Megan Mahoney, the executive director of the San Diego County Junior Golf Association and the Callaway Junior World Championship, said she can't chase the irony from her mind.
In less than two weeks, San Diego will host one of the biggest sporting events on the planet, the 108th U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Golf's Super Bowl is projected to make more than $100 million for the region, and at least that much for the U.S. Golf Association.
And amid this hoopla and flowing cash, the SDJGA is suffering a terrible financial blow.
The organization this week decided, because of lack of ticket sales, to cancel its “Shoot for the Stars” gala on the USS Midway Museum aircraft carrier. The event was supposed to be hosted by Jay Leno on June 14, the Saturday night of the U.S. Open. It was promoted several weeks ago when local golf legends Billy Casper and Gene Littler hit balls into San Diego Bay from the Midway's deck.
It had been hoped the gala would raise as much as $500,000 for San Diego Junior Golf, which is spending more money than ever to pay courses for events and to financially support kids who couldn't otherwise afford to play.
Instead, the SDJGA may lose thousands of dollars in deposits it already put up.
“It's a devastating blow,” Mahoney said. “I can't believe this is happening this way. We have this absolutely phenomenal golf event in our own backyard, and unfortunately for San Diego Junior Golf, we're going to lose money. There's something very sad about that.”
Mahoney emphasized she is not blaming anyone outside the SDJGA, including the USGA, which had no ties to the event.
The irony is that during the U.S. Open, the San Diego Junior Golf program will be touted by writers and broadcasters from around the world for its development of the 40-year-old Junior World Championships. Mahoney said she has received many calls from news organizations inquiring about Junior World because numerous competitors in the U.S. Open, including Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els, played their first big-time golf in the top-level youth championships at Torrey Pines and other San Diego courses.
The SDJGA was hoping to ride a wave of enthusiasm for golf surrounding the U.S. Open, and it planned the gala for more than two years. Mahoney said a couple dozen people worked hundreds of hours to make it happen. But the poor economy and a lack of interest played a huge role, with only 475 of the $300 tickets sold for an event Mahoney said required nearly 900 guests to break even. The original goal was 2,500 guests.
“Twelve months ago this was the biggest garden of roses, and in the last couple of months it turned into a backyard of weeds,” Mahoney said. “Given the studies we'd seen of events at past U.S. Opens, it seemed like the event was a no-brainer. Looking back on it, I guess we should have rethought some things.”
Mahoney declined to specify how much money and to what organizations deposits were committed but said, “I will fight like heck to get back every cent.”
She said the financial losses would not affect the SDJGA's upcoming summer program and added, “We need to create a 12-month financial plan here.”
The SDJGA still will earn some money from the U.S. Open. It is to share with the Pro Kids Golf Academy the proceeds from a charity golf outing at Torrey Pines on the Tuesday after the championship, and the USGA is donating its handwritten scoreboards to the SDJGA to auction off to fans during the tournament week.
Tod Leonard: (619) 293-1858; tod.leonard@uniontrib.com
