Wimbledon, the British Open, U.S. Open, World Cup and The Olympics Games … the Final Four, Australian Open, Ryder Cup, and the Super Bowl … World-class events where you can treat your top clients to a world class experience. Whether you want access to the clubhouse at the British Open, a private hospitality house with a clear view of the 18th green at St. Andrews, or center court seats, Stan Smith Events will give you and your guests an experience you’ll remember.

Golf Majors Masters The Masters is the youngest of the four majors, but in terms of history, character and permanence, it has no equal. It's truly one of the most exclusive events in sports. With stories of the past and history in the making around every corner and every hole, you will have the time of your life experiencing everything that the Augusta National has to offer. It is staggering to think that one of the world's most famous and beautiful golf courses was nothing more than 365 acres of farming land not so long ago. But thanks to the foresight of two men, Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, Fruitlands Nurseries is now home to the Augusta National golf course. For the first five years of the tournament, it was called the Augusta National Invitation Tournament because Jones believed the name "The Masters" sounded too "preposterous". However, he eventually relented and in 1939, the name changed to The Masters - and has since stood proud for 61 years.

U.S. Open Surmounted by a winged victory figure, the U.S. Open Trophy stands 18 inches high. It is adorned with the names of champions -- Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods. The first U.S. Open Championship was conducted by the U.S. Golf Association on October 4, 1895. Ten professionals and one amateur started in the 36-hole competition that awarded prize money totaling $335. In every era since, the world's greatest players have been identified by surviving the rigorous examination provided by the U.S. Open. The event attracts over 35,000 spectator’s daily and receives over 28 hours of live television coverage.

British Open Every year for almost half a century, the revered old trophy, the claret jug, has been presented to the winner of the British Open. The Open is the oldest of the four majors and no other tournament has such strong ties to the history of golf and the greatest names the game has ever known. Only eight players took part in the first Open Championship in 1860. Because of complaints that entry had not been open to amateur players, for the 1861 event it was announced that entry "shall be open to all the world." Great changes have taken place in the Open since 1860. Entries have increased from eight to over 250, play increased from three rounds of 12 holes in one day to four rounds of 18 holes in four days. No prize money had been offered for competitors in 1860, but by the end of the 20th century the winner of the Open received £350,000.

PGA Championship Each summer, one of the nation's most outstanding golf facilities hosts golf's best professionals as they compete for the coveted Rodman Wanamaker Trophy. Since its inception in 1916, the PGA Championship has evolved into one of the world's premier golf events. Unlike any other sport, golf can be as much about where it is played as it is about those who play it. From year to year, the PGA Championship takes its competitors and its fans on a dazzling ride through the grand world of American golf selecting courses that are strategic tests, historical icons and contemporary expressions of the game.

Ryder Cup They don't have opening ceremonies for The Masters or the U.S. Open. They save the pomp and ceremony for an international event of Olympic proportions. With bagpipes and brass, national anthems, classic rock and a crooner, the Ryder Cup matches open with the extravagance befitting an event that has become the biggest in golf. The Ryder Cup competition began in 1927 when Samuel Ryder offered to donate a solid gold trophy bearing his name to the winning team of professionals from either the United States or Great Britain-Ireland. The competition has been held every two years since, expanding to include all of Europe and creating memorable golf history that has involved the greatest players in the game.

Grand Slam Tennis

Australian Open With record-breaking attendance of 543,843, the Australian Open has set a new benchmark for great Grand Slam tennis. The burgeoning event continues to exude its unique character. The event boasts unequalled general public access, state-of-the-art event presentation, and the return to equal prize money for men and women. The Australian Open was first played in 1905 as The Australasian Championships at the Warehouseman's Cricket Ground in Melbourne. It became known as the Australian Open in 1969. In 1972 it was decided to keep the Australian Open in the city that attracted the greatest attendance. Melbourne was that city, and Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club was the venue. Since then the event has grown in stature and popularity, both in Australia and worldwide. Stan Smith won the Australian Open Doubles Championship in 1970.

French Open Visitors to Roland Garros have the opportunity to watch the best tennis players in the world vying for the prestigious "Coupe des Mousquetaires" on red clay. Here, the tennis world converges as it has for over a century in Paris for the finest clay court championships in the world, the French Open. The French Open originally started as a national tournament in 1891. In 1927, the French Federation agreed to build a tennis stadium at Porte d’Auteuil for the 1928 Davis Cup. The stadium was named after one of its members, the French aviator Roland Garros. In 1968 the International Federation authorized "Open tournaments" for the first time, and the French Championship became the first Grand Slam tournament to go "open" and welcome both amateurs and professionals. Stan Smith was a French Open Doubles finalist in 1971 and 1974.

Wimbledon Wimbledon, there's simply nothing quite like it! Wimbledon, the only Grand Slam tournament still played on grass, has been the most celebrated tournament in tennis since 1877… from the festive atmosphere, the rich history, to the courts themselves. The tournament started in 1877 as an amateur Men’s Singles event and was originally known as the Lawn Tennis Championships. The Prince of Wales first attended the Championships in 1907 and British Royalty has been involved with Wimbledon ever since. Stan Smith was the Wimbledon Singles Champion in 1972 as well as a finalist in 1971 and a 1974 semifinalist. He was also a Doubles finalist in 1972, 1974, 1980 and 1981.

U.S. Open The final event in the Grand Slam season is reserved for New York, the city of excitement. The US Open celebrates its third year of play on the fantastic Arthur Ashe Center Court stadium. The newly designed park is a pleasure for both player and spectator alike. Here, tennis is played by true warriors of the game and only the best are victorious. The tournament was originally known as the U.S. National Championships. For the first time in 1968, the five major championships were consolidated into one major event named the U.S. Open. Over the past 30 years, the U.S. Open has grown to be one of most exciting tennis tournaments in the world, welcoming more than half a million fans every year. In 1971 Stan won the US Open Singles Championship. He was a semifinalist in 1973. Stan won the US Open Doubles Championship in 1968, 1974, 1978 and 1980 and was a finalist in 1971 and 1979.

 

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Other Major Sporting Events Olympic Games Beginning in 776 BC, the Olympic Games were held in Greece every four years for almost 1200 years. Inspired by the ancient Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin created the modern Olympic Games. First staged in 1896, they attracted about 245 athletes in 43 events. The modern Olympic Movement has survived wars, boycotts and terrorism to become a symbol of the ability of people of all nations to come together in peace and friendship. On the evening of February 8, 2002 nearly 3.5 billion people around the world will watch the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games. Salt Lake City, Utah will host the event, which includes 26 medal events and over 78 competitions. In August 2004, athletes from nearly 200 countries, about 11,000 men and women, will take part in 17 days of Olympic competition at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. On February 11-26, the 2006 Winter Olympic Games will take place in Torino, Italy. And Beijing, China will host the 29th Summer Olympic Games in 2008.

Super Bowl In 2002, the Super Bowl returns to the city in the crescent of the majestic Mississippi. New Orleans will host the NFL's biggest event for the record ninth time on Sunday, January 27. The worlds of football and entertainment will collide when the stars descend for the most anticipated event of the year. More than 100 celebrities from the music and entertainment industry will be on hand for Super Bowl XXXVI. The first Super Bowl ever, Super Bowl I was played in 1967 at Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. As befitted America's newest hit show, pre-game hoopla was plentiful. Bands blared, baton twirlers twirled, choral groups chorused, Al Hirt trumpeted and, just before kickoff, 4,000 pigeons were released. Estimates of the number of television viewers ranged up from 60 million. In 2001 international broadcasters televised the game to an estimated audience of 800 million in 201 countries and 26 different languages.

Final Four 2002… Atlanta… Georgia Dome… a sporting event that every fan of college basketball should experience. The Final Four is an event like none other. In the spirit of ultimate competition, four schools from all the over the nation gather together for one goal: to be crowned national champion. There are some elements that make Final Four weekend so magical that you don't get to experience them unless you’re there in person. Things that take place outside the lane and beyond the 3-point line. Like the gathering of every college coach in the nation and the Friday practice sessions, when all four teams gather in front of fans and media. And the best time had of all is by the fans in the stands that are fortunate enough to be there.

World Cup The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was founded in Paris on May 21, 1904. When Jules Rimet became president of FIFA in 1921 he immediately began organizing the first world soccer tournament because, in his words, "Soccer could reinforce the ideals of a permanent and real peace." On July 18, 1930 the first World Cup Tournament opened at the Centenary Stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay and a new epoch began for world soccer. Since that first World Cup in 1930, soccer has taken root as the world's major game. With approximately two hundred million active players, and 204 member associations, FIFA has grown to be the most popular sports federation in the world. The upcoming 2002 FIFA World Cup is the first to be hosted by two countries. Two nations, Korea and Japan are building 20 stadiums (ten each in Korea and Japan) to host the event that has grown to include whole regions, peoples and nations.

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