Hartford puts name on PGA golfer Henry

The Hartford has signed sophomore PGA Tour member J.J. Henry to a two-year endorsement deal.

Under terms of the six-figure contract, the insurance/financial services concern gets the 26-year-old Henry to wear two patches with its venerable stag logo: one on the chest and the other on the left sleeve of his golf shirt.

According to the IMG-negotiated deal, The Hartford also gets the rights to use Henry in ads and a handful of promotional appearances, probably for "meet and greets" and golf outings.

While The Hartford is relatively marketing-shy, Henry's status as an upstart on the PGA Tour and the fact that he's a native of Connecticut made him an attractive marketing icon.

"It's a nice match of Connecticut products, and we look at him as a young, productive guy, the kind of person we'd like to have as a client," said David Lafrennie, director of corporate marketing for Hartford Life.

Henry was only the seventh rookie golfer to amass more than $1 million in winnings. His $1,073,847 in earnings, which included two second-place finishes, put him 49th in PGA Tour winnings this year.

The Hartford's other major golf sponsorship is with Casey Martin, who is entering the final year of a three-year pact.

Henry's other big sponsors are Buick, Hogan Clubs and golf apparel brand Fairway & Greene.