Chips & Putts: Atlanta Champions Tour Event Near Title Deal

First Data is nearing a deal to title sponsor the new Champions Tour event in Atlanta, which replaces the PGA Tour’s AT&T Classic at TPC Sugarloaf. Terms could not be confirmed, but the average Champions Tour deal spans three years at around $3M annually. An informed source said the foundation that ran the former PGA Tour event has agreed to host the new tournament. The tour and First Data previously held preliminary talks about a new Champions Tour event in Colorado, where the company is based (Jon Show, SportsBusiness Journal).

LIFE IS A HIGHWAY: Golf Channel signed sponsorship deals with Buick, Acushnet, Orbitz and Skycaddie to back its new reality competition series, “Highway 18.” The contestants will drive Buick Enclaves and play and wear Acushnet brands such as Titleist, Pinnacle, Footjoy and Peter Millar. The winner of the show receives $50,000 cash, a $50,000 airline credit from Orbitz and Titleist equipment and balls (Show).

Sorenstam Appearing In Spots For Merrill Lynch And CNBC

QUEEN OF THE COURSE: LPGA member Annika Sorenstam Saturday will debut a new ad for Merrill Lynch during NBC's coverage of the U.S. Women's Open this weekend (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 6/27). Sorenstam also is appearing in promos for CNBC where she talks from the golf course. Sorenstam: “A few years ago I wrote ‘Face the fear’ right under here on my visor and really what that meant was accept the challenge and enjoy it. I’m not leaving golf. I am leaving competitive golf. When I’m working on the different businesses … my mind is on what I need to do. But when it comes to the Annika brand it needs to reflect me. There are no shortcuts to success. I am American business. I watch CNBC” (THE DAILY).

SWING AWAY: Callaway Golf President & CEO George Fellows appeared on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Thursday. Fellows said of the company having a good Q1, “While we're seeing things holding up reasonably well, all of the news that we hear certainly sounds negative and it would be ridiculous to ignore all of that. So we’re a little cautious about the rest of the year.” Fellows, on growing the game: "Golf is not as accessible and inclusionary as it should be in this country and as a consequence, the inflow of new players really hasn't been that dramatic" (CNBC, 6/26).