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.
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