Ping/Prammanasudh split based on principles
BOMB: Just prior to last week's Safeway International, Stacy Prammanasudh and her equipment sponsor, Ping, parted ways and Prammanasudh played the event with just one Ping club in her bag (her Rapture driver). A new set of Tour Edge Exotics irons as well as TaylorMade wedges and putter were pressed into service.
The reason for the split? Prammanasudh--a Thai-American--signed an endorsement deal with Singha Beer and Ping's company policy does not allow for any alcohol-related logos on their staff bags. It's unclear as to whether Prammanasudh knew of this before inking the pact with Singha, but regardless, I give the Solheims and Ping a big, healthy round of applause. Not because I don't like Prammanasudh. The two times I've spoken to her she has been nothing short of cooperative and pleasant and she is a fine player. Not because I have anything against booze, as I personally enjoy a lovely beverage as much as the next person. No, my admiration comes because I find it absolutely refreshing that a business entity simply did not sell out its principles for a change.
Make no mistake. Prammanasudh is an asset. She's currently 15th on the Rolex Rankings. But Ping has a policy, they're sticking to it and I say good for them. And if Prammanasudh did not know of the policy, I don't blame her as much as I would her agent. After all, it' Sports Agent 101 that prior to signing any new deal, the agent needs to know how it might impact existing contracts.
So to Ping I raise my glass of Diet Coke and say thanks for reminding us that you can still find the word "principles" in the dictionary of today's sports world. It's a word found far too little by far too few these days.
Bomb: As a fellow non-teetotaler, as well as a fellow admirer of Stacy P., I echo your praise for Ping. Having a fleeting bit of history with that company (spending a couple of days at the company, including one day with Karsten's virutally undivided attention, on his invitation), I can vouch for the fact that they are principle-driven. Some will say they are stubborn, even to a fault, but they certainly are not ruled by the dollar, the yen, or the euro.
I am a drinking American living in Thailand, and I have to say that I commend Ping on their decision to drop Stacy Prammanasudh as a sponsored player. However i feel bad for Stacy as she was most likely told by her agent that Ping wouldn't drop her. The rule in Thailand is that "rules" are only for the poor and "lower class" to follow. Standard procedure here is that if you are rich and powerful, a celebrity, or otherwise "connected" you can do as you please without repercussions and no one will do anything about it.
Again, I commend Ping!
Shadow 981