1st Annual Hank's Yanks Golf Classic

 

Issue

Real estate mogul -- and Presidential candidate -- Donald Trump teamed up with New York Yankees owner Hank Steinbrenner to host the first major golf event at the brand new Trump Links golf course at Ferry Point in the Bronx, NY. The challenge was to build local and national awareness for the first annual Hank’s Yanks Golf Classic on July 6, 2015, the first major celebrity pro-am tournament at the course. Celebrity participants included former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Alex Rodriguez, Daryl Strawberry, David Wells, and many other former Yankee greats. Proceeds were donated to Hank’s Yanks, Steinbrenner’s not-for-profit organization that introduces young athletes to the sport of baseball and promotes a positive path in life. Proceeds also benefitted the Kenneth A. Smaltz Sr. Foundation for Alzheimer’s Care and the St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Insight

The Trump Links at Ferry Point golf course, designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus, is New York’s first in 52 years, and could potentially be the site for future championships like the Barclays and U.S. Open. Over The Moon PR leveraged the celebrities involved in the inaugural Hank’s Yanks Golf Classic, including Alex Rodriguez, who appeared at the post-golf cocktail party, dinner and silent auction. Trump’s appearance, on the heels of controversial comments he made about immigration on the campaign trail, heightened attention to the national level. Over the Moon scheduled photo opps and interview opportunities for the more than 100 reporters and photographers at the event.

Impact

The 1st Annual Hank’s Yanks Golf Classic gained national exposure as Donald Trump took a day off from his 2016 Presidential campaign. Articles mentioning Hank’s Yanks Golf Classic were published by Bloomberg, ESPN, Sporting News, and The New York Times, as well as the New York Post, CBS New York, 1010 WINS, WCBS 880,  ABC 7 Eyewitness News, News12, nj.com, Newsday, Daily News, and the Latino Post, and others. Photography services, including Getty Images and Wire Images, took pictures of the celebrities. Advance publicity included an in-studio interview with Tim Raines on Fox 5 Sports Extra, as well as multiple PSAs on WFAN and a pre-event interview with pitching great David Wells on Ed Randall's Talking Baseball.