Nationwide enters five-year partnership
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The PGA Tour announced a five-year partnership with Nationwide on Friday that will have the insurance company take over as the umbrella sponsor of the Buy.com Tour.
The new name of what is currently known as the Buy.com Tour will be unveiled later this year, as will the logo, purse level and schedules of the PGA's developmental circuit. The new name of the tour will feature a closer tie to the regular PGA Tour.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
"We're absolutely delighted to make this announcement and to welcome Nationwide into the Tour family of sponsors," PGA commissioner Tim Finchem said. "Nationwide's commitment to quality, service, community and charity mirror the values of the PGA Tour, making this an exceptional fit."
As part of the umbrella sponsorship, Nationwide will receive prominent exposure on The Golf Channel's live tournament coverage as well as the network's other programming.
"This new partnership offers us a tremendous opportunity to build our brand awareness and to reach a broad spectrum of consumers," Nationwide chief executive officer W.G. Jurgensen said. "Nationwide's tradition of high-quality customer service, what we call being 'on your side,' is a good match with the high quality of play on this Tour."
Former Buy.com players have won 114 PGA Tour titles and prominent alumni include John Daly, David Duval, Tom Lehman and David Toms.
