Key PGA Tour Sponsor Calls For Urgent Stability In Men's Professional Game
RBC, which sponsors two high-profile PGA Tour events, want to see men's professional golf get back on track sooner rather than later
![Nick Taylor of Canada celebrates with his caddie after making an eagle putt on the 4th playoff hole to win the RBC Canadian Open at Oakdale Golf & Country Club on June 11, 2023](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aQNswPy6KXCZnqANQwsMWB-415-80.jpg)
The Royal Bank of Canada, a key sponsor of two high-profile PGA Tour events, has aired frustrations with the current state of flux within men's professional golf.
Almost a year on from the shock framework agreement announcement between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), there appears to be no end in sight for golf's ongoing civil war.
Talks between the Tour and LIV Golf's backers are set to ramp up following the appointment of a "transaction committee" earlier in the week, but declining ratings and distrust in Tour leadership mean that men's professional golf is in a far from ideal situation.
Such frustrations have also reached sponsors, with RBC - title sponsor for the Canadian Open and Heritage - the latest to air their grievances about the lack of clarity over the sport's future.
Speaking at the media day for the upcoming RBC Canadian Open, Mary DePaoli, chief marketing officer for RBC, said: “I think we’re probably all feeling the same. We’re all experiencing this, whether it’s as a sponsor or a fan or the players.
"We are all watching the PGA Tour, right now, try to sort through a business model that has been under some significant strain, and has still not fully resolved itself. And that’s still TBD. So, it’s requiring a lot of patience.”
“It’s going to be really important for us to see the Tour stabilize professional men’s golf,” she continued. “I’ve used the analogy that it’s like they’re flying the plane and building it at the same time. It’s probably not too far off.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
"But I think if some of these outstanding questions can resolve themselves — in the short or the medium term — and we can start to put some of the changes that a lot of people were not too pleased with behind us. Hopefully, they can get professional men’s golf back on track and growing in a very positive direction again.”
RBC also sponsors the RBC Heritage tournament
While RBC retained their sponsorship rights, which were set to expire in 2023, other high-profile sponsors have seen enough.
Last year, Honda ended its 42-year sponsorship of the Honda Classic following the 2023 tournament, while Wells Fargo and Farmers Insurance have also announced they will not renew deals that expire in 2024 and 2026 respectively.
DePaoli did not comment on RBC's future intentions but insisted that a "healthy" sport was vital to keep fans and sponsors on side.
"I think golf might be at this moment in time, where, unlike a lot of other professional sports, it’s going through change. It’s going through a transformation," she added. "A lot of other leagues and teams have gone through a lot of that over the course of their history.
"We’re hoping that this rectifies itself soon. We’re hoping that they can bring the sport together in a very healthy way that, again, benefits the players, the sponsors and the fans. If the fans are happy, we’re happy. If the players are happy, we’re happy. But right now, we’re still seeing a little bit of flux there.”
Ben joined Golf Monthly having completed his NCTJ in multimedia sports journalism at News Associates, London. He is now a freelance journalist who also works for The Independent, Metro, UEFA and Stats Perform.
-
'I Love Life, I Love Golf, It Can't Get Any Better At The Moment' - Marcel Siem Claims Thrilling Italian Open In Playoff
In just his fourth start since returning from a hip injury, Siem managed a birdie at the first playoff hole to claim a sixth DP World Tour title at the Italian Open
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Rocket Mortgage Classic Leaderboard And Live Report: Cam Davis Hits The Front After Aaron Rai Stumbles
Both Akshay Bhatia and Aaron Rai sit at 17-under-par, with 23 players within five shots of the pair going into the final day at Detroit Golf Club
By James Nursey Last updated
-
Rocket Mortgage Classic Round Four Tee Times
Akshay Bhatia and Aaron Rai are tied at the top heading into the final round at Detroit Golf Club
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
'Let's Have A Week' - Beer-Drinking Nick Bienz Lands Key Sponsor Before Making PGA Tour Bow
Golf Galaxy employee Nick Bienz's whirlwind week continues to get better after landing a sponsorship with the company he works for ahead of his PGA Tour debut
By Joel Kulasingham Published
-
Rocket Mortgage Classic Tee Times - Rounds One And Two
Defending champion Rickie Fowler is in a group with Will Zalatoris and Cam Davis in the first two rounds at Detroit Golf Club
By Mike Hall Published
-
Rocket Mortgage Classic Prize Money Payout 2024
Rickie Fowler defends his title as competitors play for an increased purse at Detroit Golf Club
By Mike Hall Published
-
Golf Galaxy Employee Sinks Three Beers And Then Qualifies For First Ever PGA Tour Event Via Marathon Playoff
Nick Bienz will play the Rocket Mortgage Classic this week - his first PGA Tour-sanctioned event - after a memorable day at The Orchards Golf Club
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
LIV Golf vs PGA Tour Combined 2024 Money List
LIV Golf consistently offers the biggest prize money in golf, but it's PGA Tour stars who dominate the top of the combined money list so far this season
By Mike Hall Published
-
Scottie Scheffler: Protest Interruption At Travelers Championship Was 'Definitely A Bit Weird' And 'A Stressful Situation'
The closing stages of the 2024 Travelers Championship were interrupted by Extinction Rebellion activists who threw red and white powder all over the 18th green at TPC River Highlands
By Jonny Leighfield Last updated
-
'I Was Scared For My Life' - Akshay Bhatia Shares First-Person Account Of Moment Protestors Ran Onto The 18th Green At The Travelers Championship
Members of protest group Extinction Rebellion entered the course and threw chalk over the putting surface as the final three players approached
By Jonny Leighfield Published