THE PGA Tour has secured a last-minute one-year deal which sees American financial services company EverBank become the new presenting sponsor of the upcoming Tampa Bay Championship.
The tournament, played annually on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, has been title sponsored for the past four years by lens manufacturer Transitions Optical.
Event organisers had been seeking a new partner since the optical company elected not to renew their deal, worth $7m (€5.3m) per year, as reported by US news sources.
The deal with EverBank comes just days before the Championship begins on March 14. The tournament been part of the PGA Tour schedule since 2010.
The tournament becomes the second major sports sponsorship deal for the Jacksonville-based company. Since 2010 EverBank has held the naming rights to EverBank Field, home of the National Football League’s Jacksonville Jaguars.
By Robin Jellis