Nike Golf President, Cindy Davis announced her retirement from the company. She has seen the golf division remain profitable and grow over her seven-year tenure. She was in office when the Tiger Woods’ scandal hit the headlines in the fall of 2009.
Davis will be best known for luring Rory McIlroy into the Nike fold in 2013. Although Nike Golf has been a profitable, its $789 million in total revenue last year is a small piece of the $21.9 billion Nike brand.
Sandy Lyle won a throwback golf tournament that was held in Scotland. The two-time major champion added another award to his crowded mantle, the World Hickory Open.
Competitors in the tournament must use vintage hickory shafted clubs similar to those used prior to steel-shafted clubs being approved for tournament play by the USGA in 1924 and The R&A in 1929.
Even though the 2016 Olympics will not be contested for nearly two years, Tom Fazio was announced as the designer of choice to renovate the East Course at the Kasumigaseki Country Club, the host venue for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Kasumigaseki Country Club opened for play in 1929 and has a great history. Club members chose Fazio, who is also the consulting architect for Augusta National, to maintain the primary features of the course, but bring it up to modern standards.
Other news items discussed on the Back 9 Report radio show:
-The field has been set for the second annual Drive, Chip and Putt competition to be held at Augusta National in April next spring.
-Volvo will drop the sponsorship of two tournaments on the European Tour
-The European Open will return to the European Tour schedule next year after a six-year absence
-LPGA, Champions and European Tours are all winding down to their season climax
-Interveiw with Pete Kratsios, the founder and president of Golf Match App
Download the complete Back 9 Report at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/edraft/2014/10/15/the-back-nine-report-presented-by-edraftcom