The announcement that FedEx will be the Open de France’s title sponsor has been hailed by DP World Tour boss Keith Pelley and PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.
The largest sponsor of the PGA Tour, FedEx, will take on the role of title sponsor of the French Open.
On February 5th, a release from the DP World Tour revealed the news.
The competition is the oldest national open in continental Europe and is held yearly at Le Golf National, the venue for the 2018 Ryder Cup.
FedEx will take over as the event’s sponsor from October 10–13 for the 106th French Open.
Seve Ballesteros, Colin Montgomerie, Bernhard Langer, José María Olazábal, Sir Nick Faldo, Byron Nelson, and Walter Hagen are among the previous champions.
The competition now holds a prominent place in the DP World Tour’s revamped Back 9, where competitors will compete in nine of the Tour’s most notable events and national openers between August and October in an attempt to earn a spot in the DP World Tour playoffs, which conclude in October.
FedEx has sponsored the annual FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis since 1986, beginning a long-standing relationship with the PGA Tour.
In 2002, FedEx increased its relationship with the PGA Tour by becoming an official marketing partner. In 2007, FedEx added sponsorship of the FedExCup competition, which runs the entire season on the Tour and culminates in the FedExCup playoffs every August.
“The Open de France is one of our oldest and most prestigious events, played on an iconic former Ryder Cup venue in Le Golf National,” stated Keith Pelley, chief executive of the DP World Tour.
“FedEx will have the ideal stage to demonstrate their worldwide logistics prowess to the kind of global audience that the DP World Tour draws.”
Pelley will be leaving his position in April to go back to his home country of Canada. He will be in charge of the formidable Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment in his new role.
“Today’s announcement is another example of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour working together for the benefit of men’s professional golf,” PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan continued.
