NZPGA Championship Civic Reception

Tuesday 24 February 2004

On behalf of the city I would like to welcome everyone here to Christchurch. This function gives our Council the chance to say thank you to everyone for supporting the 2004 New Zealand PGA Championship at Clearwater Golf Club.

It is an event that emphasises how we have become truly a global village to a degree none of us could have imagined not too long ago. Times, technology and fashion all change.

I have to admit it is still ironic for one of my generation to see how hugely hip and stylish golf has become. In my teens, golf was for old people and baldness was bad luck Now golf is about the hippest sport on earth and young guys shave their hair off of their own free will. I'm at the age where I shaved my head for charity just before Christmas and then spent an anxious few weeks cheering on the new growth as it appeared afterward.

Another thing that's changed dramatically along with the status of golf and hair is the role of technology in our lives. While the last PGA Champs here got just over 17 thousand real life spectators, it got an astounding global audience of about 336 million people who watched it on television.

People rightly like to get excited about the global exposure the film Lord of the Rings gets for New Zealand. Not only do the PGA Champs have bigger pulling power, they also don't confuse us with Middle Earth.

Given the huge importance of the tourism market to our economy the real, short, medium and long term value of this level of exposure is just about impossible to overstate. Our own bean counters estimate that the value of the TV exposure last year to Christchurch was at least $11 million. As a recovering accountant I have to say we get a very good return on our own investment in this event.

It has only taken three years for it to become the most high profile golfing event in New Zealand. I am delighted to be able to help launch this part of such a major event for Christchurch and the global golfing audience.

I would now also like to ask the following people to come forward to receive a small gift from our city:

Andrew Georgiou, Chief Executive of the PGA tour of Australasia.

Jim Duncan, tournament director, US Nationwide Tour.

Richard Ellis, chairman, New Zealand PGA.