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RBC Canadian Open to Return After 2-year Hiatus
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The greens will be greener than ever next week, as the PGA tour comes up North for the first time in 2 years. The RBC Canadian Open is scheduled to tee-off next week at St. George's Golf Course in Etobicoke, Ontario – and golf fans should be excited for the return of the tour to Canada. With talent like Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, and Scottie Scheffler sharing the course with Canada’s best male golfers, there will not be a lack of celebrity sightings in Toronto next week.
For a tournament like the RBC Canadian Open to return after 2 years marks a significant achievement for the sport in Canada. It is no secret that the pandemic was tough on the sports industry, however the spike of interest in watching and playing golf (how many of your friends suddenly became golf junkies?) was a unique opportunity that organizations like Golf Canada were able to leverage. With momentum for the sport riding strong, the return of the RBC Canadian Open comes with higher expectations.
There will be no shortage of entertainment value at the event, beyond the athletes on the green. In collaboration with RBC and their partner Live Nation Canada, Golf Canada will be hosting the RBCxMusic Concert Series, featuring performances from Flo Rida and Maroon 5. The organizers look geared to maximize the entertainment and celebration with this additional benefit for event attendees.
What the story of the 2022 RBC Canadian Open comes down to for sports marketers and others in the industry is simply the power of partnerships. RBC’s partnership with Golf Canada has been longstanding, and while the headlines are overshadowing by announcements of brands like Pepsi rolling back their partnerships with the Super Bowl and the NHL, RBC is not only continuing their title sponsorship of the Canadian Open, but bringing forward more to the event in the shape of the concert series.
Beyond that, the response from brands has been a very impressive milestone. The tournament has 22 partners on their website, and the announcements have been coming in steadily. From unique activations, to supply related partnerships (including an official sausage partner) - there’s a case study to be written about this tournament. Only time will tell to see how the tournament fare based on viewership and attendance, but it is safe to say that our eyes will be on more than just the 18th hole.
June 3, 2022 - Issue 41 of The Sport Marketeer