Following the staging of the landmark 150th Open at St Andrews, global banking company HSBC has pledged its commitment to golf by signing a five-year extension on its current partnership with The R&A.
As Patron of The Open since 2011, HSBC has extended its support to become a Patron of The AIG Women’s Open.
The extension of HSBC’s relationship with The R&A represents an exciting new chapter in the bank’s long-term commitment to golf, having been a major partner to the sport for almost two decades.
During this time, HSBC has played a crucial role in driving the growth of the women’s game. Through the establishment of the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore and the creation of grassroots programmes around the world, the international bank is committed to create opportunities at both the elite and grassroots level of the game.
In the UK, HSBC Golf Roots in partnership with The Golf Foundation has introduced more than five million young people from a wide range of backgrounds to golf since 2011, teaching important life skills such as confidence, resilience and emotional wellbeing. Celebrating its eleventh year, the programme allows children who may not have experienced the game before to be given the opportunity to try golf.
This year’s AIG Women’s Open is being held at Muirfield Golf Club in Scotland for the very first time, bringing together the world’s best golfers for a week of thrilling action. First played in York in 1976, the AIG Women’s Open has since grown to become one of the most prestigious majors in the golfing calendar, with many world-class golfers playing at some of the UK’s most iconic golf courses.
HSBC UK chief executive Ian Stuart said: “Our global brand partnerships programme is built around a promise to create opportunities for communities around the world by harnessing the power of sport. We have been sponsoring women’s golf since 2005 and we are delighted to extend our partnership with The R&A and extremely excited to become a patron of the AIG Women’s Open for the first time. As a business we believe in opening up opportunities for all and are committed to inspiring the next generation and providing a platform for women in sport.”
Martin Slumbers, chief executive of The R&A, added: “We are delighted to be extending our relationship with HSBC who have long been valued partners of The R&A and golf globally. The R&A is committed to continue to elevate the AIG Women’s Open to be a world class championship which provides the platform for the best women golfers to display their prodigious talent. This can only be achieved by aligning with partners like HSBC who share our vision for the AIG Women’s Open.”