RCGA says BMW Championship worth
$28 million to region's economy
Despite rains that interrupted and postponed rounds of golf and forced organizers to adopt last-minute off-site parking arrangements, the BMW Championship, held September 1-7 in St. Louis, generated more than $28 million for the St. Louis region, a new report says.
Organizers of the championship, held at Bellerive Country Club in west St. Louis County, estimated that nearly 100,000 fans attended the event which attracted nearly all of the top players on the PGA Tour, save one - No. 1-ranked Tiger Woods. Woods, who was unable to compete because of injury, may have pushed the numbers even higher.
The event featured three days of pro-ams and practice rounds followed by four days of competition. Thursday's scheduled first-round was washed out and forced tournament officials to modify ticket and parking policies as well as tee times.
The report indicated that more than 10,000 of these fans and media were visiting from outside the St. Louis region.
About $16 million of the $28 million generated was on direct spending, including visitor spending on lodging, food, merchandise and transportation, as well as expenditures from the operation of the seven-day event, according to Ruth Sergenian, chief economist for the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association.
Sergenian said that approximately $12 million of that $16 million in direct spending is spent again in the St. Louis region, either by businesses or household spending by wage earners.
Beyond the quantifiable economic impact, as BMW Championship General Chairman Jerry Ritter noted, the value of the millions of mentions of St. Louis leading up to the Championship - plus the media exposure which St. Louis and its planned tournament events received - are priceless.
"Congratulations to Jerry and his army of dedicated volunteers who worked so diligently in the planning and hosting of this past week's tournament," noted RCGA President and Chief Executive Officer Richard C.D. Fleming. "Once again, the St. Louis community has distinguished itself in the planning and staging of world class sporting events."