Written by Staff Writer
People are often happy about more money in their pockets.
And on Tuesday Keith Pelley was, too, following the Canadian’s announcement of the PGA Tour’s first ever multi-year sponsorship deal with Canada’s Two for the Money Golf Course.
“A two for the money golf course, that is just sensational, it’s just terrific,” he told CNNMoney.
The new Three Suns Senior Pro-Am event will be held at the links-style course on the same runway used for media traffic at the Canadian Open.
The tournament will allow players to earn up to $100,000 for their efforts, and Pelley says the tournament is looking for 120 golfers to compete.
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It could, he added, be expanded to be held at the Calgary Athletic Club — the former home of the PGA Tour Canada and the first Canadian club to host the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
A successful tournament would make more sponsors aware of the potential of golf in Canada, said Pelley.
“Golf isn’t the area that’s growing as much as it has in other parts of the world, it hasn’t gotten the economic support it deserves,” he said.
“A lot of the organisations that, like the PGA Tour, simply can’t afford to sponsor 50 events on the PGA Tour, have been very hesitant to invest in golf because of the deficits that the tour has.”
Pelley said there are three or four events that could be moved from the PGA Tour Canada to the Two for the Money model, while another other promoter in Canada is exploring opportunities to take two of the country’s biggest pro events to events in America.
“There are a lot of potential future events that could potentially go to Two for the Money Golf Course and the new Three Suns Senior Pro-Am,” said Pelley.
“This is something that is a starting point and you’ll see more and more of these in Canada.”
But, it is up to the public to help identify those with the potential to make a winner of their golfers, he stressed.
“This is going to be a Canada-wide event that will reach out to all of those networks and all of those companies, in order to bring attention to the game of golf in this part of the world,” said Pelley.
“It’s a journey. It’s not a party. We’re not going to be walking around with our heads in the sand. We’re going to be working extremely hard to build this sport from the bottom up.”
Pelley said his company is committed to becoming a significant player in the game of golf, but it is in no rush to get bigger than “Wayne Gretzky’s Valley of the Kings.”
“I don’t want this to be the North American PGA Tour.”
“This is something that will take many, many years and there will be a build.”
Don’t miss the airport lounge with its $2.89 burger and $7.95 vodka martini