The PGA Tour has announced a contract extension has been struck with business insurance organisation Sentry, the title sponsor of the Tour’s Tournament of Champions.
The deal, which has been announced ahead of this year’s opening round at the Kapalua Plantation Course in Hawaii, sees a ten-year extension replace the current original five-year contract agreed between both organisations and sees Sentry’s sponsorship run through to the culmination of the 2029/30 season.
Andy Pazder, chief tournaments and competitions officer at the PGA, stated: “Sentry’s partnership has been integral in the tournament’s success in the last three years and we’re thrilled at today’s announcement that secures the PGA Tour’s winners-only event for years to come.”
As a result of the extension, the ten-year deal now ensures that the PGA Tour’s annual kickstart to the calendar year, which is solely exclusive to golfers who were victorious in tournaments throughout the previous calendar year, will continue under the name of the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
Pete McPartland, Sentry’s chairman, president and chief executive, added: “It has been an outstanding experience, helping us build our brand and affording us the opportunity to spend quality time with customers and business partners.
“What we’ve come to appreciate most about being the sponsor of the Sentry Tournament of Champions is the opportunity to fully engage in the Maui community and feel such a part of it ourselves. The many charities the tournament gives to has enabled us to get to know the Maui people and the community’s needs.”
Since becoming the competition’s title sponsor in 2018, Sentry has established several charitable and community-focused initiatives, which includes a scholars programme and donations towards sustainability as well as the launch of two community engagement days within the week in which the tournament takes place.
The latest version of the Tournament of Champions will include members of the winning U.S. Presidents Cup team, with the likes of Patrick Cantlay, Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson and defending champion Xander Schauffele all competing.
With this being said, despite triumphing at selected tournaments throughout the 2019 calendar year, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka and the Open Champion Shane Lowry will not compete having failed to commit.
