Event’s future unknown

Press, 13 May 1989, Page 19

Event’s future unknown

PA Wellington An announcement on the future of the New Zealand Golf Open tournament, which has lost its $150,000 sponsorship by Nissan Mobil, will be made in a fortnight, the New Zealand Golf Association executive-director, Grant Clements, said yesterday. The N.Z.G.A. was informed of the decision by the sponsors marketing agents Promo Marketing late on Thursday. “I’m not going to comment on the future on sponsorship yet,’’ Mr Clements said of the

tournament which started way back in 1907.

“It will be discussed at the council meeting in two weeks time and a suitable announcement will be made then.” While he was disappointed, Mr Clements said he was not entirely shocked. “So many things have happened with the Open that I’ve become desensitised. It is yet another obstacle to overcome for us." He could not comment on why the sponsors pulled the plug but did mention continual frustration in having to put the tournament together at such short notice

in recent years as one possible reason.

"I can understand their (sponsors) frustration, we’ve been frustrated as well by the continual shortage of time." Financially lucrative tournaments like the $1 million Bicentennial event at the Royal Melbourne Club last year had also assisted in frustrating preparation and field for the New Zealand Open, Mr Clements said. “It’s all really combination factors. Golf is booming worldwide and prizemoney has escalated out of proportion. ”