When big names are not on top of the leaderboard, the tournament becomes boring – True or false?
Whenever a tournament is announced, the first two things that the world sees are the entry list and a comment by the management that although there are no stars in the tournament, the tournament will, nonetheless, be a success.
Is the presence of big names in a tournament important or the people come to these events purely for golf?
This debate has intensified in the recent years because of the simple fact that golf is now an industry where players and sponsors evaluate their earnings and profits as the standard for any tournament.
Another important aspect is the media that is there to capitalize on the spectators and fans at home following the game on TV or the internet.
All these factors have fuelled the debate that is at the core of commercial golf. The debate has its roots in the 1990’s when golf went main stream and was recognized as a regular sport. Golf players were now a household name and people started to follow
golf tournaments.
Around this time, golf tournaments started to draw crowds of curious sports buffs who wanted to see this new found sport in action. These were the crowds that were interested in the game and not in players.
Soon after that, golf itself started to gain popularity among the middle class that saw the game as a status symbol. Golf became a public sport with many golf courses giving public access to their clubhouses for reasonable fees. This trend further popularized
the sport and the process of commercialization started.
The most visible aspect of this commercialization process was the creation of superstars. The top players were given media exposure and air time and soon people started to recognize the faces of the golf stars.
This was the turning point for the golf tournaments. Now people went to golf tournaments to see their favourite stars in action. It really did not matter if a fan had advance knowledge of golf or not. What mattered was the star power and media played on
this hype very efficiently.
With this background in mind, let us consider the question in modern perspective.
Organizing a golf tournament is not easy these days. The cost of organizing and managing a tournament has risen to such extent that even the big sponsors jointly pay for it.
Many a times, the cost runs in millions and the sponsors foot the bill and pay all the expenses.
To offset their costs, sponsors often force the managers of the event to get the top stars to play in the tournament. The presence of these stars means that people will attend the tournament and follow it on the media outlets.
What would happen if there are no big names in an event? Does that mean that the tournament will fail?
The answer is yes and no. This answer highlights the complexities of a modern golf event and its relations with the fans, experts and the media.
The tournament will not fail as some people will come to see the golfers in action. Usually these are family members and friends of the players who wish to cheer their player in the tournament.
Usually the sponsors do not attempt to fund these events and the bills are mostly paid by the local golf body.
This disinterest of the sponsors could be considered as the failure of the tournament as it fails to generate adequate income for players and the golf bodies.
This debate continues and will get more intensive as the time goes on.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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