Tiger Takes World Challenge To Isleworth & All Of Its Fond Memories
No jokes please, this is a sad day for southern California as the event had become a nice year-end gathering with arguably it's best-ever field this coming December. 
Also note the event, sponsored by Northwestern Mutual in 2013, reverts to the World Challenge in 2014. Either they have no sponsor lined up or Tavistock will be the sponsor.
It's not clear from this press release:
WORLD CHALLENGE MOVES TO FLORIDA FOR 2014 TO BE HELD AT ISLEWORTH GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
ESTABLISHING A NEW PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TIGER WOODS FOUNDATION AND TAVISTOCK GROUP
IRVINE, Calif. (November 22, 2013) – The Tiger Woods Foundation announced today that the World Challenge will mark its 16th year by relocating to Orlando’s Isleworth Golf & Country Club, owned by Tavistock Group, in 2014. The tournament, which features 18 of the world’s best PGA TOUR players and offers Official World Golf Ranking points, will be held December 1 through December 7, 2014.
“We have a longstanding relationship with Tavistock Group and my friend, Joe Lewis, and I am thrilled to see it grow in support of our Foundations,” Tiger Woods said. “We’ve enjoyed 15 amazing years in southern California, which helped us launch our flagship Tiger Woods Learning Center. It serves as a lasting tribute to the local fans that have supported us year after year. I’m looking forward to this next phase of the World Challenge and what it can bring to Florida.”
The 72-hole, stroke play event features an elite field, including notable past champions such as Tiger Woods, Graeme McDowell, Jim Furyk, Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington, Davis Love III and Vijay Singh. Woods has won the event five times.
“We have had 10 great years hosting our own Tavistock Cup golf tournament, and we believe this new partnership with the World Challenge will allow us to expand our presence and investment in the game,” stated Andy Odenbach, vice president of Sports Ventures at Tavistock Group. “The World Challenge has become a marquee golf tournament. We are honored to build on its strong history and host the players, sponsors and fans at Isleworth Golf & Country Club.”
Launched in 2004, the Tavistock Cup was held at Isleworth or Lake Nona Golf & Country Club and was sanctioned by the PGA TOUR. In just ten years, the Tavistock Cup grew in stature to include six global golf clubs and awarded more than $10 million to charity.
The World Challenge was previously held at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif., and Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. Since inception, the event has raised more than $25 million for the Tiger Woods Foundation. Beginning in 2014, the World Challenge will benefit both the Tiger Woods Foundation and Tavistock Foundation.
“We’ve been looking for ways to expand our relationship with Tavistock and this is a perfect fit,” Tiger Woods Foundation President and CEO Greg McLaughlin said. “The golf season has evolved significantly since our first tournament in 1999. We are very proud of the $25 million the World Challenge has raised, and we’ve been evaluating the best path forward to continue this work. We are excited to partner with Tavistock Group and honored to bring our tournament to Isleworth.”
The 2013 Northwestern Mutual World Challenge will be held Dec. 2 through Dec. 8, 2013 at Sherwood Country Club with an elite 18-man field that includes Five-time Champion and World No. 1 Tiger Woods, 2012 defending champion Graeme McDowell, 2013 PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner, 14 of the top 20 players from the Official World Golf Rankings and an impressive roster of players from the 2013 Presidents Cup. At the 2012 World Challenge Graeme McDowell shot a 4-under-par 68 to finish at 17-under 271 to win by three shots over Keegan Bradley. Tickets are available at worldchallengegolf.com.
Geoff
**It appears the cryptic language in the press release says what those of us in denial feared it said: The Tavistock Cup is no more. Adam Schupak confirms.
I'm so, so sorry to share the news of the TCup's demise. Sad day for the game. Well, not really.
Reader Comments (27)
There's is absolutely nothing in the 990's that would support the "$10 million" assertion...
Agreed
Any chance the players winning or portion of
Go to "their" charities?
Never heard that, but just wondering
Or is that too harsh?
But, like many events, they try to make it bigger and better and that usually fails.
If you have something good going then LEAVE IT ALONE.
Sure, it's possible that players gave a little or a lot of their winnings to charity....but that would accrue to the charitable giving ledger of the individual player in question -- not the Tavistock Foundation. The exception would be if a player turned around and donated their winnings directly to the Tavistock Foundation, and they in turn passed those winnings along to various charities -- Tiger routinely does this at the World Challenge (but he's still a big fat jerk).
Agree with you Stanley, that little two-team crosstown deal was kind of cool....in the end it was a clusterf*ck.
Tavistock form-990 update:
2011 data shows $88,500 of charitable giving. $50k to First Tee of Lakeland, $20k to UCF Athletics, $10k to Orlando Minority Youth Golf Association (a good group, they could use the money more than UCF!), and assorted other less than $10k.
2010 shows $77,500, similarly distributed
Now, elsewhere in the forms they claim these numbers (how they get to them is beyond me, because the listed grants add up to much lower numbers) for annual give:
2011 = 250,289
2010 = 28,826,477 or 127,477....take your pick.
2009 = 257,272
2008 = 474,886
2007 = 417,250
2006 = 350,225
2005 = 56,722
So what gives?
That's 7 years of data and the total giving is either $30,633,121 or $1,934,121...depending on which number you pick in 2010.
Key phrase..."awarded more than $10 million to charity." --> highly unlikely. The only data we don't have is 2004, 2012 and 2013...if 7 years adds up to less than $2 million (and that's being VERY generous, I picked the $127k number), I highly doubt those other 3 years add up to over $8,000,000.
Now here's the kicker, what happened in 2010 and why is Tavistock involved? Here's what happened...
...some company called Alston Group (NJ based customs/import "consultanting" company, I'm going into hiding immediately after this post) made a loan of $28,700,000 to the Tavistock Foundation (TF), 10-year term, 0.00% interest (nice terms if you can get them).
From the 2010 Tavistock 990 --> "Purpose of Loan: TO BE USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE FOUNDATION'S TAXEXEMPT PURPOSES"
So what did TF do with the money? They turned around and shipped out exactly $28,700,000 to the American-Ireland Fund in New York City. And what did they do with the money?
In 2010 the revenues/distributions for the American-Ireland Fund almost quadrupled and they made one gigantic 9-figure grant in the specific amount of $26,167,104...
...this went to one JP McManus -- he's a gambling guy isn't he?
''digger''- please find a different handle. ''digger'' is a name I have used for 49 yeas, and though I go by7 digsouth on here, I am often referred to as ''dig'' digs'' and ''digger'', and I just want to avoid any confusion. Plaese respond if finding a different handle is a problem. Thank you.
digsouth
I'm not trying to be snooty about this, I just don't want to get praised or blamed for your posts, and likewise I don't want you taking grief for my blathering.
Website states the funds raised were €41.2M.
The course itself was really the main reason why I tuned in to watch.
...I work hard on those podts!
All joking aside, I'm surprised nobody in the "mainstream media" has pushed them on this topic? I mean those 990's list each and every charitable distribution all the way down to $500 for things like Under the Boabab Tree (supporting poor communities in Mali).
In 2011 the distributions listed totaled $88,500 but somehow they claimed $250,289 of "qualified" giving...
...what gives?
Obviously NOT Tavistock charities!
I went to the 2011 event, coming from NJ. I thought this course and landscape equally were beautiful. I am headed to SoCal in 2 weeks and was planning on skipping the event this year as I will be flying into OC and headed to San Diego for 4 days. This change certainly has me second guessing but I don't think being a spectator there is worth the opportunity to play Torrey Pines for a third time. I am torn!
I hope some sort of event lands at Sherwood in the coming years.
Also, I think the ratings for this event will plummet now that it will be played on the east coast this time of year. My guess is that they're going to be in the 1-4 time slot versus 3-6. I could be wrong but I think this will hurt them.
Played there twice, never felt more uncomfortable.
Arrogance oozed at that place
One more link -the grants made in 2010:
http://www.jpmcmanusproam.com/uploads/JP%20McManus%20Pro-Am%202010%20Fund%20Allocation.pdf