Software company CA has announced that it will not be renewing its sponsorship of the WGC-CA Championship, sanctioned by the International Federation of PGA Tours.
For the past five years the American firm has been title sponsor of the €8.5million event, which has been played at TPC Blue Monster at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Florida.
South African Ernie Els was the last winner of the WGC-CA Championship when he triumphed by four shots over his compatriot Charl Schwartzel last week.
Bill Hughes, Corporate Senior Vice President of Global Communications, said: “Since 2006, CA has enjoyed an incredible partnership with the PGA Tour. Our sponsorship of the World Golf Championships further strengthened our relationships with our customers, raised the visibility of CA’s brand worldwide, and provided a strong platform for our philanthropic efforts. Going forward, CA will be executing a new corporate marketing programme focused on delivering more regional events and customer relationship programs around the world.
“As a result, we will no longer sponsor the World Golf Championships. Importantly, CA will continue to work closely with the PGA Tour to identify additional opportunities that align with our new marketing initiatives. We would like to thank all CA employees, PGA Tour executives and the hundreds of volunteers, as well as our agency partners, who worked tirelessly to make the WGC-CA Championship a truly world-class event.”
Tim Finchem, Commissioner of the US PGA Tour, spoke of his confidence of securing a new sponsorship deal.
He said: “On behalf of the International Federation of PGA Tours, I’d like to thank CA for its commitment to the World Golf Championships as a whole and the CA Championship in particular. “The CA Championship has been a strong part of golf’s tradition to give back to the communities in which events are played, and CA’s support has enabled more than $4million to be returned to local charities since 2007. We look forward to identifying future opportunities with CA to align its marking objectives with the PGA TOUR, and professional golf in general.
“The CA Championship has provided some amazing tournaments with thrilling finishes, and this year’s return to the winner’s circle by Ernie Els was no exception. There is a tremendous amount of interest in the World Golf Championships – the great fields, global exposure, incredible venues – and we will move forward in securing a new title sponsor for the CA Championship. We are confident we will be at TPC Blue Monster at Doral next year.”
