FedEx has extended its title sponsorship of the PGA Tour FedEx St. Jude Classic through '17. The '15 tournament, scheduled for June 8-14 at TPC Southwind in Memphis, will mark the 30th anniversary of FedEx' sponsorship of the event. The event since '70 has raised more than $30M for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The extension was announced yesterday by FedEx, the PGA Tour and tourney host Youth Programs (PGA Tour). Tournament Dir Phil Cannon said, "I don't know if there is a PGA [Tour] tournament with a stronger title affiliation. FedEx's headquarters border the fourth and fifth holes. They are our neighbors and our partners." In Memphis, Phil Stukenborg notes FedEx "first became the event's title sponsor" in '86 and "remained until the Stanford Financial Group briefly took over" in '07 and '08. But the "revelation of a multibillion-dollar scandal in 2009 removed Stanford Financial from the tournament's marquee." FedEx "remained a presenting sponsor during the four years it wasn't title sponsor," and it "resumed title sponsorship" in '11 (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 6/2).
MORE CHEDDAR: GOLFWEEK's Andy Zunz reported the Champions Tour this week announced the "arrival of the American Family Insurance Championship," an event that will be played at University Ridge Golf Course in Madison, Wis., starting in '16. The event, which takes place June 22-26, "will be hosted" by Wisconsin native Steve Stricker. When Stricker becomes eligible for Champions Tour play in '17, he will "take the role of player-host as proceeds from the event will go toward the Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Foundation and the American Family Children’s Hospital." The event "marks a return to Wisconsin" after the PGA Tour ended its 42-year run in '09 with the U.S. Bank Championship and Greater Milwaukee Open (GOLFWEEK.com, 6/1). The AP's Genaro Armas noted Stricker and the PGA Tour "found an ideal sponsor and venue," as American Family is based in Madison and Stricker is from Edgerton, about 35 miles away. Promoters are "optimistic the American Family Insurance Championship will draw an attractive field because of its connection to the well-respected Stricker" (AP, 6/1).
