First-ever Senior PGA Championship to be played in Michigan is part of alliance between Whirlpool/KitchenAid and PGA of America
PARKER, Colo. – KitchenAid, one of America’s best known brands of premium kitchen appliances and part of Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR), has been named presenting sponsor of the Senior PGA Championship, the most historic and prestigious event in senior golf. The sponsorship will extend through 2014, and KitchenAid will be the Official Home Appliance brand of The PGA of America.
The announcement was made today as the golf world focuses on the 71st Senior PGA Championship, which makes its debut at Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Colo.
The KitchenAid sponsorship will begin with the 2011 Senior PGA Championship, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., and includes Senior PGA Championships in 2012 and 2014 to be hosted at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Mich. Benton Harbor is the home of KitchenAid, part of Whirlpool Corporation’s unmatched portfolio of leading consumer appliance brands. The Championship dates and the site of the 2013 Senior PGA Championship will be announced at a later date.
“The Senior PGA Championship’s tradition of bringing together the strongest field in senior golf now welcomes a legendary partner of the business community in Whirlpool Corporation, one of the world’s most respected and recognizable companies, and its iconic KitchenAid brand,” said PGA of America Chief Executive Officer Joe Steranka. “The PGA of America is extremely proud to be associated with KitchenAid, Whirlpool Corporation and its nearly 67,000 employees. We appreciate the company’s commitment to the Senior PGA Championship, the communities that will host this great championship and the potential for growing audiences through the company and the KitchenAid brand’s influence and support.”
As the Senior PGA Championship makes its debut in Colorado this week, it also will make its first appearances in Michigan in 2012 and 2014 at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores, a 6,981-yard, par-71 Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, which will officially be opened Aug. 10, with a charity event – Champions for Change – featuring Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Johnny Miller. The course is part of the 530-acre Harbor Shores development that spans part of Benton Harbor, St. Joseph and Benton Charter Township in Southwest Michigan.
The Harbor Shores project is a leading force in the revitalization of the Benton Harbor and St. Joseph communities, and is expected to quickly become one of the premier golf destinations in the Midwest.
“We are pleased and proud that KitchenAid will be the presenting sponsor of the Senior PGA Championship,” said Deb O’Connor, senior manager of brand experience for KitchenAid. “KitchenAid and Whirlpool Corporation have a long track record for doing the right things, including Cook for the Cure, our partnership with Susan G. Komen and the fight against breast cancer, our 10-year partnership with Habitat For Humanity, and many other programs that help improve lives and communities.”
“The Senior PGA, KitchenAid brand and Whirlpool Corporation’s alliance presents an opportunity to show how business and golf can help to strengthen and transform lives and communities,” said Jeff Noel, corporate vice president, Whirlpool Corporation. “Hosting the championship in 2012 and 2014 will turn the eyes of the golf world to Benton Harbor Michigan, where the Harbor Shores development is already making a difference and driving positive, lasting change in our community.”
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