Texas Children, the Houston-based pediatric hospital, has been announced as the title sponsor of golf’s Houston Open from next year when it returns to its traditional northern hemisphere spring slot on the men’s US-based PGA Tour calendar.
The deal, struck with the PGA Tour and tournament organizers Astros Golf Foundation, will see the event commercially renamed the Texas Children’s Open starting from the 2024 edition, which will be played from March 25 to 31 at Memorial Park Golf Course.
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The title sponsorship builds on Texas Children’s established relationship with the Houston Open, serving as a community partner for the last two years.
Mark A. Wallace, president and chief executive of Texas Children, said: “As we embark upon our landmark 70th anniversary, Texas Children’s is incredibly proud to extend our longstanding partnership with Jim Crane, the Houston Astros, and the Astros Golf Foundation as the title sponsor for the Houston Open.
“We are beyond excited to be a part of this monumental sporting event and want to thank Jim and his team for all they’ve done to make this dream a reality. We can’t wait to see the wonderful impact the Texas Children’s Houston Open will have on the City of Houston.”
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The tournament has been played in the northern hemisphere autumn stage for the past four years but will be moved back to its spring slot next year when the PGA Tour returns to a calendar-year schedule.
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By GlobalDataDue to the calendar change, the event will not be contested in the 2023 season.
The Houston Open has been operated by the Astros Golf Foundation in partnership with the PGA Tour since 2018 after the foundation took over the event to keep it in Texas. The foundation is an affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball team and is led by the team’s owner and chairman Jim Crane.
Since 2018, title sponsors have been Vivint (2020), Hewlett Packard (2021), and Cadence Bank (2022).
PGA Tour president Tyler Dennis said: “On behalf of the PGA Tour, we are thankful to Texas Children’s for their commitment to one of the tour’s legacy events in the Houston Open, a tournament that dates back to 1946.
“The Houston Open has played a significant role in shaping the PGA Tour’s history through its competitive lineage with golf’s greats playing and winning the event as well as an unwavering commitment to bettering the community. This partnership between the Astros Golf Foundation and Texas Children’s has the opportunity to take the tournament to new heights, most notably in its ability to impact the lives of families in Houston and throughout Texas.”
Meanwhile, US tech and IT giant Cisco will continue as the official technology partner of the US Golf Association (USGA) governing body and its championships after striking a sponsorship renewal.
Cisco first partnered with the USGA in 2018 during which the pair have worked to add innovations for fans, event organizers, and broadcasters.
Under the renewal, Cisco will look to strengthen the USGA’s technological infrastructure, including the launch of the ‘USGA ShotCast Powered by Cisco’ feature, which will archive all televised golf shots, making them available in near-real-time for USGA mobile app and website users.
The USGA said the technology will be a first in women’s golf and for the US Women’s Open.
Jon Podnay, USGA chief commercial officer, said: “Over the past five years, the USGA has benefitted from Cisco’s industry leadership and expansive capabilities in elevating not only our championships but the ways we serve recreational golfers, golf courses, and the game.”
Cisco said it will aid the USGA’s efforts to make the sport more inclusive by supporting the USGA’s new US Adaptive Open championship, as well as the Pathways Internship Program and LPGA*USGA Girls Golf program – all of which provide opportunities in golf for people with diverse backgrounds.
Additionally, Cisco will continue to sponsor the Cisco Million Dollar Hole-in-One for Charity at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Mark Patterson, senior vice president and chief of staff to the chair and chief executive at Cisco, said: “The renewal of this partnership markets another inflection point in Cisco’s growing support of golf, and its commitment to a broader vision of a more inclusive future.”
In April, Cisco was announced as the official network infrastructure provider of the upcoming FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup, with the company providing a network connecting the entire tournament ecosystem, including operations, administration, and media functions.
