Yokohama Tire Corporation (YTC) is ready to go golfing again. For the second consecutive year, the tire maker is teaming up with the Robert Trent Jones (RTJ) Golf Trail and the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) to host the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic. The 2015 tournament will be held August 27-30 in Prattville, Alabama on the Senator Course at Capitol Hill along the RTJ Golf Trail.
Defending champion Mi Jung Hur is expected to return, along with other top players from last year’s field, including Stacy Lewis, Brittany Lincicome, Cristie Kerr, Morgan Pressel, Chella Choi and Ai Miyazato.
The tournament will once again benefit YTC’s cause marketing partner, KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that all children get the balanced and active play they need to thrive. Proceeds from the 2014 tournament went toward building a new playground for a deserving Southern California community.
“Last year’s tournament was a rousing success on every level,” said Alan Holtschneider, YTC director, marketing. “Besides the incredible golfing competition and the funds raised for KaBOOM!, it gave us an excellent opportunity to expose a new audience to our full line of tires. And we believe this year will be even better.”
Holtschneider said Yokohama’s three-year LPGA sponsorship deal fits in well with YTC’s growing sports marketing program. In 2015, Yokohama partnered with the National Basketball Association’s Los Angeles Clippers, the National Football League’s Baltimore Ravens and Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees. Yokohama has also recently added soccer to its roster by signing on as the official shirt sponsor of reigning English Premier League champion Chelsea FC.
About Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
Funded by the Retirement Systems of Alabama, the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail was built to help expand tourism, recruit industry and attract retirees, thus strengthening the state’s economy while adding to the quality of life for all Alabamians. The RTJ Golf Trail opened in 1992 and has welcomed more than 11 million rounds of golf. From Mobile Bay to the Tennessee River, the RTJ Golf Trail has 26 courses on 11 sites across Alabama.
About LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association)
The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women. Founded in 1950, the association celebrates a diverse and storied membership with more than 1,700 members representing 29 different countries. With a vision to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the very best of women’s golf, LPGA Tour Professionals compete across the globe, while dedicated LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP) directly impact the game through teaching, coaching and management. The Symetra Tour consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. The LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida. Follow the LPGA on its television home, Golf Channel, and on the web via: www.LPGA.com, www.twitter.com/lpga, and www.youtube.com/lpgavideo.
About Yokohama Tire Corporation
Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global manufacturing and sales company of premium tires since 1917. Servicing an extensive sales network throughout the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation is a leader in technology and innovation. The company’s complete product line includes tires for high-performance, light truck, passenger car, commercial truck and bus, and off-the-road mining and construction applications.
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