Golf's New Superpower
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ASIAGOLF’S NEW SUPERPOWER By Doron Levin Sang Yul Chun’s career as a television executive spans nearly 25 Sang Yul years, a period during which golf in Asia has been transformed from Chun of an expensive hobby for business executives and a very few wealthy SBS into a televised sport for the masses. This popularity is inspiring a wave of course construction, tourism and newcomers to the game. In April 2010, Chun’s portfolio ever since the company’s found- and control the development of expanded when the newly orga- ing in 1991. The first step in the Asian golf is fierce. A rival sanc- nized OneAsia Tour appointed strategy was purchasing Asian tioning body, the Asian Tour, him chairman. Under his guid- broadcast rights for elite tourna- began operating in 2004, with ance, OneAsia now is contending ments in the United States and the same basic goal as OneAsia: to be the most important sanc- Europe, like the Masters and the to sanction golf tournaments tioning organization for golf tour- British Open. Lately, local interest and oversee highly lucrative naments in the region, in part is no longer limited to elite golf in broadcasting and sponsorship because of its ability to broadcast the West but has been extended deals. The Asian Tour lists the events to 400 million homes. to homegrown players and tour- Rolex watches and BlackBerry With dozens of tournaments al- naments like the $1 million Nan- among its partners. ready scattered across the conti- shan China Masters, to be held at Chun asserts that OneAsia nent to attract present and future the Nanshan International Golf has gained the upper hand over stars, his group will guarantee a Club in China on Oct. 11. the Asian Tour, citing the num- prize purse of at least $1 million “My job has been all about fig- ber of homes it reaches with for each of the 15 events it will uring out how to create content broadcast tournaments, as well stage in 2012. for SBS,” Chun said. “We now have as the size of the purses offered The rise of golf in Asia repre- a platform for that content. Tele- in tournaments. “Yes, we are the sents opportunity as well as vin- vision drives enthusiasm for golf. top tour,” he said. “And, yes, oth- dication for Chun and his em- In our part of the world, we don’t ers might dispute that. But our ployer, SBS, the former Seoul have the same craziness for soc- numbers prove we are right.” Broadcasting System. With Chun, cer, as in Europe, or for basketball, Rivalry between sanctioning who is vice chairman, guiding as in the U.S.” bodies is a familiar narrative in strategy and bidding against rival Because of golf’s appeal among modern sports. It is exemplified TV networks, SBS has been look- big sponsors and its high financial by the National Football League’s ing for ways to popularize golf stakes, the struggle to manage absorption of the American Foot- 78 Q4.2012 The Korn/Ferry InsTITuTe Sang Yul Chun’s mission is to position, OneAsia earlier this and respected people in the sport,” bring great golf coverage to Asia. year recruited Tenniel Chu, whose someone whose influence will no family operates two enormous doubt lend weight to Chun’s lead- ball League in 1970, or by the golf resorts in China, both under ership of the sanctioning body. squabbling among open-wheel the Mission Hills brand. Since the The son of a prominent Korean car racing teams, which created early 1990s, the Chus, who are banker, Chun was sent to the rival leagues in the United States, prominent in real estate develop- United States to study business, leading to the Championship ment, have allied themselves with graduating from George Wash- Auto Racing Teams circuit in 2003. Jack Nicklaus and other eminent ington University in 1964. He Golf in Asia so far has avoided names in golf. Chun calls Tenniel chose advertising as his specialty, Gary Moss open acrimony. To strengthen its Chu “one of the most important working first for what was the Briefings on TalenT & leadership Q4.2012 79 Ted Bates agency and then with and her name was Se Ri Pak. The sit atop the standings, viewership Dentsu Young & Rubicam in New previously obscure young Korean suffers. Korea has contributed a York. professional was about to win the handful of male stars to the atten- Today, from SBS’s Los Angeles women’s U.S. Open. tion of American golf fans, among office, Chun manages a vast Rolo- After rolling up her slacks, re- them K.J. Choi, Anthony Kim and dex of contacts at the P.G.A. Tour, moving her shoes and hitting a Y.E. Yang, who upset Woods to win the premier men’s golf sanction- miraculous shot out of the water at the 2009 P.G.A. Championship. On ing body in the United States; the Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wis., on the distaff side, beyond Se Ri Pak, L.P.G.A. for women’s golf; the U.S. the final day of the 1998 tourna- Taiwan’s Yani Tseng is regarded by Golf Association; IMG Worldwide, ment, the 20-year-old Pak qualified some as the most formidable tal- the agency that represents many for a two-woman playoff and the ent in the game. athletes and sponsors; and the next day prevailed in a contest that “I don’t think televised golf in European Tour. His current role lasted 20 holes. She became the Asia will prove as dependent on a — promote and develop golf for youngest player and the first Asian few big-name stars as in the West,” television audiences, while pursu- to win the U.S. Open, arguably the Chun said. “We will be more inter- ing sponsors for events and for world’s most important women’s ested in showing how broad the commercial time on SBS — is a event. talent is, highlighting the number natural extension of an earlier “Korea had been suffering in of young players who are hoping to career on Madison Avenue. the Asian financial crisis” that was make their living playing as profes- “His worldwide perspective devastating markets in the region sionals. In America everything is makes Sang unique,” said Ty Vo- since the year before, Chun said. about who’s winning. In Asia peo- ple care about who’s playing.” Korea has contributed a handful of male stars to the According to Votaw, the main challenge now facing Chun is to attention of American golf fans, among them Y.E. Yang, find companies willing to spend the millions it takes to sponsor who upset Woods to win the 2009 P.G.A. Championship. championships. In the meantime, Asian nations taw, executive vice president of “When she won, it was like a sign are looking toward 2016, when golf the P.G.A. Tour. “He’s a diplomat. for everyone that you never give will make its debut as a full-fledged He knows and can speak to every up, that you can come back from Olympic sport in Rio de Janeiro, executive in the sport. He and his anything if you try.” An overnight Brazil. The rules for Olympic golf boss, Chairman Se-young Yoon, media sensation across Asia, Pak aren’t final, though to qualify a very early on saw that golf would had been the only Korean player golfer will have to achieve a high be good for Korea, for Seoul Broad- competing in the L.P.G.A. Her ranking in global competition, not casting and for Asia, so they tied victory unleashed a torrent of in- just in his or her home country. up the television rights. They have terest, especially among young Some Asian nations could be cut been visionaries.” women; a decade later, she was out of competition if none of their In 1995, SBS had been in busi- one of 45 Korean women who players are ranked highly enough. ness for only four years when had qualified for the L.P.G.A. The only way to develop highly Chun grabbed the Asian TV rights Since the arrival of Arnold ranked players will be to anneal to L.P.G.A. tournaments for a mere Palmer in the 1960s and through them in competition, which $3,000, a price that reflected mi- the current era of an on-again means the cost of televising golf nuscule interest among Korean off-again Tiger Woods, crowd- tournaments should keep rising. viewers for women’s competitive pleasing stars have always been In the post-Pak world, the price for golf in the United States. By 1997, critical to the sport’s vitality. the L.P.G.A. rights in Asia eventu- the annual rights fee had risen to When Tiger is winning on Sunday, ally reached $10 million annually. $50,000, still a relative bargain. But United States television ratings “The price of broadcast rights a bombshell was about to explode, spike. When less familiar names got so much higher, SBS decided 80 Q4.2012 The Korn/Ferry InsTITuTe that we couldn’t afford to televise Fortunately, he said, Yoon for- children following in the father’s the men’s and women’s tour,” said gave him. As for rival Asian net- footsteps, and that is happening Chun, explaining that a rival Ko- works trying to make their own in Chun’s family. His son David rean network made the winning mark by broadcasting golf, “the works for Singapore-based World bid.