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Ryder Cup Signs Up First Worldwide Sponsor

Two years after the PGA of America and the European Tour jointly announced their drive to find global Ryder Cup sponsors, the first one is onboard. Scottish-based Standard Life Investments.

The global asset management company will be Worldwide Partner for the next two Ryder Cups starting at Gleneagles in Perthshire in September 2014 where holders Europe, captained by Ireland's Paul McGinley, take on United States, led by while eight-times major champion Tom Watson.

The biannual competition has evolved into one of the sport’s most valuable and prestigious global brands and is broadcast in 183 countries and has a potential television audience of 500 million people.

PGA of America chief executive Pete Bevacqua said of the deal, “We believe the Ryder Cup is among the most valuable sponsorship investments in sport and are confident that Standard Life Investments will reap tremendous value from their worldwide partnership on both sides of the Atlantic.”