PGA Of America Credit Card Spending Limit Tested After 20 Rainsuit Purchase @ $350 Each****
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Let's just hope they used the AmEx Card and earned some Reward points!
This unbylined AP story explains how PGA of American officials raided the ProQuip rainsuits from the merchandise tent after deciding the subtle, won't-be-missed USA suits were inundated by Friday's rain.
"We were disappointed with the performance of them and we just fixed it," captain Corey Pavin. "They were not doing what we wanted them to do, so we went out and bought some more waterproofs."
Sun Mountain supplied the American team with the rain gear -- navy blue, with stripes around the arms and left leg, with last names stitched on the back above "USA." They looked like they belonged to a college basketball team.
Even the AP is taking shots at the Captainness' design!
The PGA of America bought as many ProQuip rain suits as it could from the merchandise tent. Spokesman Julius Mason said there was enough to fit only the players and caddies -- tan suits for the players, red for the caddies. He said they had Ryder Cup logos, but there was nothing to distinguish this as an American uniform.
But it'll make for a great keepsake!
And now for an explanation on why Tiger treated the suits like his Kryptonite...
Woods had a rain jacket on in the light rain during practice Wednesday, but his was the only one without his name stitched on the back. Mason said Woods' jacket was too big, and he had to find a generic jacket that was smaller.
The Americans soon became the butt of jokes during a rain delay so long that it was unlikely the matches would finish Sunday. Their own version of "Watergate" came one day after Pavin forgot Stewart Cink during player introductions at the opening ceremony.
And now this.
Rain in Wales the first weekend in October? Who could have guessed that?
Brooks notes the monthly annual rainfall averages for Wales with a nice chart, and pictures of the Captainness.
He said the suits cost about $350.
His small corner of the merchandise tent had little left to offer -- a few pair of pants, a few dozen jackets, sweaters and wind shirts.
"They requested 20 suits, but I'm not sure who they were for -- whether it was players or simply caddies and team officials," Head said of the American team.
And that's just a $7000 purchase make that $11,000 as it turns out they paid £350, not dollars!** (It's official, they were £209, $350). Still think about the nice VAT contribution they made, too!
Lawrence Donegan has this observation from Ian Poulter:
Ian Poulter looked delighted at seeing the Americans re-emerge in different rain gear. "I can see them on right now. Ours are keeping us nice and dry, that's all I am going to say," he said.
And to think I was just scolded the other day for so many uniform posts leading up to the Ryder Cup!
**Darren Rovell looks into the blame and impact on Sun Mountain, as word is not filtering out that the golf bags haven't been holding up either.
In one of the strangest arrangements in sports marketing, the companies that get awarded the rights to make the gear by the US team captain cannot put its logo on the gear, cannot publicize its relationship with the Ryder Cup and cannot sell its gear at retail per PGA of America rules.
Company president Ed Kowachek told me yesterday, before the debacle went down, that he didn't mind the stringent arrangement with the Ryder Cup team.
"It's an honor to be a part of this, so we have no problem downplaying the marketing," he said. "We don't want to steal the spotlight from the players or the game. We don't do it for the exposure."
What remains to be seen is how much damage Sun Mountain, which makes golf bags, outerwear and golf push carts, may face. Many outside the golf industry who have never heard of their brand now might see them as a tarnished company.
Is it possible that the rain was so bad that Sun Mountain can't be at fault? Possibly, but the jackets made by the European team seems to be holding up fine.
And a few random Tweets from the delay...
And where no writer dared to go...
****Darren Rovell with a statement from Sun Mountain on Ryder Cup raingear flap:
"Sun Mountain has been designing and selling outerwear for more than two decades. We have provided rainwear to 3,000 plus PGA of America Professionals and over 150 tour players, and supplied outerwear to numerous U.S. teams, including the Walker Cup and the 2000 and 2009 Presidents Cup teams. Sun Mountain has staff on the ground at the Ryder Cup working in conjunction with the PGA of America on this issue."
