Japanese non-profit organisation ISPS Handa has signed a naming rights partnership with golf’s PGA Tour of Australasia and extended its title sponsorship of the Women’s Australian Open tournament.
ISPS Handa’s five-year agreement with the PGA of Australia, which oversees the PGA Tour of Australasia, will run until 2021. The Tour, which sanctions 17 tournaments across five countries, will take on the official title of the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia.
PGA of Australia chief executive Brian Thorburn said: “The support of ISPS Handa of the PGA Tour of Australasia is a significant development for the Tour and its players. The PGA is committed to growing and enhancing the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia.
“Along with this partnership 2016 has also seen the Fiji International become co-sanctioned by the European Tour. This continues the building of a stronger relationship between the European Tour and the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia.”
ISPS Handa founder Haruhisa Handa added: “The PGA of Australasia Tour is a part of a growing global movement of several of the world’s tours working more closely together. It is imperative for the Japanese golfers to benefit from these international developments. ISPS Handa will help in any way to facilitate those developments to the benefit of the golfers and the industry in Japan and globally.”
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that ISPS Handa will serve as the title sponsor of the 2017 Women’s Australian Open. Next year's edition of the LPGA Tour event, which will mark the organisation’s eighth consecutive year as a naming rights partner, will take place at Royal Adelaide Golf Club from February 16-19.
World No.1 Lydia Ko and defending champion Haru Nomura have already confirmed that they will be competing at next year’s tournament.