Industry Needs To Follow RBC Lead
January 21, 2010 by Ian Hutchinson
Back in June, GNN asked the poll question, “Do up-and-coming players get enough attention from the Canadian golf industry, media and fans of the game before they make it to the PGA or LPGA Tour?”
The response was overwhelming to say the least as 96 per cent of those who answered said developing Canadians weren’t getting enough attention, while only four per cent felt they were getting enough attention.
The title sponsor of the Canadian Open made some announcements on Thursday that it’s making a commitment to support developing players from this country.
Not only is RBC extending its relationship with PGA Tour players Mike Weir and Stephen Ames, but it is also getting behind the Royal Canadian Golf Association’s national team program and amateur championships.
The third component of Thursday’s announcements involved players breaking on to the PGA and LPGA Tours as RBC announced it will offer funding and financial guidance to players such as Graham DeLaet, Chris Baryla, Samantha Richdale and Lisa Meldrum.
You can read the entire story in the News Now section on the home page, but it’s clear that RBC is taking its commitment to golf beyond its high-profile role as Canadian Open sponsor and turning its attention to the development of players from this country.
It’s a lead that the entire Canadian golf industry needs to follow as GNN blogger Tom Jackson pointed out in this blog a couple of weeks ago.
RBC’s commitment is a positive one that comes at a time when outstanding amateurs such as Nick Taylor, Matt Hill, Jennifer Kirby and Stephanie Sherlock, among others, are rising in a generation that will see golf in the Olympics six years down the road.
With what its already done, RBC has set a solid foundation for development, but as Jackson pointed out, the golf industry itself needs to follow the lead of the bank. There is still a world of mini-tours and financial challenges awaiting somebody who is in the early stages of a pro career.
Weir talked about the challenges he faced in the early stages of his career in this recent Hutch’s Blog.
As Jackson pointed out in his blog, do you bet on the horse once it’s crossed the finish line or do you take the chance when its just out of the starting gate? This is what the industry needs to decide and it won’t be easy. One immediate question is how do you decide who gets any funding that’s available.
The good news is that the industry is discussing this topic, including the RCGA, Canadian PGA and Canadian Tour. One early step might be some funding help available through the Canadian Tour’s Canadian Bursary, but that isn’t official yet.
RBC is to be commended for its focus on development and the industry also needs to step to the plate and carry these discussions to the next level. Judging by the poll we ran back in June, the industry already realizes that more emphasis needs to be placed on developing players.
CHAMPIONS TOUR IN MONTREAL?: Rumours persist that a Champions Tour event will be announced soon for the Montreal area.
Ian Hutchinson is a veteran Canadian golf writer, whose history in the game includes an extensive background with Canadian golf trade publications. A golf columnist with Sun Media, Hutch is also a regular contributor to publications and websites in Canada and the United States.
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Kudos to the RCGA for moving in great directions!
Kudos PERHAPS … but what do we actually know other than the RBC has invested some of their customers hard earned transaction fees back into the system and interac transferred them over to the RCGA. The real story would be to release to the stakeholders and public just where in fact the the funds are going to be spent and perhaps even offer some form of disclosure as to exactly what the investment is. Without those two very important pieces of information I might ask, where exactly is the story here? If I choose to purchase a Team Canada pin and, in doing so, donate to the cause will I garner any media attention? Kudos YES … to the RBC for working the weary media and most likely waiving the interest on Mike Weir’s line of credit.
I was sort of hoping Robert Thompson might have a go at this one seeing as he seems to be the only Canadian golf journalist left who still seeks accountability.
I think we’d all invest in the game if we knew exactly who & what we were investing in. Without a plan the best anyone can hope for is someone’s two cents.