Today In PGA Tour Sponsor News: Cadillac In, Humana Out

Ron Kroichick reports that the 2015 World Golf Championships-Cadillac Match Play will be sponsored by the automobile maker, also the sponsor of the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship in March at Doral. It is believed this is a one-year deal.

The press release also resolved television coverage, with NBC/Golf Channel taking what used to be a CBS week on the schedule when the Wells Fargo was played.

As part of this announcement, Golf Channel and NBC have also been announced as host broadcasters of the event. Golf Channel will air the first three days of round-robin play live in primetime Wednesday through Friday. On Saturday, Golf Channel will air the Round of 16 live on Saturday afternoon leading into NBC’s coverage of the quarterfinal matches live in prime time on Saturday night. On Sunday, Golf Channel will air live coverage of the semi-final matches leading into NBC's live coverage of the championship and consolation matches on Sunday afternoon.

In a big surprise, Humana will be ending their sponsorship of the tournament formally known as the Hope, bowing out after 2015 despite an agreement that Larry Bohannan reports, was signed through 2019. Even more bizarre is what a good fit the company and event seemed to have, arguably the best "synergy" of sponsor, event theme and host (Bill Clinton) on the PGA Tour. The Clinton Foundation remains involved.

From Bohannan's report, see if you can translate the corporatespeak:

But Humana, based in Louisville, Ky., and the tour say that a changing business environment for the healthcare company led Humana to exercise an opt-out clause in the deal after the 2015 event, to be played Jan. 22-25 at three courses in La Quinta.

"Humana's business is changing rapidly. As we continue to shift toward a direct-to-consumer focus, we have to align our marketing and sponsorship commitments to areas that are the best fit for our business, brand and members," Tom Noland, senior vice president for corporate communications for Humana, says in a statement that will announce the end of the sponsorship deal Monday.

Comments

[wookie]

errrrr.......in other news the WH said the "affordable" care act will have little impact on the economy......

[Brad Ford]

Obamacare killed the HOPE?

[Johnnnycz]

Nope...Obamacare killed all common sense my friends.


At least caddy's are comfy...makes the Gastro illnesses less painfull on long road trips eh?

[John]

For the sake of my former colleagues at the Tour, hopefully this means they eventually get a new healthcare provider. Humana is the absolute worst.

[D. maculata]

"If you like your tournament, you can keep your tournament."

[Just saying]

This was always an NBC event on the schedule. CBS took over every 4 years when the winter olympics took place.

[Center Cut]

Meanwhile I enjoy the free healthcare in Europe.

Beaks to comment in 3...2...1...

[Johnnnycz]

Shhhh CenterCut...don't inform him about that dirty little secret. All he had to do in his xenophobic life was to travel north to Canucklehead land...my place of birth and upbringing.

It ain't that hard to see our American cousins getting shafted by the red white and blue phallic sword in the name of freedom and security. Like that's the only place where citizens what such things.

[KLG]

It's not free. The cost comes out of your ample tax bill. As does a healthy pension, good schools, clean streets that are for the most part safe, state-supported cultural amenities such as orchestras and operas, a decent rail system to get around. Commies! But as Beaks would remind you, you aren't all conversing auf Deutsch. Unless you are.

[Golden Bell]

Not sure how good Humana's health care is (happily haven't had to use them yet), but their website to update anything is awful and their phone crews aren't authorized to help half the time. Spent 40 minutes being transferred from one wrong person to another once when I just wanted to pay a bill. Amazing.

[Geoff]

just saying,
I was referring to the pre-Players slot. I've added a clarification for the likes of you.

[BDF]

Methinks Humana knows they are going to get 0 top names in the future.

[DTF]

Guess these PGA Tour contracts aren't as "ironclad" as they once were...

[embargoing]

The Hope going down faster than a grazed soccer player