Bank of America CEO & President Ken Lewis, on Sports Sponorship:

“I was never inclined to pump big sums of money into sports marketing until I saw the facts… for every dollar we spend on sports marketing, we get $10 in revenue and $3 in earnings. This is not wasted money.”

PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem, on golf sponsorship
"The value proposition for sponsorship in golf is very, very strong. That’s why we have always been sponsored, even through economic downturns."

CBS Broadcaster Jim Nantz, on the criticism of golf sponsorship:

"Golf is such an easy target. I wish all these politicians who invested their time to make all these scolding remarks about our sport would have sat down and realized what the sport does to support charities, to support local communities."

"I often feel like golf is defenseless. The mainstream media loves to attack it, loves to find fault with it."

Nantz noted the PGA Tour gives more money to charity each year than the NBA, NFL and MLB combined, and said, "Why isn't that something Barney Frank wanted to talk about? John Kerry? They really should spend a little more time digging into what the sport does."

Bernhard Langer, on the Champions Tour:

"We have two and sometimes three pro-ams before the tournament where we interact one-on-one or one-on-four with VIP’s, guests, employees. What other sport can you do that? You can’t go out and play tennis or football or soccer. It just doesn’t work. In golf, it works. We have the handicap system and we spend five hours playing golf with the client and then we sit down and have lunch for a half-hour or an hour. We do that: 2-3 pro-ams before the tournament."

"On top of that, we attend 2-3 functions: dinner parties, cocktail parties where almost the whole field is present. We spend hours there where people can talk to us about anything they want. Again, you don’t find that in any other sport very easily. I think that is a very special thing we have going on the Champions Tour, where we interact with the amateurs, the VIPs, the guests and who is invited."

Jerry Tarde, Chairman & Editor-In-Chief of Golf Digest
"Golf is a huge industry with a positive impact on the American way of life. Golf accounts for 2 million jobs with a total economic impact of $195 billion. Golf isn’t just for fat cats and CEOs – they play the sport, but 95% of the game and industry are average-wage earners teeing it up on public courses, working in the back offices and kitchens, enjoying the benefits of a sport that gives more than it receives."

Tim Schoen, Anheuser-Busch’s VP of Global Sports and Entertainment Marketing
"Anheuser-Busch has increased its domestic market share from 25% in 1980 to almost 50% in 2009 “by using sports as a big part of our marketing platform.  Our affiliation with sports is  just good business. Believe me: If sports wasn’t fueling our growth, we’d be having an entirely different discussion."

Tracy West, Bank of America Tournament Director
"In addition to being a boon to our local economy, including the nonprofit community, the tournament allows us to show spectators locally, and fans internationally  through television coverage, the history and beauty of [Massachusetts] and all the things this region has to offer."