Charles Schwab & Co., a major sponsor on the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions, will expand its golf presence next year by assuming title sponsorship of the PGA TOUR’s Fort Worth Invitational at Colonial Country Club.
The four-year agreement, from 2019-2022, was announced today by representatives from Charles Schwab, the PGA TOUR and Colonial Country Club, who were joined by defending champion Kevin Kisner. The new tournament name and logo will be announced at a later date, as will the 2019 dates.
“We are honored to support one of the country’s premier and longest-running PGA TOUR events that is a showcase for the game’s best players and is a TOUR leader in charitable giving,” said Jonathan Craig, Senior Executive Vice President of the Charles Schwab Corporation.
“Schwab has a long history of investing in the communities in which we live and serve our clients and with our growing presence in, and commitment to the state of Texas, we could not be more delighted to support the tradition of this tournament.”
The 2018 Fort Worth Invitational, through the support of various local supporters, including American Airlines, AT&T, XTO Energy Inc. and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, will be held May 21-27.
“We are thrilled that Charles Schwab will become the new title sponsor of this historic tournament, which has such great tradition and strong ties to the late golf legend Ben Hogan dating to 1946,” said Andy Pazder, Chief Tournament and Competitions Officer for the PGA TOUR.
“Considering Charles Schwab’s longstanding marketing relationship with the PGA TOUR and its impact as a sponsor on PGA TOUR Champions, we know it will be an equally fruitful relationship here at Colonial Country Club.”
“Colonial Country Club is honored to partner with Charles Schwab as our title sponsor,” said Robert M. Doby III, President of Colonial Country Club. “Charles Schwab is one of the most respected brands in the world and has a longtime commitment to golf that mirrors our own Club’s history. There isn’t a better partner for the future of the PGA TOUR event at Colonial Country Club than Charles Schwab.”
The Wall of Champions at Colonial Country Club is populated by many of the game’s greatest names, with Fort Worth native and Colonial member Ben Hogan chief among them as the tournament’s only five-time champion, starting with the first playing of the Colonial National Invitation in 1946.
Today, a bronze statue depicting his famed follow-through is located in the clubhouse plaza leading to the golf course. In addition, inside the clubhouse is the Ben Hogan Trophy Room and Mr. Hogan’s office.
Colonial Country Club annually honors his legacy with The Ben Hogan Award, initiated in 1990 to recognize the outstanding collegiate golfer of the year. The winner is invited to compete in the following year’s tournament, and the award has kick-started the careers of some of the best young players in the game, including 2015 and 2016 recipient Jon Rahm, the first repeat winner.
A number of past recipients are now playing the PGA TOUR, including Bill Haas, Hunter Mahan, Ryan Moore, Chris Kirk and Rickie Fowler.
At the 2017 Colonial event, Kevin Kisner edged Rahm, Jordan Spieth and Sean O’Hair by one stroke to claim his second PGA TOUR victory.
