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Inaugural
Rocket
Mortgage
Classic
wins
three
“Best
Of”
awards
at PGA
TOUR
Tournament
Meetings
PGA TOUR
event
honored
for
“Best
Special
Event,”
“Best
Tournament
Sales”
and the
“Fair
Way
Award”
in 2019
PONTE
VEDRA
BEACH,
FLORIDA
– The
Rocket
Mortgage
Classic
(Detroit)
was
honored
by the
PGA TOUR
at the
TOUR’s
Tournament
Meetings
on
November
20.
For
the
inaugural
tournament
conducted
at
Detroit
Golf
Club,
the 2019
Rocket
Mortgage
Classic
earned
awards
for
“Best
Special
Event,”
recognizing
the Area
313
Celebrity
Challenge,
and
“Best
Tournament
Sales.”
The
tournament
also won
the
newly-introduced
“Fair
Way
Award”
for its
diversity
and
inclusion
initiatives.
“On
behalf
of the
PGA
TOUR, I
am
thrilled
to
congratulate
the
Rocket
Mortgage
Classic
on being
recognized
with
three
‘Best
Of’
awards
for the
2018-19
PGA TOUR
Season,”
said PGA
TOUR EVP
and
Chief
Tournaments
and
Competitions
Officer
Andy
Pazder.
“The
tournament
committee
and
title
sponsor
Rocket
Mortgage
should
be
extremely
proud of
their
collaborative
efforts
and for
being
celebrated
as top
among
their
peers on
TOUR,
especially
in their
first
year on
the PGA
TOUR
schedule.”
One-time
functions
such as
luncheons,
dinners,
concerts
or
concert
series,
5Ks and
celebrity
shootouts
are
considered
for the
“Best
Special
Event”
award.
The
award
recognizes
the
development
of an
actionable
plan
with
clear
objectives,
creative
elements
and
measurable
results
which
drove
attendance,
social
media
attention,
charity
donations
or media
value.
To honor
the
city,
the
tournament
named an
exciting
three-hole
stretch
after
the
downtown
zip code
and
introduced
the area
to fans
early in
the week
through
the Area
313
Celebrity
Challenge,
a
three-team,
three-hole
scramble
competition
that
featured
some of
golf’s
most
prominent
players
and
influencers,
as well
as local
celebrities.
Participants
included
PGA TOUR
winners
Dustin
Johnson,
Rickie
Fowler
and
Bubba
Watson
as well
as
celebrities
Jerome
Bettis,
Kid Rock
and Tom
Izzo,
among
others.
More
than
10,000
fans
were
on-site
on
Tuesday
to see
the
unique
branding
and
championship
belt,
while 39
million
media
impressions
were
generated
by the
event,
including
coverage
by ESPN,
Golf
Channel
and USA
Today.
In
sales,
tournaments
are
judged
on their
adjusted
post-event
sales as
well as
their
performance
in
categories
such as
pro-am,
hospitality,
and
sponsorship
and
advertising.
Early
renewals,
multi-year
deals
and
sales
training
are also
considered.
Within
10
months,
the
tournament
built a
robust
sales
team
that was
charged
with
extremely
high
goals.
The
benchmarks
were all
surpassed
and
helped
launch
the
inaugural
event
with
strong
community
participation
and
support,
setting
a great
foundation
for the
future.
The
event’s
strategic
approach
was
highlighted
by a
dynamic
pricing
model
and
diverse
hospitality
options
(leading
to a
sell-out),
a heavy
focus on
profit
margin
for each
product,
as well
as a
data-based
prospecting
strategy
to
identify
leads.
The
tournament’s
average
revenue
generated
per
client
was
among
the top
three on
the PGA
TOUR.
A
new
award in
2019,
the Fair
Way
Award
recognizes
the PGA
TOUR’s
ongoing
quest
for
diversity,
inclusion
and
social
responsibility
by
highlighting
the best
moments,
gestures
and
initiatives
that
promote
equality,
fairness,
respect
and
openness
in
professional
golf.
In
conjunction
with
Rocket
Mortgage
and to
reflect
the
city,
the
Rocket
Mortgage
Classic
places a
heavy
importance
on
diversity
and
inclusion.
The
tournament’s
internship
program
and
vendor
procurement
included
a
significant
focus on
engaging
qualified
minority-owned
and
local
businesses,
while
the
volunteer
leadership
programs
ensured
the
group
was
representative
of the
community.
In
working
with the
benefitting
charities,
the
tournament
was
dedicated
to
promoting
financial,
social
and
racial
equality,
and more
than
1,200
kids
were
impacted
through
several
initiatives,
including
a kids
clinic
and a
youth
ticket
program.
“I
am truly
humbled,
and I
know our
entire
tournament
staff,
our
partners
at
Quicken
Loans
and
Detroit
Golf
Club,
and our
volunteers
are as
well, to
receive
these
prestigious
awards,”
said
Jason
Langwell,
the
Executive
Director
of the
Rocket
Mortgage
Classic.
“Every
member
of our
team
should
feel a
tremendous
amount
of pride
today,
not only
for
being
recognized
by the
PGA
TOUR,
but for
the
validation
of all
their
long
hours
and hard
work as
we built
this
first-year
event
from the
ground
up. Our
tournament
staff is
comprised
of some
of the
smartest,
hardest
working
and most
dedicated
people
I’ve had
the
privilege
of
working
with
anywhere,
and
we’re
excited
to
continue
building
on the
solid
foundation
we have
set for
this
event.
“We
are
particularly
proud to
have the
Rocket
Mortgage
Classic
named as
the
first
recipient
of the
Fair Way
Award.
Since
Day 1,
we have
made it
a
priority
to make
this
event
inclusive
to all
and
representative
of the
demographics
of
Detroit.
In this
effort,
we’re
following
the
precedent
set by
Quicken
Loans,
which
makes
diversity
and
inclusion
a top
priority
each and
every
day.”
Nate
Lashley
won the
inaugural
Rocket
Mortgage
Classic
in 2019,
and the
2020
tournament
will be
held May
25-31 at
Detroit
Golf
Club.
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