EYES ON CHINA GOLD - Qatar Olympic Committee

The PGA European Tour Chief
Executive George O’Grady sees
the future in the new golfing
destinations of the Middle
East and Asia
George O’Grady’s office is tucked away behind the first
tee of Wentworth’s famous west course, which for the
last 25 years or so has been the centre of the PGA
European Tour’s world. How long this remains the case is
open to question.
For now, this is European golf’s headquarters, situated
deep in the London stockbroker belt, surrounded by some
of the most expensive real estate in Europe. Every May,
golf fans come in their thousands to watch the BMW
PGA Championship, and to peek through the hedgerows
of the estate’s famous residents.
Where once the stucco-fronted mansions were occupied
by old school bankers from the City of London and stars of
the British entertainment industry, they have been largely
replaced by an international elite: the stars of private
equity and the Premier League, Andriy Shevchenko has
spent his Chelsea sojourn here and Boris Berekovsky, the
secretive exiled Russian oligarch, lives in one of the estate’s
many tree line roads.
In many ways the PGA at Wentworth is a throwback,
to the days when the Tour’s big dates were the national
open championships of Europe, held in Ireland, France,
Italy, Spain and Portugal. But those days are gone and
they’re not coming back.
George O’Grady has overseen a revolution, one that
started more than 25 years ago, when the European Tour
broke out of Europe. Along with former Tour Chief
Executive Ken Schofield from whom he took over in 2004,
O’Grady has steered a new course, one that has led to a
power and influence shift from Wentworth to golf’s new
playground in the Gulf.
The Dubai Desert Classic led the way, followed in 1998,
by the Commercialbank Qatar Masters, which has grown
into one of the key events of the early season schedule.
With a $2.5million purse on offer, the Qatar event has
been won by some of the game’s most illustrious players.
Australian Adam Scott negotiated the 7,355 yard Doha
Golf Club course to win the 2008 tournament, thereby
adding his name to those of Retief Goosen, Henrik
Stenson and Ernie Els among others on the trophy.
From his perspective as Chief Executive of the European
Tour, George O’Grady draws parallels between the Dubai’s
explosive golfing growth and the potential of Qatar.
“The big move will happen when they build the second
golf course,” he says, noting how quickly the Doha
coastline has developed since his first visit. “They have
many hotels now. But at first they only had one, which
is now the Doha Sheridan. As they develop the coastline,
the same growth of the game in Qatar will occur as it
has in Dubai.”
The importance of the relationships between the Tour
and countries in the region are obvious. Golf’s traditional
sponsorship model is coming under pressure. The banks
and car-makers, who have long supported the sport
are facing uncertain economic times. The oil wealth of
Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, along with the respective
governments’ tourism agenda, provides a welcome source
of income.
For Qatar in particular, O’Grady says golf, along with
other sporting events, has helped establish the country on
the world map. “A camera at a tennis event just shows
a tennis court. The camera at a golf tournament shows
the whole area, they are feature golf courses, which are
then discussed by the commentary teams. In Qatar golf
has helped attract investment into the region, and people
certainly know where it is.”
This year saw the second Abu Dhabi Championship
and further events in the region are sure to follow. The
Tour has recently gone into partnership with Axem Sports,
a company operating out of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. It
seems likely then that Saudi Arabia will soon be added to
the Gulf Swing.
O’Grady’s view of sports marketing was handed down
to him by John Jacobs, a former chief of the tour. Jacobs
was asked in the early 1970s what he was going to do to
attract the interest of sponsors. He replied: “I won’t, I’ll be
trying to create an image so sponsors will come looking
for me.” This approach reached a zenith late last year with
an announcement that stunned seasoned observers of the
game. From 2009 the Tour’s money list will be renamed the
Race to Dubai and the season will culminate in The Dubai
World Championship held at the Jumeirah Golf Estates,
the richest event ever staged anywhere in the world.
the big interview
Above: Last year’s Qatar
Open Masters winner,
Adam Scott. Following
page: O’Grady relaxes
with golf star Padraig
Harrington as the
European Tour visits the
Middle East.
“The big move will happen when
they build the second golf
course [in Doha]. In Qatar, golf
has helped attract investment
into the region”
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