The Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Kapalua
The SBS Championship is now renamed 'Hyundai Tournament of Champions' as Hyundai has become the new title sponsor of the PGA Tour's season starter event.
According to latest reports, the announcement was made this Thursday 4th of November by the PGA Tour along with the Seoul Broadcasting System International (SBS) and the Hyundai Motor America.
The SBS Championship, now known as the Hyundai Tournament of Champions is marked as the season opening event of the PGA Tour and will be held at The Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii, for the coming three years.
The agreement takes effect in 2011 and is reintroducing the event’s informal name. According to rumours, the tournament is bringing PGA’s top golfers into the picture, making it a rather starry field. The exclusive field of the season opening Hyundai Tournament
of Champions is host to all the winners from the previous season.
About the title, the sponsorship thus carried out Hyundai's strategy- "Big Voices in Big Places".
Lately, Hyundai has been sponsoring highest profile events, such as the NFL's Super Bowl, which is an exclusive automotive sponsorship of the Academy Awards. Along with the Super Bowl, Hyundai was also the supporter of 2010 FIFA World Cup.
According to John Krafcik, who is the president and CEO of the Hyundai Motor America, the first rate golfers at the traditional opening event of the PGA Tour share the same competitive drive the Hyundai motors aim for.
He said that sponsoring this event is aligning our brand with the spirited golfers of the PGA and will make sure that the golfers experience the Hyundai Equus, which is an intelligent luxury car.
The event was first launched at the Desert Inn Country Club with the title “Tournament of Champions” in the year 1953. The name “Tournament of Champions” was kept till 1994. Till 1967, the ‘Tournament of Champions’ remained at the Desert Inn Country Club
after which it was moved to the Stardust Country Club. 1969, the event travelled to the La Costa Country Club in Carlsbad, Calif and then to the Kapalua in the year 1999.
As far as the PGA Tour and SBS are concerned, the agreement is standing on a ten year deal made in the year 2009, which makes SBS liable to continue its association with the event. The agreement, thus, made will continue till the year 2019, in which SBS
will host hospitality and other on-site activities.
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