The momentum from the first quarter of 2019 – perhaps one of the most successful and rewarding in recent years for Global Golf Management (see Q1 Quarterly Report) – carried over to Q2, which included official events and other ventures that served a wide spectrum of clients.
In short, we enjoyed a rewarding three months that displayed our versatility.
We assisted in the staging of five official tournament events in April, May and June, including a big project helping the Rocket Mortgage Classic, a new event on the PGA TOUR, get off the ground in Detroit.
Meanwhile, off the radar and out of the public eye, we hosted an event in Augusta, Ga., that was truly a hit – and not just because Tiger Woods completed his remarkable comeback and won his fifth Masters title at Augusta National Golf Club. No, in this instance, we’re referring to hosting 50 GGM clients at a hospitality house in Augusta for a week of special events tied to the Masters Tournament. Among the highlights was the work of Chef Michael Stolzfus of Coquette New Orleans, a James Beard Award nominee, who provided specialty southern cuisine and a curated beverage program throughout the week. Other activities included a sampling of area golf courses and a Savannah River pontoon boat cruise for happy hour. The event was well-received by a clientele that represented five different countries.
In May, we partnered for the second year in a row with the Fresh Start Caring for Kids Foundation for a one-day celebrity golf tournament. You can visit their website here: http://www.freshstartkids.org/.
Played at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill., near Chicago, the Fresh Start Caring For Kids Celebrity Classic hosted by Jermaine Dye was held May 5. Dye, a former Major League Baseball player for the Chicago White Sox, among other teams, was joined by 25 sports luminaries from Chicago and of national renown, including Frank Thomas, Ozzie Guillen, Marcus Allen and Carlos Zambrano. GGM not only helped stage the event, but we were instrumental in helping raise more than $200,000 for the foundation. It has become a program close to our hearts.
On the official tournament trail, we handled operations at four events.
The week after the Masters, we put together the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour (formerly the Web.comTour). The first-year event was pulled together in just 45 days, quite a hectic challenge, but we pulled it off and we are proud to continue our relationship with the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail dating to 2015 with the start of the Barbasol Championship, a PGA TOUR event now held in Kentucky.
The tournament, held at The Senator Course in Prattville, Ala., not only was a great success, but it also featured an exciting finish as Lanto Griffin played spoiler, beating hometown favorite and University of Alabama standout Robbie Shelton on the first playoff hole with a short birdie putt.
We are hopeful that this is a mainstay on the Korn Ferry Tour for years to come.
Global Golf Management is all about relationships, and we were proud to keep our ongoing partnership with Pure Silk alive with the Pure Silk Championship presented by Visit Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Va., held May 20-26. After a six-year run sponsoring the wonderful event in the Bahamas, Perio Inc., the parent company of Pure Silk, backed the long-time LPGA stop at Kingsmill Resort. We had an operations support role, supervised buildout and were responsible for general operations.
Bronte Law, 24, of England, won her first title as she became the first wire-to-wire winner (with ties) since Pernilla Lindberg won the 2018 ANA Inspiration. Law, who was in the final pairing for the first time in her career shot her second straight 67 and finished at 17-under 267 at the River Course at Kingsmill Resort.
The following week, we were back on the Korn Ferry Tour at the Rex Hospital Open, a long-running GGM project that we got off the ground eight years ago and is one of the marquee events on the developmental tour. Held at TPC Wakefield Plantation in Raleigh, N.C., the event saw Sebastian Cappelen of Denmark win his second career title. His closing 64 gave him a three-stroke victory over Grayson Murray, who carded a closing 61. Cappelen finished at 21-under 263.
Our quarter ended with another first, as we assumed support of event operator Intersport at the inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit. The event was a huge success with massive crowds supporting the return of the PGA TOUR to the Detroit area. Alongside our year-round local operations manager, we provided 10 staffers on-site for during the lead up to the tournament for what turned out to be an emotionally moving tournament.
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