a purse of $7.5 million, with a winner's check of $1.35 million.