Here is part of the release.
"Exciting news for women's golf today with the news that AIG will become the title sponsor for the Women's British Open. We look forward to the AIG Women's British Open being played at Woburn in 2019.
Established in 1976, the Women’s British Open is a Major championship in women's professional golf, owned by The R&A and sanctioned by both the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour. In 2018, the Women’s British Open hosted one of the year’s strongest international fields with competitors from 28 countries, and England’s Georgia Hall won the trophy at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
For AIG, the Women’s British Open is its first title sponsorship in professional golf."
The deal is for 5 years and couldn't come at a better time considering such an iconic major, by far the biggest internationally didn't have the security of a title sponsor. It would have been a disaster for the LPGA/LET to lose it. AIG was a major sponsor in the England's Premier League amongst their other sporting portfolio's.
Several years ago the Canadian Open with all it's rich history was in dire straits when Du Maurier was forced to withdraw it's sponsorship when the Canadian government banned advertising for tobacco and at the time alcohol. The RCGA as it was, pieced together 6 secondary sponsors to keep it afloat until the RBC stepped up to the plate. Both CN and CP have been godsends to the Canadian Women's Championship.
The LPGA is still without a major TV network, relying on the Golf Channel to broadcast their schedule which reduces visibility that sponsors require in return for their involvement. However the British and the US Women's Open's are nationally televised which is a huge carrot for the title sponsor with world wide operations like AIG.
Bryan Angus
No comments:
Post a Comment