The final day of the CME Group Championship Tour will put the fans on the edge of their seats. However, a series of misunderstandings and drama has erupted outside between the LGPA Tour and its sponsor CME Group. A dinner held by Terry Duffy, CEO of the CME group, was attended by none of the LGPA stars, creating massive disrespect to the sponsor. The CEO shared some harsh words for the Golf Tour, followed by a response from the LPGA Commissioner.

CME Group is one of the world’s biggest financial derivative exchange company. They got involved with women’s golf in 2011, becoming the title sponsor of the final event of the LPGA Tour.

After having a professional relationship for more than a decade, they finally make history, after paying the winner of the ongoing CME Group Championship winner $ 2 million, making it the biggest winner’s purse in the LPGA Tour apart from the Majors. However, in return, the company and its CEO were faced with a high amount of disrespect.

What did CME Group’s CEO have to say about the LPGA?

Ahead of the final event of the season, CME Group organized a dinner in its conference meeting for all its employees and invited the golfing stars from LPGA Tour. However, as it turns out, no golfers showed up to the party. Later, the CEO Terry Duffy, though not upset with golfers, instead shared his distress with the leadership of the Golf Tour.

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“It’s an embarrassment to a company of my size and an embarrassment to me personally”, said Duffy. He added, “I am exceptionally disappointed with the leadership of the LPGA”. The CEO then warned the Tour and its management to get things done the right way before they lose further clients like the CME Group itself.

Read More: LPGA Tour Makes a Significant Leap Towards Growing the Women’s Game

Terry Duffy further added, “They better get their act together because they’re going to lose people like me over stuff like this.” Though many faces from the Tour didn’t attend the dinner, the Commissioner of LPGA did manage to make it to the CME Conference meeting room.

LPGA Tour Commissioner takes responsibility for the disrespectful gesture

Mollie Marcoux Samaan became the head of the Tour nearly 18 months ago. Following the dinner, she took responsibility on behalf of the LPGA and also gave Duffy and his company their flowers for always being supportive of Women’s golf.

“There hasn’t been any greater supporter of the LPGA than CME Group and Terry Duffy,” said the Commissioner. Samaan further added, “There was clearly a disconnect, and it’s my responsibility to make sure that this doesn’t happen. So on this particular issue, I’m taking full responsibility as a leader of the organization to make sure that doesn’t happen again”.

What happened behind the curtains remains questionable. Undoubtedly, it was very unfortunate on behalf of the LPGA to not have its players present at the dinner table with its most prominent sponsor. However, moving forwards let’s hope for the betterment of the LPGA Tour and more sponsors such as CME Group, which focuses on the development of women’s golf.

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