Giles Morgan, Sponsorship Head with HSBC declared getting Tiger Woods to compete in this year’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship has been a ‘bargain’.

Morgan hosted a breakfast this morning (Sunday) for the media attending the event where he spoke of HSBC’s involvement in golf and also the company’s relationship with the 14-time Major winner.

Morgan entered HSBC in 2005 and since 2007 he’s developed a strong relationship with Woods and his manager, Mark Steinberg.

The relationship has grown to the extent Morgan revealed he could approach Woods and simply ask him if he would like to compete in Abu Dhabi.

“We’ve certainly got the leader board we wanted and yes, with Tiger here this week we’ve got a bargain,” said Morgan.

“You only have to look at crowd numbers this year and it is like comparing night with day while the TV coverage, particularly with the American element in the Golf Channel being here, the audience worldwild is going to be miles higher.

“So this event will pay for itself five, six, seven times over.

“However HSBC has been working with Tiger’s foundation since 2004 but with Tiger, and as much as everything, it’s all about where he wants to play.

“It’s not ‘come and play at this golf tournament, please’.  Tiger needed to get to know you first, and he seems to quite like our red and white approach to life.

“We are also hoping he does get back here to Abu Dhabi to play. 

“But with Tiger on top of the leader board crowds this year are a good 40% up on previous years.

“Tiger’s also never won a HSBC sponsored tournament, as well.”

Morgan recalled his first involvement with Woods as that was at the 2007 HSBC World Match-Play Championship at Wentworth.

“I thought to myself ‘welcome to golf’ when Tiger got knocked out in the first round by Shaun Micheel,” he said smiling.

“I joined the company in 2005.  My first match-play championship was 2006 and Tiger came to play at Wentworth in 2007 with loads of excitement, loads of international media coverage.

“All these guests were coming on Friday, and our main corporate clients, but Tiger’s gone (laughing).”

 

And on the subject of appearance fee paid to Woods, Morgan commented:  “One, we haven’t disclosed any figures so there is lots of speculation but I know what he’s being paid.

“Secondly, any fee was paid into the Tiger Woods Foundation.   HSBC is big into education and that’s what we do from a charitable donation point of view and that’s what the Tiger Woods Foundation is all about so there is a great synergy and it’s been there for long years.

“So the arrangement is historic and we are delighted, as I expect you guys are, of the amount of copy and the amount of TV coverage this event is generating.

“So we have been paying money into Tiger’s foundation for years, and we don’t sponsor individuals and that is HSBC policy.

“We are not into endorsement that way.”

Morgan also touched on the company’s relationship with the PGA Tour when it comes to running the now very successful WGC – HSBC Champions event in China and why the company has sought to have Woods compete in their sponsored events.

“We have worked with Tiger in the past, and for those of you who have been to the Champions event, we were invited to become a World Golf Championship event,” said Morgan.

“We didn’t approach the PGA Tour as they came to us as we had created something to be worthy of a WGC.

“If you look at this event it feels very much like a World Golf Championship event.

“But there are reasons for that and there are certain sportspersons on the planet who transcend their sport and from golf point of view we’ve had here this week the World No.1, No. 2, No. 3 and World No. 4.

“But if you are family of four expat and you’re living in Abu Dhabi and you’re wondering what you are going to do for the weekend, you are going to come to where he piazza is this week and you’re going to come to where the fun is.

“So this week is not really about golf.  It’s about families and the experience.  Why sponsors do things is to create an experience.

“So having Tiger Woods here, as well as the current strength of the European Tour as it exists at present, makes for a very compelling tournament.

“It’s been good for us and good for golf and all we are trying to do is broaden the appeal of golf.”

FOOTNOTE –

And while there has been suggestings the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship may be moving to Yas Links in 2013 (and www.golfbytourmiss.com reported this), Morgan seems to have confirmed the event will be remaining at the National Golf Club.’

“This National course has worked really well and an announcement will be made in due course,” said Morgan.

“There have been rumours we will move but certainly from our perspective there is no need to move and this National course has produced time after time a good test of golf.

“So that will certainly be our preference to stay here.”

And as IMG’s Guy Kinnings suggested:  “If something is not broken why look to fix it?”