The USGA and Chevron have announced a multiyear partnership designed to encourage science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) students through golf. Per the deal, Chevron will become an official partner of the USGA. The pair will create content and experiences that showcase the science behind many of the USGA's core functions, including course setup, equipment testing and soil management/plant sciences research. Chevron's STEM Zone exhibit will be featured at this week's U.S. Open at The Olympic Club in S.F. (USGA). Neither side would comment on the terms of the deal, but sources said that Chevron’s “three-year agreement runs $4 million a year, which includes media commitments for TV, digital and print advertising.” SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Michael Smith reports even though the USGA and Chevron “just closed the deal, Chevron has TV advertising ready to run on the NBC broadcast.” Chevron initiated talks with the USGA “around the first of the year." Having already bought a major hospitality package for the U.S. Open at Olympic, Chevron “explored ways with the USGA to build its involvement into a full-fledged sponsorship.” USGA Senior Managing Dir of Business Affairs Sarah Hirshland said that the organization “has been happy with the size of its partner program at four -- American Express, IBM, Lexus and Rolex -- and wasn’t looking for an additional partner.” However, the educational component to Chevron’s planned activation “sold the governing body of U.S. golf on moving forward with the negotiations” (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/11 issue). Before forming the partnership, Chevron “had similar learning centers at U.S. PGA Tour events including the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, the Northern Trust (NTRS) Open in Los Angeles and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans” (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 6/11).
