Truth & Rumors > Golf

Sources: PGA may loosen booze rules

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Executives at PGA Tour headquarters are taking their most serious look yet at loosening rules that prevent spirit companies from buying tournament title sponsorships or traditional endorsements with players, said multiple sources familiar with the talks. Industry sources estimated the category could be worth up to $50 million a year in new sponsorship dollars. The PGA Tour has considered such a move before but didn't take action because of the stigma attached to the category, said a tour source. The PGA Tour's board of directors would have to approve any change in the rules, and there is no firm timetable for a decision. Under current rules, distilled spirit companies are not allowed to title sponsor events on the PGA Tour, sign traditional shirt sponsorships with golfers or become an official sponsor of the PGA Tour. They can title sponsor one event on each of the Champions and Nationwide tours, though neither tour has a distilled spirits title sponsor. Spirits cannot title sponsor pro-ams, but are allowed to sponsor VIP areas at tournaments, as Diageo's Ketel One and Bacardi's Grey Goose have done in recent years. If new rules are passed, spirits would probably be limited to title sponsorships of the dozen or so events with four-round coverage on Golf Channel because sponsorships include ad inventory in tournament telecasts. Broadcast networks still ban liquor advertising, likely precluding a deal for a tournament with coverage on one of the tour's two broadcast partners. The PGA Tour is also looking at easing rules on endorsements, which state that players can do deals with liquor brands but can wear only the logos of legitimate apparel businesses licensed by those brands. For example, PGA Tour players Retief Goosen and Jim Furyk endorse and wear branding from the Grey Goose Collection and Diageo's Johnny Walker Collection, respectively.

Sports Business Journal

Tim Finchem, Getty Images Tim Finchem, Getty Images
April 28, 2009  10:01 AM ET

Just what John Daly needs,to be sponsored by Jack Daniels or Jim Beam.

April 28, 2009  12:03 PM ET

LOL Beast. Daly should be sponsored by one of those companies, considering all the support he's given them over the years. Isn't it funny how the PGAs moral stance can soften when money gets tight.

April 28, 2009  12:58 PM ET

It's either go with the "spirits" companies or have to deal with Viagra and Cialis --- which Daly could support either way --- "Long John", JackDaniels and Hooters

April 28, 2009  01:22 PM ET
QUOTE(#3):

It's either go with the "spirits" companies or have to deal with Viagra and Cialis --- which Daly could support either way --- "Long John", JackDaniels and Hooters

Ding ding ding!

(Guys - don't be fooled by the droopy knockers. I'm not really the sorceress sister of Huitzilopochtli.)

Comment #5 has been removed
April 29, 2009  08:21 AM ET

Jakester's got it right - sponsors are drying up, so the PGA is going wet. :P

April 29, 2009  11:17 AM ET
QUOTE(#4):

Ding ding ding!(Guys - don't be fooled by the droopy knockers. I'm not really the sorceress sister of Huitzilopochtli.)

Danielle?

April 29, 2009  10:33 PM ET
QUOTE(#7):

Danielle?

You don't think the eye shadow makes me look cheap?

April 30, 2009  06:13 PM ET

The LPGA needs sponsors. They should be going after booze companies like John Daly after a divorcee gold-digger.

April 30, 2009  07:15 PM ET

isn't the pga tour and players making enough money, the pga commiss makes over 4 million for what doing what? the product has been selling itself for decades, all he has done is delute it and tigerize it to a point the pga tour logo should be tiger face!!!!! i am watching 80 percent less golf and reading more golf history. the game has past us by and now we have a mere portion of what was a pure game. replay the matches of the 50 and 60's they were more fun to watch !!!!!!!!!

May 4, 2009  11:46 AM ET

I would much rather have my children (12 and under) see Grey Goose or Johnny Walker sponsorship ads all weekend than having to explain to them what erectile disfunction is or having to answer whether or not I am "...healthy enough for sexual activity..."

 
May 5, 2009  04:11 PM ET

There are hundreds of potential distilled spirit sponsors for PGA events. The following piece has some very funny examples, for example: "Take the AT&T National because we all know that nothing has made more people reach out and touch someone more than a good distilled spirit" Very funny if your a golfer or just a drinker. Hysterical if your a golfer who drinks.

http://www.putt.com/story.php?sid=469

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