Hyundai has done it again. It announced early this month that it has just closed a deal as the title sponsor for the next three years of the season-opening tournament of the PGA TOUR at The Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii in January 2011.
Hyundai Motor America has joined hands with the PGA TOUR and Seoul Broadcasting System International (SBS) for this global sporting event.
This is another big international spectacle that shall bear the name of Hyundai. The world cannot help but take notice. This is in line with Hyundai’s advertising strategy, which is called “Big Voices in Big Places”, targeting major international events and advertising venues such as the NFL Super Bowl, the Academy Awards where it landed an exclusive automotive sponsorship, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ as a global sponsor.
After a series of talks with the PGA TOUR and SBS, Hyundai was delighted with the three-way cooperation and finally sealed the partnership with both as the title sponsor of the tournament.
As agreed upon with PGA TOUR, the tournament that shall commence in 2011 shall be called the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. The moniker “Tournament of Champions” is the event’s original title, because the competition is exclusively for past tournament winners.
“Hyundai’s title sponsorship of the PGA TOUR’s traditional season-opening tournament aligns our brand with world-class athletes who mirror our own competitive drive,” said John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America’s CEO and president. “This sponsorship ensures that every champion at the tournament will arrive in luxury, and the fans that follow the sport will be exposed to an all-new interpretation of intelligent luxury, the Hyundai Equus.”
The first Tournament of Champions was held at the Desert Inn Country Club in Las Vegas in 1953 until 1967. It then moved to Stardust Country Club in Clark County and then to La Costa Country Club in Carlsbad, California in 1969. After 30 years, the tournament made its way to picturesque Kapalua, Hawaii beginning in 1999.
PGA TOUR is excited to begin work with its new partner. According to Tim Finchem, PGA TOUR Commissioner, “We are delighted to welcome Hyundai to the PGA TOUR family. In our discussions, Hyundai expressed interest in continuing its brand momentum throughout the U.S., as well as further strengthening its position in Asia. This title sponsorship will help accomplish these goals.”
Now working hand-in-hand with Hyundai, SBS was the former title sponsor of the event and will continue to take a significant part, primarily because it has signed a 10-year sponsorship agreement with the tournament in May 2009. This means SBS shall provide its services through 2019, which include PGA TOUR broadcasts in Korea and on-site activities.
SBS has broadcasted the PGA TOUR tournaments in Korea for more than 15 years, and nine more years to come.
Golf lovers and aficionados are looking forward to the 2011 Hyundai Tournament of Champions that will happen on January 3 through January 9, 2011. All eyes are on Geoff Ogilvy, the two-time defending champion from Australia who has vowed to make a three-peat.
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