The 33rd Ryder Cup begins Friday in Brookline, MA, and
the BOSTON HERALD's Michael Lasalandra wrote that the event
is "expected to gross" $150M. Greater Boston Convention &
Visitors Bureau President Patrick Moscaritolo: "This is the
largest sporting event that Boston has seen in terms of
spending power." Companies including BankBoston and
Wellington Management "snapped up the biggest corporate
tents" for $500,000 each, and 57 other firms paid $250,000
each for smaller tents "to reward their top customers."
BankBoston rented Newton (MA)-based Charles River Country
Club for $500,000, while IMG has "leased" the West Newton
Brae Burn Country Club so its clients can "play in a one-day
tournament with Arnold Palmer" (BOSTON HERALD, 9/20). In
Boston, Greg Gatlin reported that companies are "expected to
spend" $35M on entertainment during the Ryder Cup (BOSTON
HERALD, 9/20). The GLOBE's Syre & Stein reported that other
companies at the Ryder Cup include Gillette, Fidelity
Investments, John Hancock Mutual Life, New England
Financial, State Street and MA Financial Services.
Companies going for the Ryder Cup's "international reach"
include IBM, Pepsi and Johnnie Walker (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/21).
MERCHANDISE SALES: PGA Dir of Merchandising Susan
Hickman "estimated" that sales at the Ryder Cup Golf Shop
could be in the "multimillions." Vendors "suggested sales"
could be between $10-15M (BOSTON HERALD, 9/22).
CUP OVERFLOWS: PGA Tour telecom sponsor Sprint will
provide telephone and communications service during the
Ryder Cup. Each business center will have three IBM
computers with "high-speed Internet access" (Andrea Stape,
METROWEST DAILY NEWS, 9/21)....In Boston, McLaughlin &
Gatlin report that the PGA was hoping to ban small aircraft
flights over the event, but the FAA "wasn't going along with
the PGA's request." Monster.com said that it "plans to fly
its blimp." Metropolitan Life's blimp, with the Snoopy logo
and NBC camera, is allowed to fly (BOSTON HERALD, 9/22).
THE DEBATE RAGES ON: U.S. team member Justin Leonard
said the team would answer no more questions about the play-
for-pay issue. Leonard: "No more questions" (CNN/SI, 9/21).
FROM THE MEDIA'S VIEWPOINT: In Boston, Jim Baker wrote
that with the "international media crunch," only Boston TV
stations "were credentialed among local TV outlets" around
the U.S. which "frustrates" nearby affiliates such as
Providence. WCVB Sports Dir Mike Fernandez: "The control
over this event is as tight as any I've ever seen. We can't
use highlights except inside sportscasts." Baker reported
that NBC is "projecting" 40 million people will "watch all
or part" of the Ryder Cup (BOSTON HERALD, 9/21). Also in
Boston, Howard Manly reported that NBC will use 35 cameras
at the event, which is "more than" the net used to televise
Super Bowl XXXII (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/21). NBC "will not have a
permanent on-screen box" for viewers (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/19).
...Ben Wright "will do commentary" on the Ryder Cup for The
Golf Channel (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 9/20).
ON THE WEB: The Ryder Cup's official Web site is live
at www.rydercup.com, and IBM, PGA.com and Ryder Cup Limited
are producing the site jointly. Rydercup.com allows users
to follow either the U.S. or European team (PGA).
THE KID IS MORE THAN ALRIGHT: Sergio Garcia was
profiled by Brad Townsend of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS, who
wrote that despite Garcia's long-term deals with adidas and
Titleist, he "could hardly be accused of cashing on his
early success, at least not yet." Garcia has "yet to even
play a corporate outing," with his first coming next month
in Germany for adidas (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 9/20). When
Garcia signed his five-year deal with adidas, his "first
question wasn't about the size of the deal, but when he'd
get to meet" Anna Kournikova, who also endorses adidas
(Starr & Gordon, NEWSWEEK, 9/27 issue). TIME's Robert
Sullivan writes that Garcia is a "Tiger use-ta-be, a
charismatic 19-year-old with a fast grin, faster club-head
speed and a palpable love of the game" (TIME, 9/27 issue).
NOTES: In Boston, Kevin Paul Dupont reports that the
"biggest buzz" of the event could come when Michael Jordan
"hits the grounds." Jordan is "believed to have rented a
home bordering" the course (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/22)....Tickets
for "weekly passes" with a $275-375 face value are now
"fetching" as much as $1,800 (BOSTON HERALD, 9/21).
