GREENSBORO, N.C. (April 21, 2015) – PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem and Wyndham Worldwide Chairman and CEO Stephen P. Holmes today announced that Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) has signed a 10-year extension as title sponsor of the Wyndham Championship, continuing its commitment through 2026. The agreement commences when the current four-year deal concludes with the 2016 tournament.
“We are extremely pleased to announce this new long-term commitment by Wyndham Worldwide, which represents a continuation of the tremendous progress the tournament has made through Wyndham’s support since 2007,” Finchem said. “Wyndham has had a very positive impact on every aspect of the tournament, from helping the Piedmont Triad Charitable Foundation’s efforts to increase charitable contributions through the Wyndham Championship, to elevating the tournament’s visibility and on-site enjoyment through creative brand activities and promotions.”
“With a portfolio of more than 100,000 hotels, resorts, and vacation rentals across six continents, we take great pride in calling the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina home of the Wyndham Championship, and are excited that this tradition will continue for 10 more years,” said Stephen P. Holmes, chairman and CEO, Wyndham Worldwide. “This tournament has a rich legacy, which we’re honored to be a part of. We are proud of what we have accomplished and will continue to build together with our partners throughout this great community.”
In addition to Wyndham’s extension, BB&T will continue as the tournament’s local presenting sponsor through the same period. Representatives from BB&T, the tournament and its host organization, the Piedmont Triad Charitable Foundation, joined Finchem and Holmes for a press conference at Sedgefield Country Club, host site of the Wyndham Championship. This year’s tournament will be held August 20-23.
“We at BB&T are excited to continue our strong partnership with the Wyndham Championship,” BB&T chairman and CEO Kelly King said. “As one of the showcase events on the PGA TOUR, the Wyndham supports local charities through the Piedmont Triad Charitable Foundation, creates commerce in our community and elevates the profile of the Piedmont Triad.”
The Wyndham Championship holds an important position on the schedule as it represents the final opportunity for some players to move into the top 125, thus securing exempt status for the following season and qualifying for the FedExCup Playoffs, while those already qualified for the Playoffs can improve their seeding.
The sixth-oldest event on the PGA TOUR excluding the major championships, the Wyndham Championship, which celebrated its 75th anniversary last year, has been making charitable impact throughout the Piedmont Triad community since it was first held in 1938. Today, the tournament supports Wyndham Worldwide’s mission to enrich the lives of children throughout the Triad. Coordinated by the company’s Wishes by Wyndham philanthropic program, the Wyndham Championship locally continues to support its Birdies Fore Backpacks program that fights childhood food insecurity, The First Tee of the Triad, the Kevin Harvick Foundation and the American Junior Golf Association ACE Grant program.
“We are ecstatic that Wyndham Worldwide and BB&T have made these truly incredible commitments to our PGA TOUR event,” Piedmont Triad Charitable Foundation Board of Directors chairman Bobby Long said. “Shortly after we began our partnership with Wyndham back in 2007, it became clear that ours would be a very successful relationship; Steve Holmes and his team have become our friends over the years, and we are humbled by their confidence in our tournament. Kelly King and his team at BB&T have been tremendous in their support of the Wyndham Championship, and their friendship means a great deal to all of us. On behalf of the Wyndham Championship family and the people of the Piedmont Triad, we appreciate Wyndham Worldwide’s and BB&T’s continued support and the stability it provides our historic PGA TOUR event.”
Camilo Villegas will return to defend his title, the fourth of his PGA TOUR career and first since 2010.
About Wyndham Worldwide:
One of the world’s largest hospitality companies, Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) provides a wide range of hospitality services and products through its global portfolio of world-renowned brands. The world’s largest hotel company based on the number of properties, Wyndham Hotel Group is home to many of the world’s best-known hotel brands, with over 7,600 franchised hotels and approximately 661,000 hotel rooms worldwide.
Wyndham Exchange & Rentals is the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and the world’s largest professionally managed vacation rentals business, providing more than 5 million leisure-bound families annually with access to over 107,000 vacation properties in over 100 countries through its prominent exchange and vacation rental brands. The industry and timeshare ownership market leader, Wyndham Vacation Ownership develops, markets, and sells vacation ownership interests and provides consumer financing to owners through its network of over 200 vacation ownership resorts serving approximately 904,000 owners throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific.
Based in Parsippany, NJ, Wyndham Worldwide employs over 34,000 associates globally. For more information, please visit www.wyndhamworldwide.com.
About the Wyndham Championship:
Contested annually on the Donald Ross-designed course at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., the Wyndham Championship was founded in 1938 and is the sixth-oldest event on the PGA TOUR excluding the Majors. The tournament enjoys a rich 75-year history that includes such former winners as Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros. In fact, 17 former winners are members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Wyndham Championship is the only regular season PGA TOUR event contested on a course originally designed by Donald Ross. The 2015 tournament, set for August 17-23, will mark the 76th edition of North Carolina’s oldest professional golf event.
About PGA TOUR:
The PGA TOUR is the world’s premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 130 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR China.
The PGA TOUR’s mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in the communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.
Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to more than 1 billion households in 225 countries and territories in 32 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2014, tournaments across all Tours generated a record $140.5 million for local and national charitable organizations, after surpassing $2 billion in all-time charitable contributions early in the year.
The PGA TOUR’s web site is PGATOUR.COM, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
