The PGA TOUR and the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA) today announced a four-year extension of their official marketing partnership that will continue to promote the state’s golf and tourism industry through 2022.
“January has become synonymous with amazing golf in Hawai‘i, with two PGA TOUR events and one PGA TOUR Champions event,” said Brian Oliver, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President Corporate Partnerships. “Our members have long enjoyed spending time in the Hawaiian Islands at the beginning of the year. We are pleased to extend our relationship with the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority and to continue highlighting Hawai‘i as a golf paradise through our tournaments on the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions.”
The PGA TOUR traditionally opens the calendar year with two weeks in Hawai‘i: last week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua on Maui, won by Dustin Johnson; and this week’s Sony Open in Hawai‘i in Honolulu on O‘ahu, where 2017 FedExCup champion Justin Thomas is defending his title. PGA TOUR Champions opens its season January 15-20 with the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hual?lai on the island of Hawai‘I, won last year by Bernhard Langer, his first of seven victories on the season. All tournament rounds for the three events are televised by the Golf Channel.
In addition to supporting these tournaments, HTA also uses golf media as a platform to showcase the Hawaiian Islands and their many recreational activities. TOUR players are filmed participating in their favorite off-the-course activities when they visit the state, in which golf fans will be able to see in PSAs throughout the season.
“Hawai‘i’s sunny warmth and unmatched beauty always welcomes golf fans around the world to a new year of optimism with the Sentry Tournament of Champions on Maui, Sony Open in Hawai‘i and Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hual?lai,” said George D. Szigeti, President and CEO of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. “We thank PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan for his aloha and continued commitment to the Hawaiian Islands as a destination for hosting world-class golf, and we appreciate that our longstanding partnership will continue through 2022 with this new four-year agreement. The PGA TOUR and Hawai‘i are a perfect pairing for hosting a global sports showcase in combining a worldwide sports brand with an iconic tropical setting revered by travelers, especially at a time when people everywhere are bundled up from winter’s chill.”
The sponsorship dates back to 2001 when the PGA TOUR and HTA, created by the state legislature to oversee Hawai‘i’s multi-billion tourism industry, aligned to highlight Hawai‘i’s professional golf tournaments as a marketing package that could serve as the promotional cornerstone for the state’s $1 billion golf industry.
The first PGA TOUR tournament held in Hawai‘i was the 1965 Hawaiian Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, which was won by Gay Brewer. The first PGA TOUR Champions event in the state was held in 1987 at the Royal K?‘anapali Golf Club North Course, won by Orville Moody.
ABOUT PGA TOUR: The PGA TOUR is the leading global platform in professional golf, showcasing the highest expression of excellence, both on and off the course. The PGA TOUR’s mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in the communities in which it plays, grow and protect the game of golf and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.
The PGA TOUR co-sanctions more than 130 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR-China. Members on the PGA TOUR represent the world’s best players, hailing from 25 countries (84 members are from outside the United States). Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to more than 1 billion households in 226 countries and territories in 23 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2017, tournaments across all Tours generated a record of more than $180 million for local and national charitable organizations, bringing the all-time total to $2.65 billion.
The PGA TOUR's web site is PGATOUR.COM, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
About Hawai‘i Tourism Authority: The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority is responsible for strategically managing the State of Hawai‘i’s marketing initiatives to support tourism. HTA’s goal is to optimize tourism’s benefits for Hawai‘i, while being attentive to the interests of travelers, the community and visitor industry. Established in 1998 to support Hawai‘i’s leading industry and largest employer, HTA continually strives to help ensure the sustainability of tourism’s success. For more information about HTA, please visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org. Follow updates about HTA on Facebook, Twitter (@HawaiiHTA) and its YouTube Channel.
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