KPMG has extended its deal with the PGA of America and the LPGA for title sponsorship of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. The new agreement runs through '23 and will continue to include the KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit and KPMG Future Leaders Program. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. CAA repped KPMG in the renewal. The tournament is operated by the PGA of America in collaboration with the LPGA. The partnership debuted in '15 at Westchester Country Club in New York with KPMG as the sponsor. The '17 tournament begins tomorrow at Olympia Fields Country Club near Chicago, with future hosts including Kemper Lakes Golf Club ('18) and Hazeltine National Golf Club ('19) (John Lombardo, Staff Writer). As part of the extension, the purse "will increase" from $3.5M this year to $3.65M next year. GOLFCHANNEL.com's Randall Mell noted LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan "was beaming over the contract extension," as one of his "early goals after rebuilding the tour's schedule was securing a more stable, long-term future for the tour's major championships." There had been a "checkered history of revolving events" holding major status (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 6/27).
COMPANY MAN: In Chicago, Teddy Greenstein noted Phil Mickelson, who has endorsed KPMG since '08, is a "marketer's dream, completing missions with good cheer and extra cheese." After conducting a "series of high-profile interviews" on national radio shows Monday in N.Y., Mickelson flew to Chicago for a "corporate day" for KPMG. He "handed out tickets, posed for selfies and quizzed random people on golf trivia" outside Millennium Station. During a train ride to Olympia Fields for a skills competition with LPGA golfers Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson and Stacy Lewis ahead of this week's KPMG Women's PGA Championship, he "conducted nine one-on-one interviews." Greenstein: "Wherever he went, Mickelson brought good vibes and stayed on message -- relentlessly" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/27).
