San Diego Open Sponsorship – An Example of PGA Issues
The PGA has been hit by a double whammy. The first was an economy that nearly laid us all out and may still do so. The second was the Tiger Woods mess that had paparazzi and gossip rags thinking they had died and gone to heaven. How all this would actually play out was a bit of an unknown, but the San Diego Open is providing a scary example.
The San Diego Open is not a top level event like the Masters or US Open. That being said, it is definitely in the upper level of tournaments held by the PGA early in the golf season. The reasons are pretty obvious. The course, Torrey Pines, is a stunner and good enough to have hosted a US Open. Then there is the fact the tournament is held in balmy San Diego in January. This makes it a winner for the PGA and sponsors seeking to wine and dine important clients and so on.
So, how is the 2010 San Diego Open shaping up? Well, it should be a huge wake up call for the PGA and one that is sending a chill down the spine of executives. Farmers Insurance has been announced as the primary sponsor for this excellent tournament. So, what is so bad about that? The agreement was reached a whopping one week prior to the start of the tournament! Only a week! This is a major shock to the system.
There have been more than a few pundits stating that the impact of the economy on sports sponsorship deals would not really start until 2010. Well, the new year is here and it is becoming apparent that those pundits are correct. If the San Diego Open is having problem, what is going to happen to some of the lesser tournaments when it comes to big sponsorship?
There is, of course, a cure for the PGA. The answer is getting Tiger Woods back out and playing regularly. When that will happen is just about anybody’s guess.
