It seemed like a good idea at the time. And five years later, those who brought the McDonald's LPGA Championship to Harford County's Bulle Rock Golf Club say they got what they expected: high-quality competition on a world-class course with millions raised for charity.
But after this week's competition, the pro tour and the sponsor will part ways in a decision reached a year ago. The LPGA leaves with complete control of one of its signature events. McDonald's, the sponsor for 28 years, will put on a golfing fundraiser with lower overhead to ensure more money is funneled to Ronald McDonald House Charities.
"There's no sour grapes on our part. We're happy to have been there," said Frank Quinn, one of two founders of the Championship. "Bulle Rock was much more than what we expected. It's a wonderful venue. The folks who own it and operate it are terrific. There's nothing they could have done that would have been better."
FOR THE RECORD
LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens' name was misspelled in a sports article Monday.
The Baltimore Sun regrets the error.
The Championship left the DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, Del., after a 10-year run in hopes of tapping into a new donor base. That strategy worked fine for the first four years as McDonald's raised about $4 million. But Quinn and Herb Lotman, the other founder, say their situation now is no different from the one facing all charities in these tough economic times: Donors aren't writing checks the way they used to.
"We raised more at Bulle Rock than we ever raised at Wilmington, given the economic climate at the time when we left," Quinn said.
But, Lotman added, "This year, we probably won't take in hardly anything. Our expenses and overhead have been climbing every year. I made this decision at the beginning of last year, before this economic bomb dropped. Based on what's happened since then, it's probably the best decision of my 76 years."
For the LPGA, the split marks another step in its push to raise its profile. In February, commissioner Carolyn Bevins lined up a 10-year deal with the Golf Channel, giving its events a stable presence on cable. A five-year agreement with South Korea's J Golf means access to a growing market through cable, digital and print platforms. Reinforcing that outreach, the tour is adding two trips to Asia.
Bevins called Bulle Rock "a great stage for some new champions to be crowned," but added that the opportunity to choose the location of the event, set player eligibility criteria and reap all the revenue is "exciting." She acknowledged that the LPGA doesn't have a site for the Championship or financial backers, but expressed confidence that all the pieces will be in place when the season ends in November.
