Weekly | Rory’s Wells Fargo Triumph Amidst Golf’s Toughest Battle: A Week of Wins and Whirlwinds
Nelly’s Gala Appearance, Rahm's Rebellion and the Business Side of Golf: Your Weekly Digest from GBR
Hello, GBR Community!
As you ease into your daily activities, we encourage you to pause and dive into our concise review of the week’s golf industry updates. Our committed team has been diligently sifting through over 55 industry journals, in excess of 15 mainstream news outlets, a variety of golf newsletters, a curated list of top-notch podcasts... We’ve condensed this wealth of information into a comprehensive overview that will bring you up-to-date on the week’s happenings in less than 10 minutes.
Here’s what we’ve prepared for you this week:
McIlroy Cruises To Wells Fargo Championship Victory
PGA Tour Policy Board Controversy: The Newest Chapter in Golf’s Civil War
What Tour Pros Really Think of Rahm’s Move to LIV
Zurich Classic Bucks TV Trends
Sun Day Red Sell Out
New Multiyear Deal Announced Between NetJets and the Open
Record Revenues Announced By GMS
Nelly Attends The Met Gala
Let´s go!!!
Rory McIlroy claimed his fourth Wells Fargo and his 26th PGA Tour title with a five-shot victory at Quail Hollow. This victory sets up the intriguing possibility of a long-awaited fifth major victory at the PGA Championship this week at Valhalla. McIlroy had been in contention all week and began the final round one shot behind leader Xander Schauffele.
After a lacklustre start to the year on the PGA Tour, McIlroy now has two victories and is in good shape going into the PGA Championship.
"Coming into this week, at a venue I feel comfortable at and my golf swing feeling comfortable, at a venue next week where I have won, it feels like the stars are aligning a little bit but I have got a lot of golf to play and a lot of great players to beat next week.
"But I am going into the next major of the year feeling really good about myself."
In his post-round interview on the 18th green with CBS’s Amanda Balionis, McIlroy spoke of the special affinity he has with the fans at Quil Hollow:
"Quail Hollow has in general been really good to me over my career and this is just another great day to add to them. I feel like these people have watched me grow up. From winning here as a 20-year-old to the ripe old age of 35 now.”
Is his form good enough to finally capture his fifth major title? We are just about to see.
PGA Tour Policy Board Controversy: The Newest Chapter in Golf’s Civil War
McIlroy’s recent victory served as a refreshing contrast to the ongoing turmoil within the PGA Tour. However, this win did not alter the tour’s current predicament as it grapples with internal issues and the looming threat posed by the PIF’s foray into professional golf.
Did you catch the recent events with Rory&Co? Let me chronologically break down what unfolded, including vary useful opinions:
Wednesday 8th | McIlroy Declines Return to PGA Tour Policy Board. Rory McIlroy decided not to rejoin the PGA Tour Policy Board due to some members being “uncomfortable” with his return. Despite Webb Simpson’s attempt to have McIlroy replace him for the remainder of his term, McIlroy chose to continue his current role. He had been vocal about the PGA Tour proceeding with a deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, a stance shared by Simpson but opposed by other board members like Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods. Simpson confirmed he would remain on the board until the end of the following year.
Theo Epstein’s Role in the PGA Tour’s Future. Epstein, a seasoned baseball executive, will play a crucial role in shaping the PGA Tour’s future, as explained by Josh Carpenter on Sports Business Journal. He recently presented to the tour’s Player Advisory Council on how MLB implemented various rule changes that resulted in faster game times and increased attendance. The tour plans to leverage Epstein’s insights to determine the best version of the PGA Tour. As a partner in Fenway Sports Group, the tour can access Epstein through FSG’s association with the Strategic Sports Group.
Thursday 9th | Tensions Rose Over McIlroy’s Potential Return. Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth, and Tiger Woods reportedly were “not particularly eager” to see McIlroy return to the Policy Board. This resistance, along with McIlroy’s financial ties to the Fenway Sports Group, raised suspicions among the board members. However, Webb Simpson denied any negative sentiment towards McIlroy’s potential return and appreciated his willingness to help.
Friday 10th | Negotiation Team for PIF Deal Announced. The PGA Tour appointed Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Adam Scott as player representatives for potential negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s PIF. They served on a “transaction subcommittee” for PGA Tour Enterprises, which handled discussions should the PIF ultimately join the Strategic Sports Group as an equity investor.
So, what comes next? We liked this approach from Global Golf Post. McIlroy’s decision not to rejoin the Tour’s Policy Board may have seemed awkward, but his role on the transactions committee, which will directly negotiate with the PIF and Gov. Yasir Al-Rumayyan, could be more significant. The Tour has enlisted the Strategic Sports Group to secure funding and provide much-needed business acumen as it contends with the PIF’s existential threat. The Policy Board boasts intelligent and assertive players, but their primary focus is playing golf. Therefore, the Tour must utilize available resources, and SSG’s expertise is crucial at this juncture.
RBC’s Stance on PGA Tour Sponsorship The PGA Tour risks losing RBC, a long-standing partner, unless changes are made. RBC is adamant about seeing improvements before committing to any more long-term deals.
Sunday 12th | A Positive Outlook Amidst the Chaos. Bob Harig from Sports Illustrated reported that Adam Scott, a PGA Tour player and policy board member, refuted claims of a divide among the six player directors. He maintained an optimistic view of the developments that were ongoing, emphasizing the complexity of the situation and the need for patience. He believed the reports had been overly dramatized and asserted that the PGA Tour had achieved a positive outcome with the announcement of McIlroy’s appointment to a subcommittee that would negotiate directly with the PIF. Scott was confident that both Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy would have a significant influence on the future of professional golf on the PGA Tour. He also acknowledged McIlroy’s influence as an active player and anticipated that his communication with Al-Rumayyan would be beneficial. Despite the apparent turmoil, Scott remained positive about the future.
Today, Monday 13th. | The Need for Swift Action. As the PGA Championship approaches, Jason Gay from The Wall Street Journal estimates that golf needs to resolve its ongoing internal conflict swiftly. The persistent questions about the sport’s civil war are frustrating for the players, distracting for the PGA Championship, and detrimental to a sport that cannot afford further internal discord. The adversaries announced their intention to strike a deal almost a year ago, but no agreement has been reached yet. The delay, despite the complexity and regulatory challenges of the agreement, is frustrating for the fans.
What Tour Pros Really Think of Rahm’s Move to LIV
In an interview with Golf Digest’s Joel Beall, an anonymous PGA Tour player has given some background insight into how his peers reacted to Rahm’s defection to LIV in December 2023. The pro describes himself as a top-100 world-ranked player with no major victories and not a front-cover star of magazines.
Some of the headlines from the tour pro regarding Rahm’s move:
Rahm’s defection will not heal the schism between the PGA Tour and LIV
Dismay that the ongoing power struggle will continue beyond the summer
Rahm’s move did not hurry along the deal between the SSG and PGA Tour or will get the deal with PIF moving quicker
Rahm couldn’t resist the offer for $500 million to defect
The anonymous pro’s peer group also feels that Phil Mickelson was instrumental in getting Rahm to switch, even though Mickelson and Rahm denied any collusion, even though they are both clients of the same management team. Tour pros aren’t that bothered about Rahm’s U-turn in joining LIV. He had stated he wouldn’t join LIV, and he wasn’t a fan of the LIV format.
“....looking like a flip-flopper—or let's be real, a fibber—is more of a Jon problem than any problem we have with him. Why? Because it’s nothing new. What LIV players haven’t said one thing and then done the other? We’re so used to it that we don’t think twice about it anymore.”
The anonymous pro also pointed out that Rahm was always generous with his time helping other pros, whether on the tour or at home in Scottsdale and wasn’t classed as a “grab-ass, frat bros the tour occasionally churns out.”
The final thoughts of the anonymous pro are interesting as they reflect how so many people in the sport and fans feel about the current state of the game. But, there is also a warning for Rahm that not all pros may be happy to see him back in some shape or form one day:
“I do hope this fight between the tour and LIV ends soon, and if Jon comes back, I'll still treat him with respect. But pros aren't good at forgetting, and Jon's defection is something we'll remember.”
Sun Day Red Sell Out
Tiger Woods’ new clothing line, Sun Day Red, launched on the 1st of May, but golfers had to wait till the 5th of May for a chance to purchase the new Sun Day Red polo in Tiger’s iconic red color. The polos were first made available via its website, and within a matter of hours, they sold out in every size.
While the golfing community might have mixed views about the new logo, the demand for Sun Day Red products is high, evidenced by the initial launch on the 1st of May, when Sun Day Red baseball caps retailing between $40 and $50 wound up on eBay selling for anything up to $350.
The red polo shirts costing between $120 and $170 form part of the new clothing line created by Woods in unison with TaylorMade. In a recent interview on the Jimmy Fallon show, Woods spoke of the significance of wearing red and where it came from:
“The red story is actually a good one. It comes from my mom. My mom thought it was my being a Capricorn, whatever, it was my power color or some B.S. thing like that,"
Golfers will be able to purchase polo shirts, hoodies, jumpers, pants, and shorts. The Sun Day Red range will also expand to include luggage, shoes, and even eyewear.
The brand is described as a ‘premium active lifestyle brand’ and is currently only available in the US, Canada, South Korea, and Japan, with no current date given for when the range will be available for European or British buyers.
Zurich Classic Bucks TV Trends
It’s fair to say that TV audiences for the PGA Tour events this season have been disappointing. Figures have been down across the board, and not even The Masters could buck the trend, with final round figures also lower than in previous years. The one shining light so far has come in the shape of the recently announced TV audience figures for the Zurich Classic, which was held at TPC New Orleans from 25th to 28th April.
Sports Business Journal’s Josh Carpenter took to X to confirm that audiences for the final round’s coverage were up 26% compared to the final round in 2023, with an average of 1.852 million viewers. Carpenter also confirmed in his post that the 2024 final-round coverage was the highest since 2021 and second best since 2015.
Why has the not-so-prestigious Zurich Classic proved to be more successful for the viewing public than some of the PGA Tour’s highest-profile tournaments, such as the Player’s Championship, Waste Management Open, and RBC Heritage?
We could maybe look at the tournament's different format. The two-man team, mixed with alternate fourball and foursomes, added an extra air of camaraderie and intrigue compared to the regular 72-hole grind of other tour events.
Should the PGA Tour pay more attention and look to add more formats to the regular tour season? For example, we have no major matchplay tournament now since the demise of the WGC-Dell Technologies Matchplay in 2023.
You could also argue that the tournament’s biggest draw - Rory McIlroy, seemed to revel in his partnership with fellow Irish player and good friend Shane Lowry and claimed a narrow victory in a playoff against Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer. Certainly, the post-win celebrations with the fans had hints of the Ryder Cup, with McIlroy and Lowry showcasing their singing skills. Will we see a karaoke machine installed in the European Team room for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black?
We’ll wait to see how the viewing figures continue to trend with two interesting weeks coming up with the Wells Fargo Championship, which is one of the PGA Tour’s designated elevated events with a strong field, followed by the year’s second major, the PGA Championship at Valhalla GC.
New Multiyear Deal Announced Between NetJets and the Open
As reported by Aboo Tayub in Golf Business Technology, NetJets, a leader in private aviation, has entered a multi-year partnership as the Open Championship’s official private jet provider.
The deal allows NetJets to offer exclusive deals to its clients to attend the Open Championship at Royal Troon and future Opens.
NetJets’ President, Patrick Gallagher, stated, “We are committed to maintaining the highest standard in travel for the world’s top-performing golfers, and the partnership between NetJets and The R&A allows us to facilitate this further."
The R&A’s Chief Commercial Officer, Neil Armit, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “We look forward to working with NetJets as we begin a new partnership that will deliver value to players competing in The Open.”
Record Revenues Announced By GMS
GMS, a global leader in golf marketing, announced a 27% increase in global revenue to $4.86 million by the end of November 2023, as reported in Golf Business Technology.
GMS’s co-CEO, Sam Elder, commented, “Our clients are now trusting us to deliver outstanding levels of service across all of the game’s biggest markets internationally."
Co-CEO Phil Craghill added, “The creation of a five-person strong production and creative team has also stimulated new revenues for us."
Nelly Korda at the Met Gala
World number one Nelly Korda attended the prestigious annual Met Gala in New York.
Korda is the first golfer to be invited since Tiger Woods attended ten years ago.
Korda commented that she “felt like a princess” at the event.
Korda’s attendance comes at a time when she has had a stellar start to her year, winning five tournaments in a row, including her second major at the Chevron Championship.
Korda herself understands the need for more main network support for the LPGA Tour, stating, “We need to be on prime time TV, and we need to showcase the talent we have out here, which is a lot. We also need the support from not just the crowds but the television networks.”
And that wraps up this week, folks.
We're truly sorry, but it's been a tough work week and we didn't have time to gather the usual readings. 😩
We promise to do so next Monday. 🤗
Have a good one!!!