Kitchen appliances manufacturer KitchenAid has extended and expanded its partnership with golf organisation the PGA of America, signing a deal under which it will step up its association with the Senior PGA Championship.
As part of the new eight-year agreement, which will run until 2024, KitchenAid has been named the title sponsor of the Senior PGA Championship, one of the PGA of America’s four showpiece events alongside the Women’s PGA Championship, the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup.
Starting from next year, the tournament will officially be titled the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. KitchenAid, a Whirlpool brand, has been a presenting partner of the championship since 2011. The expanded partnership will result in an enhanced prize fund for the event in the coming years.
PGA of America chief executive Pete Bevacqua said: “Since 2011, KitchenAid has had an integral role in elevating this championship to unprecedented heights, and the brand’s commitment to major championship golf enables us to collectively explore new frontiers in all areas of player, fan and sponsorship engagement.”
KitchenAid will also continue to serve as the official home appliance brand of the PGA of America under the new contract.
The 2016 Senior PGA Championship begins today (Thursday) at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Michigan, and concludes on Sunday. Harbor Shores has been named the home course of the tournament, which is set to return to the venue in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024.
Jeff Fettig, chairman and chief executive of Whirlpool, said: “We received feedback from the local community and volunteers about the PGA partnership, and the response was overwhelmingly positive that the community wanted the Championship to return (to Harbor Shores). The continuation and evolution of this relationship will ensure that the Benton Harbor community receives the positive national attention it deserves, while driving tourism and spurring investment in the region.”
Colin Montgomerie (pictured) has won the Senior PGA Championship for the past two years.