European Open: Porsche becomes title sponsor

The first edition of the Porsche European Open with its prize money amounting to two million euros is due to take place from 24 to 27 September 2015 on German territory in the Lower Bavarian golf resort of Bad Griesbach. The Porsche European Open event is part of the Race to Dubai 2015, a series of competitions with a prestigious pool of bonus awards, and is organised by 4SPORTS & Entertainment AG from Switzerland on behalf of the European Tour.

The European Open Championships were played from 1978 onwards and most recently in 2009. During this time, the tournament achieved a top-ranking status. “We have been looking all over the world before entering into professional golf,” said Bernhard Maier, Member of the Executive Board Sales and Marketing of Porsche AG, “and in the end, as a sports car producer with a long tradition, we consciously decided in favour of the European Open. It is a classic with a moving history that bears the names of many golfing legends in its hall of fame. It is therefore a tournament with a heart and a soul that suits us particularly well. Above all, however, it is a tournament that enjoys an excellent reputation outside of Europe and promises golf at the very highest level.”

Bernhard Maier sees the Porsche European Open as the logical extension to the Porsche Golf Cup, a worldwide amateur tournament series intended exclusively for Porsche customers: “Last year alone we saw 8,000 customers line up for the 150 tournaments around the world. This constantly rising enthusiasm shows that golf presents us with another ideal opportunity to increase the loyalty of our existing customers, attract new target groups to the Porsche brand and strengthen the sporting core of our brand.”

The return of the European Open also represents a long-cherished wish for the European Tour. Keith Waters, European Tour Chief Operating Officer and Director of International Policy, is visibly delighted: “We are very pleased by this opportunity to welcome Porsche as the title sponsor of a tournament in the European Tour for the first time and are certain that this top company will prove to be a powerful partner in helping to successfully bring this prestigious tournament back onto the international tournament calendar. Our thanks go to Dr Hans Dieter Cleven, majority shareholder of the Hartl Resort in Bad Griesbach and of the event organiser 4Sports & Entertainment, as well as to tournament director Dominik Senn, who succeeded in recruiting Porsche for the European Open. We look forward to the joint efforts towards achieving a successful premiere for this tournament in Germany.”