Thursday, March 8, 2007

Inbox: Zayra Calderon

Duramed Futures Tour, president and CEO

Editor's note: Zayra Calderon is president and CEO of the Duramed Futures Tour. She recently took time to check her e-mail inbox and answered the following Wire questions.

1. The Duramed Futures Tour kicks off its 2007 season this week. What are the areas that you are most excited about heading into the new season?

Zayra Calderon: The 2007 season marks the beginning of a much closer alignment with the LPGA, which will elevate the Duramed Futures Tour in the eyes and minds of our fans, our players and all of our sponsors. Through the support of our national title sponsor, Duramed Pharmaceuticals, we have developed a strategic plan that has as its cornerstone a national branding campaign.

This is the first time that the Duramed Futures Tour will launch a systematic program to increase knowledge and awareness of the Duramed Futures Tour.

Why is this important?

As one of the six major professional golf tours in the world, it is imperative we tell our story and make it relevant for media to cover us and fans to follow our tour. We are excited about the campaign, which will be launching this spring. It is authentic, exciting, and relevant. Stay tune.

2. Talk about the Foundation 4 Success Program. You're offering some of the college ranks' top players exemptions into events? And the thinking is that it will make them want to stay in school?

Calderon: Just as the LPGA developed a plan four years ago called the "5 Points of Celebrity" that focused on the players and their total value as entertainers and professional athletes, our players need to cherish and value the time they spend with the Duramed Futures Tour.

The Foundation 4 Success program is directed at providing our players with resources that amplify their experience beyond their completion on Tour and provide them with tools that will serve them well in life. This program is also aimed at helping the collegiate players and coaches recognize the demands of turning professional and experience the level of competition that exists on the Duramed Futures Tour.

3. Why did the tour feel it was necessary to reduce the minimum age limit to 17, an age at which most girls are not even out of high school yet?

Calderon: While we would like to encourage the players to finish their education and wait a little before turning professional, we also realized that we can not stop those players and families that have made the decision to leave school and play professionally. Reducing the age requirement allows us to get in front of this trend and create the necessary parameters to make the transition smooth for the players.

4. In what ways would you like to further align the Futures Tour with the LPGA?

Calderon: The LPGA and Duramed Futures Tour share similar values and are essentially in the same business. Alignment will allow us to share our fan base, expand our tournament markets, increase sponsorships and join forces to create new programs and events that will support the growth of women's professional golf. We want to elevate all aspects of our tournaments to look and feel a lot more like the LPGA events and provide our players with experiences and resources that will enhance their opportunity to succeed on the LPGA.

5. At what point in those early and sometimes lean years under founder Eloise Trainor was there a realization that, indeed, this tour was on solid footing?

Calderon: I can't speak for Eloise, other than to say that sustaining a women's professional golf tour for 26 years is a very strong indication that it was on solid footing. The idea, the concept was always relevant. The focus on the operations and not the marketing was just a question of sponsorship support.

The Duramed Futures Tour is the healthiest and strongest it has ever been. Our national partner, Duramed, along with the experience and passion of the staff has created a great strategy to move the Tour forward over the next three years and beyond.

6. Did it take much convincing of the LPGA to make them realize that these were LPGA-caliber women playing on the Futures Tour?

Calderon: There is no need to convince anyone anymore. The players' performance speaks loud enough. The Duramed Futures Tour players are future LPGA players. The facts speak for themselves. Over 300 Duramed Futures Tour alums are on the LPGA, 314 victories, including 33 majors. The next generations of stars are first seen on the Duramed Futuress Tour and there is a lot of respect from players and staff on both Tours.

7. What are the biggest stumbling blocks or lessons learned for the rookie or second-year player on tour just out of college?

Calderon: Players are always surprised of the level of competition. How hard and competitive it is and what it takes to put it all together. Becoming "self reliance" is a big transition for the rookies, being away from their coaches, parents, is a new experience for them. They have to make all the decisions for themselves.

8. The top five money winners at year's end earn automatic exemptions on LPGA for 2008. Is that number expected to climb in the next year or so?

Calderon: We will continue to advocate for more exemptions. As we implement our strategic plan, and align closer with the LPGA we will have stronger and stronger rationale to justify increasing the number of exemptions.