PGA Of America Renews Sponsorship With PepsiCo

The PGA of America and PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP) has renewed their longstanding partnership with a new multi-year contract. PepsiCo, maker of iconic beverage brands such as Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Lipton iced teas and Aquafina, has served as the official non-alcoholic beverage provider of PGA Professionals since 1993.

Nearly two decades ago, PepsiCo first made a commitment to The PGA of America and its thousands of Professionals nationwide. Today, PepsiCo beverages will continue to be exclusively served in hospitality and concession areas at each PGA Championship, U.S.-based Ryder Cup, Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid and PGA Grand Slam of Golf. PepsiCo beverages will also be poured at PGA of America-owned and operated facilities, including Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., and PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, Fla., which encompasses PGA Golf Club, PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance and PGA Country Club.

"An impressive line of PepsiCo products have collectively served as the beverage choice for a generation of PGA Professionals," said PGA President Allen Wronowski. "The PGA of America is delighted that PepsiCo has extended our partnership, which will span over two decades when the terms are fulfilled, a reflection of the great value of and influence our 27,000 men and women PGA Professionals have on consumers. With a rich tradition of support at the green grass golf facility level and continued engagement at the Association's major consumer events and golf properties, PepsiCo beverages have become an integral part of the fabric of The PGA of America and the game of golf." 

"PepsiCo and The PGA of America have shared a strong relationship for many years, and we're excited to renew our partnership as its exclusive beverage provider," said Stacy Reichert, senior vice president, national sales and chief customer officer of PepsiCo's Foodservice division. "We're committed to supporting the game of golf and its thousands of Professionals across the United States. The PGA of America is a valued partner and will continue to give our brands' great visibility in the golf community over the coming years."

PepsiCo has also renewed its support of Golf Retirement Plus™. Founded in 1997, Golf Retirement Plus is a supplemental retirement program for PGA Professionals and apprentices, GCSAA Superintendents, and CMAA Club Managers, which allows them to make their own contributions or have their employers contribute to their Golf Retirement Plus account on their behalf. PGA Professionals may also earn personal retirement incentives by participating in the Golf Retirement Plus Sponsor Programs.

Since its founded in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering world-class championships and innovative programs, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. As The PGA nears its centennial, the PGA brand represents the very best in golf. 

PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also, means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. 

Adam Scott's Big Meltdown On Sunday At The Open

Adam Scott reckons Tiger Woods’ former caddie can help him fend off a final-day charge from the American superstar at The Open.

The Aussie has a four-shot lead going into today’s final round but insists he will cope with the nerves of trying to close out his first Major with the advice of experienced bagman Steve Williams.

The Kiwi caddie had an acrimonious split with Woods last year and has made some controversial comments about the former world No.1

But now Scott – who leads Graeme McDowell and Brandt Snedeker by four with Tiger a shot further back in fourth place – reckons his caddie will be key to keeping him on the path to a famous victory today.

Scott said: “It’s a benefit to have a guy like Steve on the bag. We’re getting on really well out there and he believes in the way I’m going about my business.

“At some point tomorrow I’m sure there’s going to be a time when I’m going to lean on his experience.

And he’s going to have some great advice on how to tackle a certain situation. He’s such a positive guy and that can rub off on a player as well. It’s an advantage to have Steve as my caddie.

“I have a pretty good record when I’m leading so I should be confident going into tomorrow.

“I just need to do the same stuff I’ve been doing. That has been effective so far and it shouldn’t really change just because it’s Sunday.

“Obviously there are nerves because there’s a finishing line out there somewhere. But throughout my career somehow I’ve been able to handle that situation fairly well most of the time.”

Ernie Els Takes British Open By Storm

Ten years from his last victory Ernie Els stunned his colleagues and golf insiders to win the coveted 141st Open championship.  The 42-year-old South African, same age as last year's winner Darren Clarke, triumphed after Adam Scott suffered a nightmare collapse over Royal Lytham's closing stretch.

Scott who was chasing his first major, looked all set to become the first Australian to hold the Claret Jug aloft since Greg Norman in 1993 when he led by four shots with only four holes to play. But he bogeyed them all and Els, having made a 15-foot birdie putt on the final green 20 minutes earlier, suddenly found himself with a fourth major title without even having to go into a play-off. As Nick Faldo said: "Well done Ernie Els but Adam Scott is going to be scarred for life." Els said: "I'm just all numb at the moment. He's a great friend of mine. Obviously we both wanted to win very badly for different reasons and I really feel for him.

"It's the nature of the beast. That's why we are out here. You win, you lose and it was my time. "I was hoping at best play-off. When I was on the 17th green he was on the 16th tee and, as we all know, it's not the hardest hole."

Scott, whose caddie Steve Williams won 13 majors with Tiger Woods, had allowed the gap to come down to two by failing to get up and down from a bunker on the 15th. He then three-putted the next and while playing the 17th would certainly have heard the roar - the loudest of the week - for Els's last green putt for a 68 and seven-under-par aggregate of 273.

The "Big Easy", second at Lytham in 1996 and third in 2001, almost resigned himself to another near-miss. But things were about to change far more than he anticipated. Scott pulled his approach into the rough, and when he drove into more sand down the last and had to hack out, Els had one hand on the trophy.

His Presidents Cup team-mate played a superb third to eight feet, but the par putt to force extra holes was pulled wide and that was that. Having stood 11 under earlier in the day, he signed for a 75 and six under.

Woods, who also finished poorly in addition to taking a triple bogey, tied for third with fellow American Brandt Snedeker three shots further back, while Scott's playing partner Graeme McDowell ended up fifth with world number one Luke Donald.

In his winner's speech Els told the crowd: "I had a lot of support this week. But you guys have got to ask yourselves the question were you just being nice to me or did you actually believe I could win?".  In true Ernie El style, he gave a big shout out to Nelson Mandela during his search, saluting the former South African leader for his contribution to sports in South Africa

Many thought his best days were long behind him and he did not even qualify for The Masters in April. Scott retained his composure admirably but must have been devastated inside.

"I'm pretty disappointed," he said. "I had it in my hands and managed to hit a poor shot at each of the closing four holes. "I'm very, very disappointed, but I played so beautifully for most of the week I certainly should not let this get me down. "Surprisingly I was incredibly calm and I still am. I thought I could roll that last putt in, but I didn't and that's golf."

Scott was on the verge of becoming the sport's 10th successive first-time winner in the majors, but while that has now ended another run goes on - Els is the 16th different winner in a row.

Now with two Opens to go with his two US Opens, his front nine contained bogeys at the second and ninth and not a single birdie. That left him six back, but he hauled himself back into things with birdies at the 10th, 12th and 14th to set up the remarkable climax.

McDowell was always playing catch-up and could not recover from bogeys at the second and sixth, the second of those seeing him take two in the same bunker that gave Woods so many problems. The 14-major champion - still to add to that tally since the 2008 US Open - almost hit himself as his first attempt to escape came back off at him.

Officials checked the video to make sure there was no contact, but he then had to play his next crouched on the grass way above the ball. He did wonderfully well not to leave it in again, but the ball shot across the green off the face and from there he triple-bogeyed to fall seven behind.

It was the first time he had dropped three shots on one hole in a major since he lost his opening drive at Sandwich in 2003. The real killer blow for McDowell came with a six on the reachable long next - he lost his second in the bushes - that put him six adrift.

Woods and Els were up into joint second at that point, but the former found bunkers on the 14th, 15th and 16th and that ended his hopes. For Els it was a different story. A very different story. An unbelievable one, in fact.

Big News 2012 Scottish Open

Aberdeen Asset Management is supporting its sponsorship of the Scottish Open (July 12-15) with a 30 second television advertising campaign that will run in the United States, UK, and Europe.  The advertisement 
explains   Aberdeen Asset Management's involvement as a sponsor of a number of Scottish golfers and introduces the Group's sponsorship of the Scottish Open with some stunning aerial photography of the Castle Stuart course where the Open will be played next week.  The TV commercial is narrated by Scottish broadcaster Bill Torrance, considered to be one of the finest Scottish voice-over artists.

The Golf Channel in the U.S. will televise the Scottish Open with live and repeat coverage each day. Aberdeen's TV commercial will run during the Scottish Open broadcast on the Golf Channel which last year televised 30 hours of coverage to an audience of 82 million in the U.S. and 5.5 million in Canada. The advertisement will also run on U.S. business channel, CNBC. In the UK, the TV ad will be aired on various Sky channels and STV beginning on July 12. 

The Scottish Open will also be broadcast in the UK (BBC and Sky) with highlights shown in Europe and Asia.

Martin Gilbert, chief executive of Aberdeen Asset Management, comments: "We have been a loyal supporter of Scottish golf for nearly 15 years and we are delighted that we are able to sponsor the Scottish Open. The television ad helps to convey our enthusiasm for this event and importantly supports our strategy of raising the profile of Aberdeen Asset Management in the U.S. – home to around half of the world's wealth." 

Aberdeen Asset Management PLC, the parent company of Aberdeen Asset Management Inc., is an independently‐run asset manager listed on the London Stock Exchange since 1991, and operating from 31 offices in 23 countries (the "Group"). The Group invests on behalf of institutional and wholesale clients, primarily in equities, fixed income, alternative investment strategies and property. The Group manages more than US$295 billion of assets for both institutions and private individuals as of March 31, 2012.

Tiger Woods Donates Ball And Glove To World Golf Hall Of Fame

Former world's number one golfer Tiger Woods, donated the ball he used to hole out for the win at the Memorial Tournament on June 3 to the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine.

Woods also donated the glove he wore and an autographed Memorial pin flag that will be in the display, as part of the Hall’s ongoing “History in the Making” exhibit program.  The Wolrld's Golf Hall of Fame showcases pro golfers most recent accomplishments in golf, honoring them by obtaining equipment, clothing and other items used or worn by the player to put on display as soon as possible after the event.

Woods hit a lob shot out of the greenside rough at the par-3 16th of the Muirfield Village Golf Club that landed well short of the hole and rolled in for birdie. Woods locked up the tournament title two holes later to tie tournament host Jack Nicklaus for second on the all-time PGA Tour victory list with 73. Nicklaus called the shot, on live TV, the best he had seen, given the pressure on Woods to win the tournament. “I don’t think under the circumstances I’ve ever seen a better shot,” said Nicklaus, who also signed a pin flag from the Memorial that is part of the display.

                             

Is Golf A Game Or Sport Inquiring Mind Wants to Know

ProCon.org  is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity whose mission is promoting critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship.  Information is presented on 42 different ProCon.org issue websites in subjects ranging from the 2012 presidential election, alternative energy, and medical marijuana to the death penalty, illegal immigration, and health care reform.

And the latest topic being examined is one of America's favorite.  Golf in the United States is a $76 billion industry with 25.7 million players. Thirty-eight percent of Americans consider themselves golf fans. Golf is clearly popular, but whether or not it is a sport remains a hotly debated topic.   ProCon, a nonpartisan research organization devoted to critical thinking on controversial issues, published its newest website to provide up-to-date scientific studies, expert analysis, historical data, and athlete perspectives on the pro and the con side of this controversy.   

The research appears on the nonprofit organization's 43rd website, where Proponents say that golf meets the definition of "sport" found in the dictionary, requires physical exertion and coordination, and is recognized as a sport by sporting goods companies, athletic associations, fans, the media, and more. They point to golf's inclusion in the Olympics starting in 2016 as further evidence of its qualification as a sport.

Opponents say that golf better meets the definition of "game" than "sport," does not require rigorous physical activity, and can be played professionally by people who are overweight, injured, or non-athletic. They argue that golf is a game or leisure activity, and they cite golf's 112-year absence from the Olympics as proof that it is not a sport. In addition to in-depth pro and con research, the latest ProCon's website contains a historical background section, videos, photos, over 60 footnotes and sources, and Did You Know? facts including:

1. Golf was banned in Scotland in 1457 because King James II worried that people were too distracted by the game to develop the archery skills needed to protect the country from the English.

2. Golf was included in the 1900 and 1904 Olympics, then removed for 112 years until its slated return at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Like croquet, golf has been in the Olympics twice which is three less times than tug of war has been in the Olympics.

3. Golfer Tiger Woods in 2009 became the first athlete to surpass one billion dollars in career earnings (prize money and endorsements), making him the richest athlete of all time.

4. The Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in PGA Tour v. Martin (2001) that allowing a golfer to use a cart instead of walking the course would not "fundamentally alter the nature" of the game.

5. The Associated Press has named a golfer its "Female Athlete of the Year" 24 times (30% of honorees) since the award began in 1931; a golfer has been named "Male Athlete of the Year" nine times (11% of honorees). 

ProCon.org President Kamy Akhavan commented: "Tiger Woods could bench 315 and win the US Open with a broken leg.  John Daly weighed close to 300 lbs, won two major tournaments, and sometimes smoked cigarettes while playing. They're both great golfers, but are they both great athletes competing in a real sport?  Whether a sport o a game, fan and professional alike knows of the intensity required to play.