• by February 19, 2001

Real Performance

In a recent "Online Minute," the editor reported that advertisers are wont to "pay for performance." Here's some literal performance where you can highlight your client's name and logo!

Endorsement spending on professional golfers has reached $400 million worldwide in 2001, according to Golf World interviews with industry leaders, agents and players, and the fastest growing piece of the endorsement pie is coming from nongolf companies, whose spending has increased more than 200 percent, one golf industry executive says.

"As golf grows in popularity and as the television ratings go up, golfers will become more valuable because they will get greater exposure," says Rocky Hambric of Hambric Sports Management. Golfers are walking billboards who can sell spots on their hats, shirts and bags in a way team sports players cannot. Also, many golf fans play the game and buy equipment, unlike in team sports.

The $2.8 billion spent in 1999 on golf equipment was eight times greater than the amount spent on baseball and softball equipment, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, and was second only to exercise equipment.

The top-10 endorsers, according to Golf World estimates, are Tiger Woods at $54.6 million, Arnold Palmer at $18 million and Greg Norman at $16 million. In the $5-million to $7-million-a-year range are Davis Love III, Phil Mickelson, David Duval, Tom Watson, Colin Montgomerie, Jack Nicklaus and Jumbo Ozaki.