PGA TOUR deal includes 2022, 2024 and 2026 Presidents Cup global partnership
LPGA Tour provides Cognizant naming rights to Founders Cup tournament, which will award one of the largest purses on Tour schedule
TEANECK, N.J. – Feb. 9, 2021 – Cognizant, one of the world’s leading professional services companies, today announced it has partnered with both the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour to become a Global Partner of the Presidents Cup and a title partner of the LPGA Tour’s Founders Cup.
By partnering with the Presidents Cup and LPGA Tour, Cognizant will add support for both men’s and women’s golf while increasing its global awareness as the leading technology services partner for its clients. Cognizant will also receive several benefits tied to each tour, including hosting unique client experiences – providing the company with new opportunities to engage with existing and prospective customers.
PRESIDENTS CUP
Cognizant’s partnership with the Presidents Cup covers the next three biennial matches, through 2026. The next edition of the Presidents Cup will be held at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., on September 19-25, 2022. The 2024 event will return to The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, and Medinah Country Club in Chicago will host the 2026 Presidents Cup.
Cognizant joins Rolex and Citi as one of three Global Partners of the Presidents Cup.
COGNIZANT FOUNDERS CUP
The Founders Cup has become one of the most well attended and celebrated events on the LPGA Tour calendar, paying homage to its rich history and the 13 women – known as the Founders – who created the LPGA Tour over 70 years ago. By signing on as title sponsor of this tournament, Cognizant’s mission is to help the event do more than just commemorate the past, but also showcase the female players of today and their efforts to build a stronger platform for the next generation of golfers. With this goal in mind, the Cognizant Founders Cup will offer a $3 million purse, making it the largest of any LPGA Tour event outside of the majors and the CME Group Tour Championship.
The multiyear agreement with the LPGA Tour will make Cognizant title sponsor of the Founders Cup beginning in 2021, scheduled to take place October 7-10 at Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell, N.J. The Donald Ross-designed course has a rich history of women’s golf and credits one-third of all rounds played at the course to female golfers, which is important to Cognizant’s commitment to inclusion and aim to elevate the game of golf for all individuals.
Brian Humphries, CEO of Cognizant (on new partnerships): “In our effort to increase the stature of the Cognizant brand and demonstrate our company as the preeminent technology services partner to clients globally, there is significant value in engaging directly with current and prospective clients at the C-Suite level. Golf is the premier sport for these business decision-makers, and partnering with the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour provides us with the most distinguished golf platform to create a compelling experience for clients.”
Gaurav Chand, CMO of Cognizant: “Cognizant is excited to contribute to the advancement of golf at the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour level. Both partnerships, including investments in the Presidents Cup and Cognizant Founders Cup respectively, help increase our global brand awareness and underscore the importance of partnering with likeminded organizations that share our values. Our shared commitments to diversity, inclusion and social responsibility will be showcased beginning with doubling the Cognizant Founders Cup purse to $3 million in hopes to inspire future generations of golfers of all genders, at all levels.”
Shameka Young, Global Head, Diversity & Inclusion at Cognizant: “We are excited to partner with the PGA TOUR & LPGA Tour as Cognizant supports equal opportunity and diversity in and out of the workplace. As the game of golf continues to evolve, offering new opportunities for individuals of all demographics, this partnership demonstrates our commitment to furthering diversity and inclusion across the globe.”
Jay Monahan, PGA TOUR Commissioner: “As momentum for the 2022 Presidents Cup – one of the premier events on the golf’s global calendar – continues to build, we are thrilled to welcome Cognizant to the family as our third Global Partner. Today’s announcements with Cognizant regarding the Presidents Cup and the LPGA are overwhelmingly positive signs for future growth of our sport through these impactful partnerships.”
Michael Whan, LPGA TOUR Commissioner: “The Founders Cup began in 2011 as a celebration of our 13 Founders and their visionary dedication to building a better future for the next generation of female golfers. I have to admit that this event is personal, as making sure we never forget the grit, commitment and passion of our Founders has always been critically important to me. I’m so honored and proud to see Cognizant embrace this event and all that it means to young women worldwide. With their involvement, this event will be one of the very best on Tour!”
As part of a multiyear partnership, Cognizant will become a “Global Partner of the Presidents Cup.” Cognizant will receive several benefits tied to the biennial event including premium hospitality and significant brand exposure on site and within the tournament telecast. In addition to the Global Partner position, Cognizant will host premier client entertainment experiences at PGA TOUR tournaments and will leverage its active presence in the sport to help build its brand globally.
Through the LPGA agreement, Cognizant will receive a variety of marketing and hospitality assets including advertising and in-broadcast exposure on Golf Channel during television coverage of the Cognizant Founders Cup; strategic on-site branding; on-site hospitality for Cognizant clients and guests; and extensive exposure on LPGA.com, FoundersCup.com and other digital media properties.
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