When the LPGA rolls into London, Ont. for the CN Canadian Women’s Open Aug. 7 to 13, it will do so with a new title sponsor, Canadian National Railway, some of the tour’s hottest stars and a perception that women’s golf is thriving. A recent study by Ipsos Reid for the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) shows 12.3% of Canadian golfers are women, up from 9.7% in 2001.
But despite media and fan interest in 16-year-old phenom Michelle Wie and LPGA superstar Annika Sorenstam, the women’s pro game is playing with a handicap compared to the men’s PGA in terms of corporate support and TV exposure.
Indeed, new LPGA commissioner Carolyn Vesper Bivens says leveraging the perceived momentum of women’s golf is the tour’s biggest challenge. As Bivens pointed out during a press conference in July in Oakville, Ont., the LPGA needs to promote “the seasoned talent that’s on the tour, the young people coming into the tour and those that are in the pipeline.”
Certainly one of the bigger issues facing the LPGA is corporate support. The Canadian Women’s Open has had well-documented challenges with its title sponsorship. Du Maurier pulled out in 2000 due to legislation prohibiting advertising by tobacco firms, putting the very survival of the tournament at risk. The Bank of Montreal took over with a five-year deal that expired last year. BMO offered to renew but later walked away from the Open when the bank and tournament organizer, the RCGA, couldn’t reach an agreement. Neither side would discuss the split when contacted by Marketing.
Another issue is the growing inequity between the prize money in men’s and women’s events. The men’s Canadian Open purse was US$5 million in 2005, up from US$3.8 million in 2001. For the Women’s Open, the purse was US$1.3 million last year-barely any increase over US$1.2 million in 2001.
Smaller purses are “all related to television” says Bob Weeks, editor of ScoreGolf magazine, noting that men’s events generate larger TV audiences and more advertising. “You have a hard time finding the LPGA on TV, and if you do it’s usually some digital channel like the Golf Channel.”
Rogers Sportsnet will carry the Canadian Women’s Open this year, but there is no U.S. TV coverage. Sportsnet picked up the Open after former rights holder TSN dropped it in favour of the Rogers Cup men’s tennis event in Toronto, held during the same weekend.
Despite the challenges of selling women’s golf, CN is confident in its decision to become title sponsor. “(Our) objectives with this sponsorship are tied to both customer and community relations,” said Jim Feeny, senior manager, public and government affairs. CN has tied its brand to women’s golf even further with a three-year sponsorship deal of Canadian golfer Lorie Kane (above).
CN’s involvement in the Canadian Open also means the purse will increase to US$1.7 million, putting it among the top 10 in the LPGA. That could eventually attract stars like Wie and Sorenstam (who are not yet confirmed to play in this year’s tournament), which in turn could drive up viewership-and make women’s golf a hole-in-one for marketers.
WAYNE KARL is a freelance writer in Toronto.
