Sponsor loss puts Scottish Open dates under threat

Assessing the future of one of the Tour’s flagship events in the wake of Barclays ending its backing after ten years, the Irishman said he was “confident something will come to fruition” as a result of fevered talks currently taking place with potential new sponsors.

American communications company Verizon, the second main sponsor of this year’s event in the Highlands, is believed to be in the frame, while it has also been rumoured that one of the car manufacturing giants is showing an interest in the £3 million title sponsorship.

However, sponsors of two other European Tour events have already been in touch with O’Grady to lay down markers for the slot should it become available, with organisers of the French Open seeing this as a chance to get their hands on the week they have “always wanted”.

“We are disappointed they’ve chosen not to go on and it has taken them a long time to tell us, in a sense,” said O’Grady of the decision by Barclays to pull out. “We thought they would continue, but they’re beholden to different levels of the company.

“Bob Diamond was one of the strongest supporters and is now president of the whole bank in New York, but others in the chain may have had a different view. The banking report that came out recently was so critical they maybe digested that as well.

“When you lose a sponsor, you try to work out whether you’ve done something wrong, but they were always positive about how the tournament worked for them.

“However, I see this now as a wonderful opportunity to sell a tournament. We’re delighted to say we have quite a bit of interest, but interest and certainty are two different things.

“Unfortunately, in August, we were confident that Barclays were going to continue, so no-one really went to work on that. That’s put us a crucial month back, but the other people we’re talking to are good named sponsors who are serious at the business. We’re confident something will come to fruition.”

The Scottish Open took over the pre-Open slot on the schedule in 1987, when the event was held under the Bell’s banner at Gleneagles. After an eight-year run in Perthshire, it moved to Carnoustie for two years before being revived in conjunction with Barclays at Loch Lomond in 2001.

O’Grady is “keen” to see the event retain its current slot and also be played at Castle Stuart again, but he warned that a “commercial decision” will have to be made if the Scottish Open has failed to attract a new sponsor before the end of this year.

During last week’s Dunhill Link Championship, O’Grady had dinner with Patrick Kron, the chairman of Alston, the company that sponsors the French Open, as well as Pascal Grizot, the president of France’s successful 2018 Ryder Cup bid, and they both clearly have their sights set on the Scottish Open spot.

“We underwrite the tournament, but you need the main sponsor in there. Is the tournament guaranteed? Nothing in life is guaranteed. We want to keep it going, but if it fell foul of all possible sponsorship we’d put something else in its place,” added O’Grady.

“I’d like to keep the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart so it is played on a links course. While we’re not looking to make masses of money off the tournament, we’re at least looking to wash our faces. The week is a very attractive opportunity, but there is a cut-off date where we have to say, ‘we can’t wait on this any more, someone is going to have to go in there’. That’s simply sound commercial principles. By which I mean another tournament.

“Two of our sponsors have been on saying, if you don’t get anyone, can they go in there. The French have always wanted this spot. We can all work out what’s a good date and bad date. It’s hard to sell the week after The Open because players want to take the week off.

“If we had enough [sponsorship] to keep it going at a certain level we’d do it, but we’d have to have a pretty good indication before the end of the year that we were solid, otherwise...”

Donald Trump has also been on the phone to O’Grady since the Barclays decision was announced and, though his new course at Menie Estate outside Aberdeen isn’t expected to be ready for tournament play until 2014, the American looks to have his sights set on staging an event like the Scottish Open one day.

“Donald has rung me twice, once from Australia and once from New York, offering commiserations and saying if there’s anything he can do to help...,” revealed the European Tour supremo. “I’m on record as saying his course is spectacular, but we’re not going to go there too early.

“For next year we have an agreement to back to Castle Stuart and, though a sponsor has a right of veto, it is the intention to go back. We’re very happy there and, while we won’t stay there forever, I agree with Phil Mickelson, who said it was ideal preparation for an Open – it tests every kind of links shot.”