La. Avondale – The PGA Tour locked Zurich Insurance until 2030 as the only sponsor of a two-person team event.
Wednesday’s announcement came on the eve of Thursday’s first round of Zurich Classics. The length of the transaction corresponds to the remaining years of the PGA Tour’s television rights agreement.
Zurich has sponsored the tour’s New Orleans Area event since 2005. This took place in TPC Louisiana, designed by Pete Dye, several months before Hurricane Katrina flooded most of the area.
Zurich’s philanthropy in the years following the storm focused on the recovery of the region from widespread destruction.
The Zurich Classic was an individual event until 2017, when it became the only team event offering FedEx Cup points.
“The connection to this resilient city has grown deeper, and the Zurich Classic in New Orleans has supported its resilience over the past 20 years,” said Zurich CEO of North American Christophe Thelin. “As the only team event on the PGA Tour, the Zurich Classic allows players to compete with family and friends.”
Northern Ireland’s defending champion Rory McIlroy and Ireland’s Shane Raleigh are close friends. Zurich is McIlroy’s first event since winning the Masters on April 13 to complete a career grand slam.
This year’s field includes former US Open Champion Matt Fitzpatrick of England, along with his brother Alex.
The players on the winning team have 400 points and $1.66 million respectively.
Since Zurich became the title sponsor, the event has raised more than $30 million for local charities, officials said.