Golf

Tiger Woods needs to say more, PR pros advise

By Liz Farmer
Daily Record Business Writer

Golf pro Tiger Woods may have accepted full responsibility for his multiple extra-marital affairs, but public relations professionals say a few more things need to happen before he can fully win back the hearts and minds of his public.

 They take issue with the fact that, despite it being his first public appearance since the details of his affairs began unraveling, Woods is still refusing to take questions from the press.

“At some point he’s going to have to answer some questions if he wants to rebuild his brand,” said John Maroon, president of Maroon PR in Marriottsville. “At some point you have to get that over with and move on with your life and he could have done that [Friday].”

Woods, who has not been seen or heard from since late November, appeared Friday at the TPC Sawgrass golf course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. His event aired opposite the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, which started Wednesday in  Arizona. Accenture is one of the companies that dropped Woods as a sponsor.

Birdie-watching at Senior Players will cost less this year

LIZ FARMER
Daily Record Business Writer
August 10, 2009 5:54 PM

Golfing may be an expensive sport — but watching it doesn’t have to be.

Tournament director Steve Schoenfeld emphasized the tournament’s role in supporting local charities.That’s a message organizers for the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship hope to get across to fans in the midst of a national recession.

General admission tickets bought in advance will cost $2 less this year — $20 — than they did for the 2008 tournament. Steve Schoenfeld, executive director of the tournament, said Monday at the media day they thought a rounder number might settle better with fans.

“I’m not sure it was a conscious thought [to do that because of the economy], but it’s more like if that’ll help, why not?” he said.

Schoenfeld and others Monday also emphasized the tournament’s role in supporting local charities, which ticket sales can greatly affect. The PGA Tour, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour have raised a total of more than $1.4 billion for charity in the last 70 years — more than any other professional sports combined, according to the PGA.

The Constellation Energy Championship’s defending champion, D.A. Weibring, pointed to that fact during Monday’s question-and-answer session.

“I hope folks come out here and support the event,” he said. “I know times are challenging, but you do raise money for charity [in doing that].”

The Champions Tour stop in Baltimore has raised $400,000 each of the last two years for four local charities, organizers said. The tournament has also launched a new campaign, Tickets Fore Charity, in which local charities can sell tournament tickets for a cut of the proceeds. More than 50 charities in the Baltimore area have signed up for the fundraiser.

 

Click here to access rest of story from TDR or e-mail author for full text.