Tiger Selection Spikes Ryder Cup Ticket Sales
by Ryan Ballengee on Sep 21, 2010 10:29 AM EDT
in Pro Golf
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PrintInherently, cynicism was abound when Tiger Woods was selected for the Ryder Cup team. It wasn't rampant - after all, how do you leave the OWGR number one player off of the American side? - but there still appeared some speculation that Woods' pick was made based upon pressure from the PGA of America and European Tour to get golf's golden ticket to Wales.
Former captain Paul Azinger and current captain Corey Pavin insisted that neither politics nor economics played a role in their decision making. It may well not have - Azinger didn't even have the world number one available to him. Still, Woods' selection sent Ryder Cup ticket sales through the roof.
In a LA Times piece, Bill Dwyre gets Celtic Manor Director of Golf Jim McKenzie to share the economic impact of Woods' selection.
"We will have 45,000 people a day, for the three practice days starting Tuesday and the three competition days," McKenzie says, by phone from Wales.
He says that sellout is a recent happening.
"We were behind budget," McKenzie says, "and then they picked Tiger and it sold out overnight."
That can't be a surprising thing. Tiger has been generating public curiosity for thirty years. Recently, it has become a different kind of curiosity, but with his form in question, a wounded Tiger is still of interest to the people of Wales and the British Isles.
McKenzie doesn't say just how much the Tiger pick sent them over the hump to a sell out, though it sounds pretty substantial. The question, then, becomes: is there an enthusiasm gap in Wales for the Ryder Cup? Or for Monty? Or is it simply economic pressure?
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That Manchester City v Newcastle United can be recorded on their DVRs?
by Charles Boyer on Sep 21, 2010 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions
LOL, that made me laugh hard
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by Ryan Ballengee on Sep 21, 2010 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions
Last year summer was on a Monday. Today is Tuesday, so that’s about right.
by chip n'putt on Sep 21, 2010 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Good point – absolutely nasty weather is possible!
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by Ryan Ballengee on Sep 21, 2010 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions
I still think Ian Woosman should be the Ryder Cup captain...
because Monty doesn’t strike me as the inspirational type. It’s also in Wales, even though the Celtic Manor course is relatively new, Woosman has more knowledge of the area I would presume. Plus, Woosman made his name by winning, not by failing.
Woosnam had his time..
it’s Monty’s turn. It’s more about a former player getting the honour of captaincy than who might win it. In the coming years, Olly, Clarke and Harrington will step up too. Woosnam spills his beer anyway :)
Ryan..Don't you think that
maybe all three factors are in play here ? How hard has the economy been hit in this area ? Weather ? Shouldn’t the people that live there be used to it by now ? When I lived in the snow belt, I knew it was going to be cold and snowy every winter….And yes, curiosity….They want to see Tiger….We all know he moves the needle….playing well or not….His past history is damm good….Another thing….Easy made a post, that alluded to the prices being charged for the RC….Course, that is reflected in the general economy….How far an area around the course do the fans come from ? Is there enough rooms for those that have to stay the week ? We need more information re the area, etc….STUB
Could easily (and most likely) be some combo of the three – that’s why I throw them out there. Problems rarely have a single root cause.
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by Ryan Ballengee on Sep 21, 2010 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions
I for one would like to see where the numbers came from
And documenation to back it up. Many people in a bad economy live week to week, and paycheck to paycheck so I’m sure they had a lot of last minute entries. Quail Hollow was sold out weeks prior to either Phil or Tiger signing on.
"pain is only weakness leaving the body"
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