Golf enters the Platinum era
Men’s professional golf has entered the Platinum era where in 2007, a bonus of $10 million will be awarded to one player. The tour stop at Hartford this week brings back memories of a golden era, when Sammy Davis Jr. hosted this event.
Today we have sponsors whose names we barely recognize, and the purses have gotten huge. Even the USGA has presenting sponsors now with Lexus and American Express on board. Lexus? A Japanese company as a sponsor for the United States Golf Association? I’m told the U.S. auto makers did not want in.
Top rated tour events once had marquee entertainers as their host. Bing Crosby, Glen Campbell, Bob Hope, Andy Williams and Jackie Gleason all had events and the Pro-Am’s were filled with their celebrity friends, not the CEO’s of companies like FBR, Mayakoba, Accenture, EDS. And don’t forget the prestigious PODS championship.
Two events have held onto some of the tradition. The AT&T National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach still has celebrities, but the Bing Crosby name was dropped. The Bob Hope, presented by Chrysler has kept his name and this past year brought in comedian George Lopez as the host. George loves golf so much he has a house at Pebble Beach.
Arnold Palmer has an event presented by Master Card, Jack Nicklaus has a big event sponsored by a financial company, and now Tiger Woods is getting into that arena with a couple of events that he hosts, likely as part of deals with his sponsors. Tiger is a great guy, but he is still in his working years, needing to earn a living and take care of his family, especially now with a daughter.
Before minor league tours like the Nationwide Tour, which was Buy.com before they went out of business, and Nike Tour before that, there were about eight events per year for players if they did not make the field in the PGA Tour event. In Palm Springs, there was the “Hope of Tomorrow” and during the Crosby at Pebble Beach, there was “The Southern Crosby” played in Newport Beach. Hope and Crosby would show-up at those events to award the check, and that meant a lot to the players in those events.
Today with the obscure sponsors putting up big money, it’s funny to see Peter Kostis interview the chief marketing officer of PODS or FBR behind the 18th green. “…it means so much to our 5000 employees and the community for PODS to be here…” And for the players, it means so much that the sponsors are here so I can make a million dollars if I play great this week.
In the Golden era it seemed to be more about the golf and the entertainment value, but as we have entered the Platinum era of golf it seems to be more about the money. This article is brought to you by…let me call my agent… I forgot.
