LPGA Endorsements Grow

Filed in archive Golf Business on February 6, 2008

Courtesy: Today's Golfer

The women's professional golf game has truly gone global. And it has been the LPGA Tour's salvation.

LPGA players are starting to pull in some decent sponsorship and endorsement money - after 59 years in existence.



But many, if not most, of those endorsements are coming from corporations located outside the borders of the United States. In other words, foreign companies are seeing the value in signing an LPGA star and they're paying some excellent money to do it.

Meanwhile, American corporations, led by the equipment manufacturers, all but ignore the women. Other than big names like Sorenstam, Creamer, Gulbis and Ochoa, few LPGA players have equipment contracts.

When was the last time you saw a Nationwide player without an equipment logo somewhere on his clothing, let alone a PGA tour pro?

But foreign-based companies aren't as male-centric as American companies when it comes to endorsing golfers. And those foreign companies are reaping the benefits.

Offshore corporations have seen the value largely because the LPGA tour stages tournaments in seven different countries. Next year, it will be eight. So there's plenty of exposure for both the players and their corporate logos on worldwide television.

Economists talk about the so-called (and so far largely mythical) "de-coupling" of world economies from that of the United States. In other words, nations like India, China, Brazil and the European Union trade amongst each other as much, if not more, than they do with the U.S. The theory is that those nations can withstand any U.S. recession very well.

The jury is still out on that theory but the LPGA is a shining example of where de-coupling is alive and well: worldwide corporations forging their own marketing initiatives rather than playing follow-the-leader with U.S. companies.

It's bringing some financial parity with the PGA Tour and I'm all for it.