Professional services firm KPMG will serve as title sponsor of the Women’s PGA Championship after entering into an agreement with the Ladies Professional Golf Association and PGA of America.
The tournament is a revamp of the LPGA Championship – one of five majors on the LPGA tour – and the deal to bring KPMG on board also brings together the LPGA and PGA of America as partners in the tournament.
KPMG will use its title sponsorship to host a major conference around the tournament that brings together top female executives from business, politics, sports and society. KPMG also will manage the ongoing community initiative to provide today’s top women leaders the opportunity to bring through the next generation of female leaders and equip them with the leadership skills, networks, and confidence through scholarships, training, and internship and mentoring programs.
KPMG, the PGA and the LPGA will create an advisory board of female leaders to shape the strategic direction of the women’s leadership summit and community initiative.
John Veihmeyer, global chairman of KPMG, said: “This collaboration will not only bring women’s golf to new audiences – it also creates opportunities to expand women’s leadership on and off the course, empowering today’s women leaders and cultivating the next-generation of female leaders.”
The LPGA Championship was won by Korea’s Inbee Park last year at Locust Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York. It is set to remain in Pittsford for this year’s edition at Monroe Golf Club on August 14-17 before changing to its new identity in 2015 at Westchester Country Club in New York from June 8-14.
The Championship’s prize purse will increase in 2015 to $3.5m (€2.55m), up from $2.25m this year. The financial terms of the partnership agreement with KPMG were undisclosed.