Kowa, the Japanese specialist trading and manufacturing firm, has become the first official marketing partner of the PGA Tour in the country.

Through the multi-year deal, announced yesterday (September 27), Kowa’s Vantelin product line is designated the official pain relief gel, cream, patch, tape, and support sleeve of the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions in Japan.

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The company will align with PGA Tour players and use the tour’s marks in marketing materials, which it says will be seen throughout Japan, including on national TV.

Among the fields in which Kowa operates other than healthcare and medical, are general trading, optics and electronics, foods, real estate, and hospitality.

The tie-up builds in Kowa’s existing presence in golf, which currently includes sponsorship of the Tokai Classic on the Japan Golf Tour and the KKT Cup Vantelin Ladies Open event on the LPGA of Japan Tour, as well as Tiger Woods and Collin Morikawa serving as ambassadors for the company.

Takahiro Hayakawa, group managing executive officer at Kowa, said: “We have supported golf for many years, and we are truly honored to further expand our presence in golf with the PGA Tour by becoming the first regional official marketing partner in Japan.

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“We are very excited about this partnership and the opportunity it will provide us to continue to build international brand awareness.”

Chris Lee, general manager of the PGA Tour Asia-Pacific, added: “Kowa is a top pharmaceutical brand in Japan with a rich history and strong reputation. Kowa has also been an avid supporter of golf through its title sponsorship of the Vantelin Tokai Classic on the Japan Golf Tour and the KKTcup Vantelin Ladies Open on the Japan LPGA. We are honored to enter into this multiyear partnership with Kowa and very excited about our journey together.”