Eddie Pepperell won this year's British Masters.GETTY IMAGES
The expiration of Sky Sports' sponsorship contract, "coupled with problems in attracting the top players," means 2018 British Masters winner Eddie Pepperell "may not get the chance to defend his title next year," according to Iain Carter of the BBC. Despite the "charismatic hosting" of Justin Rose and a "genuinely gutsy frontrunning victory" by Pepperell, there was "melancholy in the air" at this year's British Masters. The tournament's future is "very uncertain." U.K. golf and particularly the game in England is "in rude health." But the "facts of life in the professional game get in the way." While Rose "bemoaned the demise" of the British Masters, several of his elite contemporaries were elsewhere and the tournament was "not as sexy as it might have been." Of the U.K. players in Europe's "triumphant" Ryder Cup team, only Rose and Tommy Fleetwood competed. Herein "lies the problem." Elite players "command appearances fees that can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds and they pick and choose tournaments accordingly." Former HSBC Head of Sponsorship Giles Morgan said, "Sponsors want certainty. In order to get a good audience, you need the right players. Golf's biggest threat is from other sports and it therefore needs to make sure it is secure within itself. Shoring up the U.K. market as a springboard for the European Tour is really important." The European Tour is "fighting hard with its lucrative Rolex Series events," such as Wentworth as well as the Scottish, Irish and Italian Opens. Expect other established tournaments "to be added to this elevated stratum." But remember these bumper $7M prize funds tend to "dramatically reduce how much might be shelled out on appearance fees." And just like sponsors, the elite golfers like the "certainty of a significant return" (BBC, 10/15).
