Deutsche Bank presented the PGA Tour with a swell anniversary present on Wednesday when the global banking firm announced that it had extended sponsorship of its namesake championship through 2016. The tournament, the second in a series of four FedEx Cup events, kicks off its 10th year this week at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass.
Four More Years! Deutsche Bank Extends PGA Tour Sponsorship Through 2016
The Deutsche Bank Championship will be an official part of the Boston sports landscape for at least four more years.
The financial institution has been the title sponsor of the contest since its Labor Day weekend debut in 2003 at the 7,214-yard, par-71 course in the suburbs of Boston. EMC Corp. renewed its contract as the local presenting sponsor for four years, as well.
“We are extremely proud of the success and positive impact the Deutsche Bank Championship has had over these first 10 years,” Seth Waugh, CEO of Deutsche Bank Americas, said in a statement. “The tournament’s growth and ascension to the FedExCup Playoffs is a testament to the great fans of New England and terrific partnership with the PGA Tour and Tiger Woods Foundation, as well as EMC as the local presenting sponsor.”
Waugh said last month that the extension was essentially a done deal, and that the parties involved had “come to a handshake.” He had targeted this week to announce the official contract renewal.
The Tiger Woods Foundation is the tourney’s primary beneficiary, although the Deutsche Bank Championship has generated more than $20 million for a variety of charities throughout New England since its inception.
Originally the only PGA Tour event with a scheduled Monday finish (the season-opening Tournament of Champions now ends on Monday, as well), the Labor Day tournament became part of the FedEx Cup rotation in 2007 and has offered New England fans plenty of dramatic golf. Here’s a brief snapshot of some of the nine previous outcomes:
- 2004 -- With the No. 1 ranking on the line, Woods and Vijay Singh went at it in the final round of the second DBC event. When Singh prevailed, he ousted Woods from the No. 1 ranking he had held for five years.
- 2006 -- After another showdown with Singh, Woods won his fifth consecutive tour event.
- 2007 -- In the first year of its status as a FedEx Cup playoff, Woods and Phil Mickelson went head-to-head in three of the four rounds, including the finale. Mickelson won by two strokes, chalking up his third victory of the season.
- 2008 -- Singh once again emerged victorious, beating runner-up Mike Weir by five shots.
- 2009 -- Steve Stricker nailed down the win on the 72nd hold on Labor Day Monday, edging Jason Dufner and Scott Verplank by two strokes.
- 2010 -- On his way to the win, Charley Hoffman set a slew of records, including a championship-low 6-under 29 on the back nine on Monday, the lowest final-round score of the championship (62) and largest margin of victory (five strokes).
- 2011 -- Webb Simpson out-dueled Chez Reavie in the championship’s first playoff.
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