"Making the Tour" Posts from the Pete Dye Classic

Day 8: Sunday

Today is the final round of the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic.

The golf has been great. Media coverage has been great. Attendance has been great.

Everything has been great – except for today’s weather.

With storms expected later in the day, yesterday TOUR officials announced that today’s final round tee times were moved up by 90 minutes in an effort to beat the weather. This obviously requires contingency planning.

This change was announced late Saturday afternoon and almost immediately I was on the horn to media both near and far to let them know to let their readers, listeners and viewers know. It worked. Though attendance was down from years past on Sunday, it was obvious from the media coverage this morning and the attendance that people did get the word.

The other change necessitated by the weather is that the entire round cannot be broadcast live but rather recorded live for airing during its regularly scheduled time. This requires contingency planning as well.

As the players are working toward 18, three are in contention with only three shots difference between them. As players get to 18 tee, I am already at 18 green waiting with a trophy, a table, a speaker system and a host of media. We are all expecting the tournament to be won outright by the current leader.

Now, I and a few others (PGA TOUR Officials mostly) know that if there is a tie a playoff is necessary. This sudden death playoff will require the players to potentially play 18 twice more and if they are still tied start at 16 and work their way to 18 until a winner is declared. Got that?

For Golf Channel coverage this means if there is a playoff, I have to be prepared to take the trophy (an 88.5 pound trophy) to whichever hole they finish on – the golf channel likes to see the winner with the trophy on the winning hole – and then bring it back to 18 for an official ceremony.

As it turns out, the round did end with a tie and a one-hole playoff was necessary. As the final putt hit the bottom of the cup, the table was being moved to 18 green, spectators were celebrating, the winner was celebrating and media were in their spots ready to go.

The ceremony went off without a hitch.

But it made me think about how we as marketing professionals plan for the unexpected. We have all heard “expect the unexpected.”

But it’s our ability to be ready that sets us apart.