Has anyone heard of such a thing?
Up against the PGA Championship this past weekend on TV, Fling staged their own tournament. Why would one cave in to more powerful and $$$ competitors such as the PGA? This is what entrepreneurs do. FlingGolf attracts ‘golfers’ searching for reform and some variety and fun from the golf course than they get from playing s-l-o-w-l-y with 14 sticks. They ventured to Delaware for a favorable and willing golf course, greater density of outdoor players, and maybe even more sure fire good weather than expected in New England. They attracted thousands of attendees at their tournament.
They offered a traditional 18 hole competition with over 100 participants from all walks of life – some actual reformed golfers, athletes that formerly played lacrosse and other sports, individuals with various physical disabilities and mental challenges, and US military veterans. That is quite a cross section of competitors. They created some innovative rule changes to level the playing field across different levels of athletes, and we’ll see if any get adopted by the PGA or not. They did come away with one lowest score and champion Super Flinger who received a beautiful trophy, and a card to play in all future Fling tournaments worldwide…and in under three hours – traditional golf is usually 5 – 6 hours or longer.
Fling also created a new and different competition – the Longest Fling – previously referred to as drive. They had a winner there too at approximately 225 yards, which is actually a pretty competitive Drive in any version of the sport. The winner received a belt for his efforts – similar to the WWF championship belt. He also now owns the right and pride to out drive his buddies and most amateurs with his FlingStick.
ESPN was also present creating footage of the tournament for use later in the summer on their networks. How can a new or any sport get any better visibility than ESPN? Guys – get those sticks assembled in advance of the onslaught at CI Works. After a successful debut on Shark Tank, Fling is now killing the marketing with appearances on ESPN. Congratulations Team Fling!