Global Edition

Langer buys into EPD Tour GmbH

12.25am 8th November 2005 - People

Big bang in Munich! Langer Sport Marketing GmbH, represented by managing directors Bernhard and Erwin Langer, have purchased shares in the EPD Tour GmbH, a subsidiary of Professional Golf AG which in turn is the commercial holding company of PGA of Germany’s “PGA Group of Companies”.
This is a financial joining of forces between the German professional golfer’s association and a key company of the Langer enterprise based in Anhausen near Augsburg. With effect from January 1st 2006, Langer Sport Marketing GmbH becomes a co-partner of EPD Tour GmbH, which among other things is the organizing body for the ESPRIT pro tour.
Rainer Goldrian, chairman of the Professional Golf AG, keeps his position as managing director of EPD Tour GmbH along with the founder of the tour, Wayne Hachey, who continues to hold 5% in the EPD Tour GmbH.
The parties have agreed not to reveal the Langer company’s exact share in the EPD Tour GmbH. However, Professional Golf AG remains the majority owner. In the course of the investment Langer Sport Marketing GmbH takes over with immediate effect the marketing of all EPD Tour GmbH tournaments along with the actual organization of the events in the respective clubs, including set-up of all tournament equipment, preparation of the courses as well as scoring. Tour manager in charge for PGA of Germany is Angelika Wördehoff, Canadian Wayne Hachey remains tour director.
The 2006 tour consists of about 20 tournaments and continues to be acknowledged by the European Tour. In other words: the top five in the year-end ranking are entitled to start in the following year’s Challenge Tour.
“We are extremely pleased about having Langer Sport Marketing GmbH, Germany’s leading company in their area, by our side now”, says Rainer Goldrian in a first statement on the new strategic alliance. “Langer possesses the highest competence possible in the golfing business. Not to mention their outstanding marketing and organisational network helping us to expand the tour as planned in order to make it even more attractive to players. We are setting high hopes in new opportunities for the positioning of the tour arising through this partnership.”
The fact that Langer Sport Marketing actually enters as active shareholder also demonstrates according to Goldrian “that purchasing this tour was definitely right and of long-term importance”. The Professional Golf AG had only bought the tour from its founder Wayne Hachey in December 2004. Future plans include a slightly increase in the number of tournaments and in trophy money for this series that is mainly aimed at the new generation of professional golfers. Primarily however, its organisers aim at decreasing starting fees in order to also financially further facilitate the entry into the pro league for aspiring newcomers.
Langer Sport Marketing GmbH will try to win additional sponsors for the tour. “This share in the EPD Tour GmbH is our contribution to promote professional golfing. With our know-how we would, jointly with our partners, like to increase the tour standard and offer young golf professionals a chance to get the best preparation possible for the international tournament circuit”, sums up Erwin Langer.
PGA of Germany www.pga.de

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