The PGA Tour's "MCI Classic -- The Heritage of Golf"
has a new name and will now be called the "WorldCom Classic
-- The Heritage of Golf," according to Dave Hendricks of the
Hilton Head ISLAND PACKET. The move marks the "fifth name
change" in the event's 32-year history. Tournament Dir
Stephen Wilmot said that the change was "inevitable" after
MCI was purchased by WorldCom about 18 months ago. Wilmot
added the costs associated with the name change will be
"well in excess of six figures" (ISLAND PACKET, 11/10).
WHAT YOU ARE, WHAT YOU'RE MEANT TO BE: Sports marketing
execs say that Canadian Mike Weir's win at the AmEx World
Golf Championship in Spain will "do little to raise his
profile for sponsorships and endorsements in the lucrative
U.S. market." Weir makes an estimated $500,000 a year from
endorsement deals with Bell Canada, Nortel, Serengeti,
National Post and Book4golf.com. But Weir is "relatively
unknown" in the U.S., and his IMG agent Dan Cimoroni said,
"The companies we are involved with have a great Canadian
presence. I don't think we'll change that strategy. I
think the chips just get a little bigger" (CP, 11/14).
AMSTEL'S ROLE: BRANDWEEK's Gerry Khermouch writes that
Heineken USA is "moving to associate" its Amstel Light brand
with golf. Heineken VP/Marketing Steve Davis is "seeking a
'handful' of PGA Tour sponsorships to be leveraged with in-
market" promos and hospitality (BRANDWEEK, 11/13 issue).
