If you pay attention to politics at all or any parent hoping their recent college grad will land a job, you’ll hear the same thing: “They say the economy’s turning around.”

As someone who watches the Daily Show (politics) and is a recent college grad, I hope both these contingents are correct. As a golf blogger, I’m seeing signs that things are going in the right direction. Back in November, GM game back to golf in a sponsorship capacity inking a deal that made Cadillac the head sponsor of World Golf Championships. Also, the Tour stop at Doral will be sponsored by the car company.

With a couple of tournaments needing a major sponsor for 2011, one of them can breathe a huge sigh of relief.

The Bob Hope wrangled the Tennessee-based mortgage company Franklin American as its head sponsor for the next three years.

From the AP: Franklin American Mortgage Co. has agreed to a three-year, $1.5 million sponsorship deal with the Bob Hope Classic, whose 52nd edition will be played Jan. 17-23.

The mortgage company based in Franklin, Tenn., first participated in the PGA tournament this year.

Franklin American will receive a variety of benefits, including pro-am playing opportunities, tickets, hospitality and signage at the event. The company will underwrite the tournament’s celebrity dinner and be the official sponsor of the event’s Celebrity Jam Session.

With the Hope all sewn up, Harbour Town is the only remaining tournament without a major sponsorship deal. Who knows, with Verizon announcing the addition of the iPhone to it’s list of items, maybe the old sponsor will re-up with the famed Pete Dye design.

The steady improvement of sponsors coming back to golf on the course has some optimistic about the sponsorships off the course, most notably the pending television and FedEx contracts entering the last days.

With both contracts expiring after2012, 2011 is the time for the PGA Tour to enter negotiations for extensions on the deals. Some believe the key to getting the television contract desired by the Tour is first to get FedEx to extend their sponsorship.

From the Sports Business Journal: The tour likely will enter into renewal talks with FedEx, umbrella sponsor of the seasonlong points championship, in 2011. That deal goes through 2012 and includes options to go longer. Locking down FedEx to a long-term deal that would include a heavy advertising commitment would be a bonus for the tour entering TV negotiations with CBS and NBC later in 2011.

“Any time we’ve got commitments like FedEx, it’s helpful,” Wade said. “But I think it would be an overstatement to say we must get it done” before the TV talks begin.

A possible roadblock in the talks could be the negative press and feelings towards the FedEx Cup. Since its inception, there have been flaws in the system and to their credit, the Tour and FedEx have worked on ironing out those flaws (much more so than the NCAA and BCS), but recent events show that the Playoffs aren’t perfect.

With top players like Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood opting to forego PGA membership while mentioning their dislike for the FedEx Cup cash grab, it seems like getting these high-profile players may be another bump in the road.

However, as Ryan Ballengee points out, it would seem that Finchem believes he can work with FedEx to come to an agreement.

Once the FedEx deal gets done, then the TV deals can be much more attractive.

As for the game, I think everyone can agree that although the system isn’t perfect, the month or so of golf the FedEx Cup Playoffs garner is much better than having no golf at all.