Web.com Becomes Umbrella Sponsor of PGA’s Development Tour

Web.com, the leading provider of internet services and online marketing solutions for small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), today announced a 10-year agreement whereby the company becomes the umbrella sponsor of the newly named Web.com Tour replacing Nationwide.

Formerly known as the Nationwide Tour, the Web.com Tour will continue to identify and transition players who are ready to compete and win on the PGA TOUR. It currently awards PGA TOUR membership to the 25 leading money winners at the end of the season. Beginning in 2013, however, the importance of the Web.com Tour will further increase when the new qualifying structure for the PGA TOUR expands that number to 50.

The Web.com umbrella sponsorship takes effect immediately with this week’s United Leasing Championship at Victoria National Golf Club near Evansville, Ind., and extends through 2021. In addition to the umbrella sponsorship, Web.com will also become an Official Marketing Partner of the PGA TOUR, Web.com Tour and Champions Tour.

The announcements were made jointly by PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem; David L. Brown, Web.com’s Chairman, President and CEO; and Bill Calfee, President of the Web.com Tour.

“This sponsorship is a perfect fit for us – Web.com is committed to helping small- and medium-sized businesses compete and succeed online, just as the Web.com Tour helps talented, dedicated athletes maximize their potential and fulfill their dreams,” Brown said. “The Web.com brand will gain exceptional visibility as a result of our sponsorship of the Web.com Tour. In addition, we believe that the professionalism and competition of PGA TOUR golf resonates strongly with small- and medium-sized business owners, making the national and international exposure we achieve with this sponsorship an unparalleled opportunity to reach more of our target market.”

As the umbrella sponsor of the Tour, Web.com will receive media coverage throughout the year and international television exposure through Golf Channel’s live telecasts of Web.com Tour tournaments and ancillary programming. Extensive branding and promotion at tournament sites; local and national advertising opportunities across print, broadcast, internet and social media properties; regular exposure through PGA TOUR media assets and various hospitality opportunities are also part of the Web.com agreement. The Web.com Tour will also be a familiar element during PGA TOUR telecasts, particularly when alumni play their way into contention.   In addition, Web.com, via its Official Marketing Partnership, will offer its internet services and online solutions for players across all three Tours and events looking to grow their individual brands.

Brown continued, “This sponsorship is a unique and powerful opportunity to elevate our brand on a highly desirable global platform, but it also offers us deep, local exposure in the 27 markets where Web.com Tour events are currently staged as well as access to other markets where the PGA TOUR and the Champions Tour have forged strong ties. We intend to actively engage in those communities and use our expertise to help local businesses and organizations succeed online.”

Web.com will also enhance each Web.com Tour community through charitable outreach. In 2011, the Web.com Tour raised $7.35 million for charity, pushing its cumulative total since inception in 1990 to $75 million.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Web.com into the PGA TOUR’s family of sponsors,” Finchem said. “The Web.com Tour truly is an extension of the PGA TOUR and has proven to be the most effective and consistent indicator of future success on TOUR. We consider this an ideal association with a recognized industry leader in helping small- to medium-sized businesses become successful as a result of using its services. To that end, we are particularly delighted that, in addition to the sponsorship, Web.com will be offering its expertise to help our tournaments, players and charities enhance their own web presence.”

Nationwide Insurance sponsored the Tour since 2003. As previously announced, the Columbus, Ohio-based company decided to assume presenting sponsorship of its hometown PGA TOUR event, the Memorial Tournament, when that opportunity opened for the 2011 season. It was prepared to fulfill its umbrella sponsorship of the Tour through this year before Web.com expressed interest in assuming the sponsorship immediately.

“Nationwide is proud of our 10-year association with the Nationwide Tour, the PGA TOUR and all the outstanding individuals dedicated to developing and preparing golfers for the next stage of their professional lives,” said Matt Jauchius, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer for Nationwide. “We look forward to our continued partnership with the PGA TOUR as sponsor of the Memorial Tournament and the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational, and wish both the Tour and Web.com the best in their new partnership.”