Golf’s Grand
Slam is Kauai’s
gold mine
Besides millions of dollars,
By Trish Moore
it gives the isle tremendous
TV exposure
Star-BulletinLIHUE -- The PGA Grand Slam, featuring the world's top four golfers competing for a $1 million purse, looks like it's becoming a mainstay for Kauai's economy.
As organizers gear up for this year's tournament, to be held Nov. 17-18 at the Poipu Bay Resort on Kauai's south shore, plans for 1999 are already in motion.
Michael Castillo, the resort's head golf professional, said yesterday the tournament has already signed on for a sixth consecutive year at the resort.
In a match-play format differing from the 36-hole stroke play of previous years, top-seeded player Tiger Woods will face off against U.S. Open champion Lee Jantzen, who's ranked fourth. Second-seed Master's champion Mark O'Meara will play against PGA champion Vijay Singh.
The two winners will then compete for a $400,000 first place prize. The second place winner gets $250,000. A consolation match will determine the winner of the $200,000 third place and $150,000 fourth place prizes.
Although it's hard to measure the total economic impact of the tournament, last year's event pumped $11.3 million into Kauai's economy, said Myles Shibata, vice president and general manager of Kawailoa Development, which owns the resort.
Susan Kanoho, executive director of the Kauai Visitors Bureau, says the television exposure provides an even greater boon.
The tournament last year, shown on Turner Broadcast Systems, was the station's highest-rated sporting event and drew nearly 1.4 million viewers in 100 countries -- a 30 percent increase over 1996.
"We could never pay the hard dollars it would take to get that kind of coverage in a prime market," Kanoho said.
The tournament ties in neatly with the visitors bureau focus on marketing Kauai as a golfer's destination, she said.
Taxpayers, through contributions from state and county government and the visitors bureau, are putting up about 15 percent of the $2 million it takes to stage the tournament.
The rest is sponsored by Kawailoa Development, which also owns the Hyatt Regency Kauai.
Poipu Beach Resort Association Director Margy Parker said the tournament typically brings about a 10 percent to 20 percent increase for tourism-related businesses on Kauai's south shore.
