PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. and HONOLULU – The PGA TOUR and the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA) today announced a four-year extension of their official marketing partnership that will continue to promote the state’s golf and tourism industry through 2022. “January has become synonymous with amazing golf in Hawai‘i, with two PGA TOUR events and one PGA TOUR Champions event,â€� said Brian Oliver, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President Corporate Partnerships. “Our members have long enjoyed spending time in the Hawaiian Islands at the beginning of the year. We are pleased to extend our relationship with the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority and to continue highlighting Hawai‘i as a golf paradise through our tournaments on the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions.â€�  The PGA TOUR traditionally opens the calendar year with two weeks in Hawai‘i: last week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua on Maui, won by Dustin Johnson; and this week’s Sony Open in Hawai‘i in Honolulu on O‘ahu, where 2017 FedExCup champion Justin Thomas is defending his title. PGA TOUR Champions opens its season January 15-20 with the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at HualÄ�lai on the island of Hawai‘I, won last year by Bernhard Langer, his first of seven victories on the season. All tournament rounds for the three events are televised by the Golf Channel. In addition to supporting these tournaments, HTA also uses golf media as a platform to showcase the Hawaiian Islands and their many recreational activities. TOUR players are filmed participating in their favorite off-the-course activities when they visit the state, in which golf fans will be able to see in PSAs throughout the season. “Hawai‘i’s sunny warmth and unmatched beauty always welcomes golf fans around the world to a new year of optimism with the Sentry Tournament of Champions on Maui, Sony Open in Hawai‘i and Mitsubishi Electric Championship at HualÄ�lai,â€� said George D. Szigeti, President and CEO of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. “We thank PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan for his aloha and continued commitment to the Hawaiian Islands as a destination for hosting world-class golf, and we appreciate that our longstanding partnership will continue through 2022 with this new four-year agreement. The PGA TOUR and Hawai‘i are a perfect pairing for hosting a global sports showcase in combining a worldwide sports brand with an iconic tropical setting revered by travelers, especially at a time when people everywhere are bundled up from winter’s chill.â€� The sponsorship dates back to 2001 when the PGA TOUR and HTA, created by the state legislature to oversee Hawai‘i’s multi-billion tourism industry, aligned to highlight Hawai‘i’s professional golf tournaments as a marketing package that could serve as the promotional cornerstone for the state’s $1 billion golf industry. The first PGA TOUR tournament held in Hawai‘i was the 1965 Hawaiian Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, which was won by Gay Brewer. The first PGA TOUR Champions event in the state was held in 1987 at the Royal KÄ�‘anapali Golf Club North Course, won by Orville Moody. Â
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