The LPGA yesterday announced a title-sponsorship deal with Illinois-based Underwriters Laboratories for the '16 and '18 International Crown team tournament. The '16 event takes place July 18-24 at the Rich Harvest Farms golf club in Sugar Grove, Ill., while the '18 event will be held in South Korea. UL served as an ambassador sponsor for the inaugural International Crown event this year, which was held at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md. (LPGA). In Illinois, Kevin Druley notes an original title sponsor "determined to keep the event" at Rich Harvest Farms for "at least its first three editions backed out in the operation’s early phases." One of the club's members "has ties" to UL CEO Keith Williams, and the dialogue "eventually advanced from the casual phase to the negotiating table" (KANE COUNTY CHRONICLE, 10/21). Golf Channel's Gary Williams noted UL invests in golf "exclusively when it comes to client entertainment." He added, "They invest in golf sponsorship-wise and how they tell their clients how much they mean to them through playing the game of golf." Golf Channel's Damon Hack said Commissioner Mike Whan "will have those LPGA players knowledgeable about UL and what they need in terms of as a sponsor." Hack: "The relationship between the LPGA players and the tournament sponsors is really one of the remarkable things in sports" ("Morning Drive," Golf Channel, 10/20). The LPGA also announced Rolex and Calamos Investments as ambassador sponsors for the International Crown "going forward" (GOLFWEEK.com, 10/20).
WHAT ABOUT US? In California, Larry Bohannan noted the former Kraft Nabisco Championship continues to search for a title sponsor and wrote the "natural question is if the International Crown can find a new sponsor so quickly, why hasn't the LPGA major in the desert found a sponsor yet?" The two tournaments are "completely different events," as the International Crown "is more of an international event." That leads to interest "from international companies that wouldn't be based in an American-based event, even a major," and UL is "certainly an international company." However, it still leaves unanswered "when the Rancho Mirage major will get its sponsor," and there remains "no firm timetable for IMG or the LPGA" to find one (DESERTSUN.com, 10/20).
