New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer, who visited the course Tuesday, shared Lubin’s enthusiasm.
“This is our Super Bowl. This is big for us. Delaware doesn’t get Super Bowls, World Series, PGA golf championships like this,’’ Meyer said. “We have Rory McIlroy. Tiger Woods was here. The best in the world at this game are here. Thirty thousand people a day.”
Woods, the most popular figure in golf, isn’t playing. But he was in town briefly on Tuesday and met with fellow nearly two PGA stars at the Hotel DuPont. The topic was devising a strategy to deal with the new Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour that has already signed many top stars such as Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson. Golfers who have joined LIV Golf have been banned from PGA events such as the BMW Championship.
But controversies in the world of golf don’t matter to Meyer. He says the tournament serves as a perfect vehicle to celebrate Wilmington and generate future tourism.
In that vein, he encourages visitors and residents alike to head down to Wilmington’s riverfront on Friday and Saturday night, for a city- and county-sponsored party where admission is free.
“No, $50, $100, $200 tickets,’’ Meyer said. “Everybody can come. They’re going to be food trucks, live music. Come have a good time.”
For Paul Ruggiero, president of beer, wine, and liquor wholesaler NKS Distributors, the BMW Championship gave him a chance to play with professionals in Tuesday’s Pro-Am event. He played nine holes each with Matt Kuchar and Maverick McNealy.
“I felt like I was a 6-year-old on Christmas morning. It was like the first time at Disney World,’’ said Ruggiero, whose daughter Christina caddied for him. “The whole experience was fantastic.”
He raved about the expertise of the pros, who were merely practicing for the real show.
“To be right there next to them and watch the precision, how they play, how they stroke the ball, the coordination, the power, was just incredible,” Ruggiero said. “And both players were really friendly, great guys to talk to. They made it super fun.”
Beyond his personal sports thrill, Ruggiero echoed others who tout the tournament’s benefits to his state “and all our bars and restaurants, with all the folks coming in to see the best players.”
Tim Glavin, who is retired from the medical services business, says he’s simply delighted to have professional golf back in Delaware again.
“I miss the LPGA,’’ Glavin said. “I’m just glad the community gets to see professional golf again. And we’re going to see it at its highest level here. So it should be a blast.”
