PGA Tour Sponsor Issues Grow

In Tim Finchem's interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, he hinted that the PGA Tour will not be immune from the financial crisis and global economic downturn.  Duh.  Now, we get some more specifics courtesy of Sports Biz Journal's Jon Show.  And the sponsors discussed are big names.

Jeld-Wen, a door and window manufacturer, wants to get relief from its approximately $9 million annual investment in golf, said a source familiar with the company’s plans. Jeld-Wen is one of three sponsors of The Players Championship through 2012. It also title sponsors a Champions Tour event and is an official marketing partner of the PGA Tour.

That's a sponsor of a Champ Tour major that wants out.  That makes the Tradition and the Senior Players as events that are facing major sponsorship issues.  Add to the list that Bank of America is out from the Champ Tour and things aren't looking to great.

The Fall Series is also in trouble, but would anyone be surprised about that?

The tour is also trying to replace title sponsors of the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico and the Ginn sur Mer Classic in Florida, each of which are sponsored by real estate companies. Spain-based OHL, the construction company that owns Mayakoba, is two years into a six-year deal that runs through the 2012 tournament.

Though we know that the Ginn Tribute is dead, the Ginn Open on the LPGA Tour remains.  Jon confirmed for us on The 19th Hole that they are trying to sell that sponsorship off to another organization, too.  They want out of golf altogether.

There is also the unsponsored new Georgia Fall Series event.

And do you think there's any chance that Chrysler sticks around to sponsor the Bob Hope?  They may be out of business before the end of 2009 (their sponsorship contract ends in 2010) - or become a part of General Motors.

Lastly, Show reports that CA wanted out of the WGC event at Doral, but renegotiated to an acceptable number to finish out the contract through 2011.

Golf is looking at tight times ahead.