Former USGA Exec Bevacqua To CAA; Steiney Next?
/For Immediate Release...and only of interest to golf industry insiders. (Though I do wonder how this will impact any possible announcement tomorrow from Mark Steinberg, who has been shackled by an agreement with IMG to not reveal his future plans until June 1.)
Anyway...
TOP GOLF EXECUTIVE PETER BEVACQUA JOINS CAA SPORTS
Former United States Golf Association Chief Business Officer Joins Growing Golf Division at Agency
LOS ANGELES (May 31, 2011) – CAA Sports announced today the hiring of Peter Bevacqua, most recently the United States Golf Association’s Chief Business Officer. Bevacqua oversaw all of the USGA’s business initiatives, including corporate partnerships and domestic and international broadcasting, among other revenue-generating areas. At CAA Sports, he will capitalize on the momentum of its golf division to develop new business opportunities domestically and internationally across all aspects of the golf industry, for the agency and its clients.
“From creating extremely valuable partnerships and new business initiatives for the sport’s national governing body to managing major events like the U.S. Open and helping guide the growth of the sport to new heights, Pete is a one-a-of-kind executive,” said Michael Levine, co-head of CAA Sports, a division of Creative Artists Agency (CAA). “His tremendous experience, skills and relationships will be invaluable to us as we build upon our existing golf business.”
Build upon! It's a clue!
CAA’s golf practice, which counts industry veterans Andy Pierce and Michael Rielly among its executives, represents individual clients, including iconic figures Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Greg Norman; is active in event creation, sponsorship and ownership; works with golf’s major federations, including the PGA Tour, where CAA advises on entertainment and other branding initiatives; and provides consulting services to marketers, including the Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS), which CAA advises on all golf and sponsorship activities globally.
Et cetera, et cetera...and now for the returning love volley. We're servicing those clients!
“It has been remarkable to watch CAA’s rapid success in sports, no doubt a testament to its uniquely collaborative culture where the agency works as a whole to service its clients,” said Bevacqua. “Golf has long been central to my life and career, so it is exciting to use my experience in and passion for the game to help accelerate the terrific momentum at CAA.”
So back to Steiney. My money was on he and Tiger venturing out on their own, but if CAA is serious about expanding their interests in golf he sure would be a major acquisition in terms of publicity (no offense Pete).
In another entertaining Pond Scrum, Steve Elling and John Huggan contemplated Steiney's next move.
Elling: Come on, John, there's something new every few days for Tiger, if not every few minutes. Last week, his agent was basically put on waivers by the only sports agency Woods has ever known, IMG. While some have wondered about its effect, the only math it potentially changes is in his bank account, not his scorecard. Like most, I don't see Woods breaking with Mark Steinberg, his agent for the past decade-plus. Steinberg stuck with Woods through thin and thinner last year.
Huggan: Can't believe Steiny's passing will make much difference to El Tigre. He'll follow his lap dog and all will be as it was before. They'll both still be lying a lot, for sure.
Elling: Most of us longtime Woods-watchers assume the two will go it alone and forge their own management agency of sorts. I asked people out there in Twitter world last week to submit names for a potentially new business alliance for Woods and Steinberg and the runaway winner was Knee-Jerk Consulting. Think about it. I rather liked IMG-String, too.
Huggan: What was interesting was the obvious relish with which IMG ejected Steiny. I suspect they have wanted him and his outsized ego out of there for some time now.
That's never stopped CAA! At least, here in Tinseltown.
