- Five-year agreement marks a new chapter in the history of Continental Europe’s oldest National Open
- HNA Open de France becomes the eighth tournament of the Rolex Series
- Prize fund increased to US$ 7 million in line with other tournaments in the Rolex Series
After celebrating its centenary last July, the Open de France will begin a new chapter in its illustrious history when HNA Group, a global Fortune 500 company focused on tourism, logistics and financial services, takes over as title sponsor of continental Europe’s oldest national Open in a five-year commitment starting in 2017.
The HNA Open de France, which will form part of the recently-announced Rolex Series and carry a prize fund of US$ 7 million, will take place from June 29-July 2 at Le Golf National in Paris, a member of the European Tour Properties network and the host venue for The Ryder Cup next year.
The tournament will be followed by the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation and the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, forming an impressive three-week stretch of Rolex Series events in the build-up to The Open Championship.
HNA Group’s five-year commitment to the Open de France represents its first title sponsorship of a European Tour event, and is also the first time a global organisation headquartered in China has sponsored a European Tour event outside the country. HNA Group also hosted the HNA Invitational in Ireland last year, which featured a number of leading European Tour players including Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Shane Lowry, Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Danny Willett.
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “We are delighted to announce this exciting relationship with HNA Group which represents a significant new era in the proud history of the Open de France.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank HNA Group for their vision and commitment, not only to the Open de France but to the European Tour as a whole.
“We are also grateful to everyone at the French Golf Federation for their continued commitment to the tournament, which celebrated its 100th edition last year. With France preparing to host the Ryder Cup in 2018, today’s announcement that the HNA Open de France will be part of the Rolex Series is another important milestone for French golf.”
Chen Wenli, Vice Chairman of HNA Group, said: “The commitment we are making to the European Tour represents a new and exciting era for this historic national Open, and provides us with an opportunity to promote HNA Group as a global leader in travel and tourism across a wide consumer audience in connection with a prestigious event. We look forward to welcoming fans to France – one of the world’s great destinations. This partnership is a true win-win for HNA and the European Tour.”
First played in 1906, the Open de France became just the seventh national Open worldwide to be played 100 times this July, when Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee held off Francesco Molinari and Rory McIlroy to claim his eighth European Tour title. The event was not played from 1915-19 and 1940-45 due to the First and Second World Wars, but has been a permanent fixture on the European Tour since the Tour’s formation in 1972. The rollcall of honour includes Major Champions Seve Ballesteros, Greg Norman, Sandy Lyle, Sir Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Retief Goosen, José María Olazábal, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell.
Jean Lou Charon, President of the French Golf Federation, said: “As the oldest tournament in continental Europe, having been staged for the 100th time in 2016, the Open de France is one of the most legendary events in French sport and in golf globally. We remain as determined as ever to preserve its status as a shining beacon of our sport in France, and ensure that it continues to promote golf across the country.
“I would like to thank all the Amaury Sport Organization (A.S.O.) team for their efficient work to help strengthen the tournament. The arrival of HNA Group, alongside FFGolf and the European Tour, represents a magnificent opportunity to enhance its status even further, and is also reward for the hard work the FFGolf’s team has put into making the tournament a world-class event.
“I am delighted with this major development for French golf and our great champions, which will see Le Golf National, the host course of the next Ryder Cup, continue to welcome major golf competitions and the best players in the world.”
–ENDS–
(L-R) Alexander Levy, Padraig Harrington, Jean Louis Charon, Keith Pelley, Chen Wenli, Yang Guang, Matthew Fitzpaterick and Shane Lowry attend a photocall before the Open de France press conference on January 9, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)
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About HNA Group
HNA Group is a global Fortune 500 company focused on Tourism, Logistics and Financial Services. Since its founding in 1993, HNA Group has evolved from a regional airline based on Hainan Island into a global company with over $90 billion of assets, $30 billion in annual revenues and an international workforce of nearly 200,000 employees, primarily across North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit www.hnagroup.com.
About the European Tour
The European Tour celebrates men’s professional golf on a global stage. In 2017, the European Tour International Schedule features a minimum of 48 tournaments in 26 countries, all part of the Race to Dubai, the year-long competition which crowns the European Tour Number One at the end of the season, a title claimed in 2016 by Henrik Stenson for the second time. Since its formation in 1972, the European Tour has witnessed 27 Members celebrate a total of 53 Major Championship titles between them, enjoyed ten Members attaining the pinnacle of World Number One and has celebrated its diversity as players from 36 different countries have won on the Tour. The European Tour also manages the Challenge Tour, which featured 28 tournaments in 22 countries in 2016, and the Senior Tour, which featured 13 tournaments in nine countries in 2016. It is also the Managing Partner of Ryder Cup Europe, the body which, alongside the PGA of America, administers golf’s greatest team contest, The Ryder Cup. The European Tour broadcasts live coverage of its tournaments to more than 490 million homes in more than 150 countries every week, generating in excess of 2,200 global broadcast hours for each event.
About The Rolex Series
The Rolex Series is the premium category of tournaments on the European Tour’s international schedule, featuring eight events each with a minimum prize fund of $7million. It comprises: the BMW PGA Championship (May 25-28), the HNA Open de France (June 29-July 2) the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation (July 6-9), the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open (July 13-16), the Italian Open (October 12-15), the Turkish Airlines Open (November 2-5), the Nedbank Golf Challenge (November 9-12) and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai (November 16-19), where the 2017 Race to Dubai champion will be crowned. Launched in 2017, the Rolex Series will bring golf fans closer than ever to the leading professionals on the world’s best courses thanks to significantly enhanced television and digital production as well as increased hours of coverage distributed worldwide.
About the French Golf Federation
Founded in 1912 under the name “Union des golfs de France” (The Union of French Golf Courses), the French Golf Federation is a non-profit organisation declared a public utility on 9 April 1975 and approved by the French Ministry of Sports. It now has 407,000 registered members, having had 20,000 in 1970; 38,783 in 1980; 181,147 in 1990; and 291,754 in 2000. Over the last 30 years few sports in France have grown at such a spectacular rate as golf.
Media Contacts
European Tour
Steve Todd
+44 7809586487
stodd@europeantour.com
HNA Group
Sard Verbinnen & Co
Matt Benson
+1 212-687-8080
Conrad Harrington
+44 (0)20 3178 8914
French Golf Federation
Michaël Akrich
+33 6 45 45 56 70
michael.akrich@ffgolf.org
