Gaps In the Schedule

Filed in archive Golf News on January 28, 2009

Frilford Heath. Home of the Euro Tour Q-School

The European Tour released its 2009 schedule today under the heading "First courses revealed".

This strikes me as a little odd since the schedule also indicates that no less than 7 of the events are classified as TBC or To Be Confirmed.

The press release further states that the names and locations of these mystery events will be disclosed in the run-up to the Qualifying School at the end of March.

Something's not right here and I have a sinking feeling I know what it is: sponsors are pulling out because of the economic debacle and the Tour is scrambling to find replacement money.

TBC might end up being To Be Cut.

And speaking of economic debacles, sports writer, Steve Elling lambastes Chrysler Corporation for wasting taxpayers' money - bailout money, if you prefer - on the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

Except it wasn't called that this year - simply the Bob Hope Classic.

According to Elling, Chrysler didn't want to be tarred and feathered in public for taking bailout money from Congress and then spending 5 million of it on a golf tournament.

So, in Chrysler's thinking, pay the money anyway but don't reap any marketing benefits.

Now that's smart.

And finally, this is the last year for the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee. The bank is pulling its 4 million plus sponsorship.

The bank claims that the tournament goes up against the British Open the same week and the public didn't flock out in droves last year to watch anyway (imagine, then, how the RCGA feels with the Canadian Open the week AFTER the British major?).

I fully believe the reasons are found in the grim economic realities of the day.

More and more corporations are going to question the veracity of spending millions on a single marketing event like a tour stop when their businesses are going down the toilet.