At a time when sponsorship is hard to come by, BMW’s investment in the Golf simply continues to drive the car on the fast track, writes David Facey.
The PGA Tour’s demands for $20million in prize money for their Signature events have caused them to lose longtime blue-chip sponsors like Farmers Insurance, Wells Fargo and Honda.
But in addition to confirming their continued support for the Tour FedEx Cup’s second qualifier – the BMW Championship – the German motoring giants have increased their financial support for the sport, by taking over as title sponsors of the Australian PGA.
That takes their global portfolio to five major tournaments. They also sponsor this week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, the home BMW International, and the LPGA Championship in Korea.
It is a big responsibility. But BMW board member Ilka Horstmeier, responsible for People and Places, says it’s a win-win.
He explained: “We have now been involved in golf for over four decades, and we are proud of this legacy.
“It all started with the BMW Golf Cup, for owners and dealers, which is now the world’s largest non-professional series with over 100,000 competitors, and BMW International has been running since 1989.
“We see golf as incredibly important, because many of our customers love the game. We think it’s a great way to connect with people in a relaxed way.
“It brings people together. That is very important. That’s what we need to see out there – people having fun and enjoying their time together, no matter who they are, or where they come from.
“And of course it’s a great opportunity for us to bring fans, customers, and prospective customers to the tournaments, and advertise our range of products.
like our one-prize slot in this year’s competition, the BMW i5 Touring.
“Golf is huge in Australia, and for us it’s an important market. So taking over as sponsors of the PGA has a happy marriage!”
But it’s not just the players who benefit from BMW’s involvement. Their Eagles for Education program has raised millions to support students in Europe and Korea, and their FedEx Cup event has generated substantial profits.
All proceeds from the BMW Championship – which has broken the $50million mark since it began in 2007 – go to the Evans Scholars Foundation.
That is a non-profit organization that meets all the educational expenses of young students from disadvantaged backgrounds. BMW’s sponsorship has seen more than 3,000 Evans Scholars graduate from 24 different universities.
With so much emphasis being placed on the greed that has ruled golf ever since LIV started throwing money at the game, it’s an interesting point.
Horstmeier added: “It’s important for people to see that it’s not just the players who benefit from our dedication to the game of golf.
“The proceeds of the BMW Championship are not earned by anyone but the Evans Scholars. In addition to ticket sales, when someone buys a t-shirt or souvenir from our contest it helps educate someone from an underprivileged background.
“With over $50 million donated and over 3,000 graduates, those numbers are staggering. And these are the people who really need our help.
“One of the academics I met told us a story that touched our hearts, that my father was not there, his mother had an alcohol problem, don’t want to hear anything else!
“But with the help of the Foundation, he was able to overcome that, and became a university student. He started caddying, worked hard in school, and showed a real desire to improve his life.
“Those are the processes that the Evans Scholars Foundation is looking for, and it’s been very successful.
“Our 2024 BMW Championship was held at the beautiful Castle Pines Club in Denver, where George Solich is chairman, and his brother Duffy is also a board member – and both are Evans Scholars, from very humble backgrounds.
“They are now leaders in their community who give back to the community, as many Evans Scholars do.
“So yes, we feel we can be proud of our long association with golf, and that’s why we’re still expanding that relationship.”
The writer, David Facey, has been golf reporter for ‘The Sun’ for nearly 25 years and is a regular contributor to ‘Golf Monthly’.
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