The Swiss watchmaker’s support of golf continues to grow with a new association
LONDON, England – December 5, 2014 – OMEGA recently announced that it has entered into a ten-year partnership with the Ladies European Tour (LET), Europe’s leading women’s professional golf tour, further underscoring the brand’s relationship with the sport and its support of professional female athletes. The length of the contract is a testament to the confidence that the brand and the organisation have of the future success of the collaboration.
Speaking about the importance of this new partnership, OMEGA President Stephen Urquhart said: “Entering into this partnership was both strategic and meaningful. OMEGA is proud to support the Ladies European Tour, an organisation with achievable and attractive goals that are sure to have a lasting impact on the sport. It is important to the brand that we show our appreciation of golf as a whole and we are happy to bring greater attention to the professional women golfers who are taking the game to a new, exciting level. We look forward to the success of the partnership and can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together.”
LET CEO Ivan Khodabakhsh welcomed the announcement, saying: “OMEGA is one of the world’s most aspirational, iconic and desirable brands and we look forward to working together over what promises to be an exciting decade in women’s professional sport. The company decision to partner with LET is eloquent testimony to the appeal of the players and our event partners.”
“In a competitive market for sport sponsorship, LET and its players continue to offer a fresh and innovative marketing platform for world class brands,” said Khodabakhsh. “The LET is a truly international sports property and its members will be heavily represented when golf returns to the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016”.
The partnership between OMEGA and LET, which is based on shared interests and values involving the promotion of the game and the support of women’s golf, marks a high point in the brand’s long history with the sport.
OMEGA’s involvement in the sport extends beyond tournaments and organisations to include a family of prominent and successful golfing ambassadors. OMEGA is proud to have built lasting relationships with Stacy Lewis, Rory McIlroy, Michelle Wie, Sergio Garcia, Shanshan Feng and golf legend Greg Norman.
In recent years, the LET has proven itself to be a dynamic organization whose tournaments and players have brought a new level of excitement to women’s golf. OMEGA is proud of its new partnership with the LET and looks forward to the opportunity to help it implement its ambition to inspire women around the world to play golf and to create a lasting legacy.
OMEGA and golf
OMEGA serves as title sponsor of the European Masters, the Dubai Desert Classic and the Dubai Ladies Masters. The brand is also the Official Timekeeper for The PGA of America’s events including the Ryder Cup when it is contested in the United States. It’s partnership with this important golf organisation was recently extended through 2022. The brand also looks forward to golf’s return to the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016, where LET players are sure to feature prominently. The upcoming event will mark the 27th time that OMEGA serves as Olympic Games Official Timekeeper.
About the Ladies European Tour (LET)
The Ladies European Tour is a company limited by guarantee, not having a share capital, and its objectives are to promote world-wide interest in the game of golf, to maintain high standards in the promotion, development and conduct of ladies’ professional golf activities, to provide opportunities in tournament play and golf promotion for women golf professionals, to co-operate with organisations engaged in golf promotion whose objectives are compatible with those of the Ladies European Tour and to protect and further the mutual interest of the Tour and its Members. Formed as the WPGA in 1978, the first series of golf tournaments took place in Great Britain in 1979.
Now in its 36th year, in 2014 the Ladies European Tour features 24 tournaments in 18 different countries globally. With a strong base in Europe, the LET has in recent years expanded into new territories such as Dubai, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Turkey and China. In 2014, the international schedule began in New Zealand and concludes in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Tour’s 300+ Members represent 40 different nationalities. In 2010, the LET launched the LET Access Series, the official feeder tour to the Ladies European Tour, formed to give players not part of a major tour an opportunity to compete and progress on to the Ladies European Tour. In January 2013, Ivan Peter Khodabakhsh became Chief Executive Officer of the Ladies European Tour, whose headquarters are located at Buckinghamshire Golf Club in Denham, near London, England.
Media Contact:
Ladies European Tour
Bethan Cutler, Media Manager; [email protected]; +44 (0)7980056045
