PGA, Ryder Cup Europe unveil new logo to unify Ryder Cup brand

Ryder Cup Europe and The PGA of America today announced the launch of a new official logo for the Ryder Cup, which will unify the brand and strengthen the alliance between the two organizing bodies of the world’s most famous team golf competition.

Ryder Cup Europe and The PGA of America engaged Interbrand, one of the world’s foremost brand consulting agencies, to support their objective to further enhance and expand the global brand awareness of The Ryder Cup.

The 39th Ryder Cup, to be contested between Europe and the United States, Sept. 28-30, 2012, at Medinah (Ill.) Country Club, marks the first match in event history of the competition – started in 1927 – to feature a unified logo. The logo takes shape in a cohesive, commanding presentation with the configuration similar to that of a coat of arms. The famed golden trophy is flanked by a segment of the flags of Europe and the United States.

“One of the strengths of The Ryder Cup as a brand is the superb partnership we share with The PGA of America,” said Ryder Cup Europe Director Richard Hills. “Consolidating the brand not only reflects that alliance but also our desire to further enhance the global attraction of a competition whose footprint now stretches way beyond followers of golf.”

PGA of America Chief Executive Officer Joe Steranka said, “The Ryder Cup’s rich history, spanning 84 years of some of the most significant competitive moments in golf, is reflected even brighter today by a new presentation of a distinctive brand. The PGA of America is most pleased to join Ryder Cup Europe in presenting a unified visual image of the Ryder Cup logo that will extend its popularity to new audiences worldwide.”

David Martin, President of New York and Leader of Interbrand’s Golf Practice, said, “We all believed in the power of the brand; that it was time to make the Ryder Cup brand more broadly relevant to more than the passionate golf fan. The Ryder Cup stands for legendary experiences and is founded on three pillars – illustrious traditions, a collective pursuit by each team, and pure drama.

“The brand research process was a strategy that reinforced the Ryder Cup’s relevancy for the future. The Ryder Cup is a competition that has longevity, and the consensus of all within the project was that its brand must be powerful to withstand any challenge. The power of the shield is a mark that has a contemporary feel to it. It is fundamentally sound and works well in applications from merchandising to the Internet, and yet remains self-contained.”

About The Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf event contested by teams representing Europe and the United States with the host venue alternating between the two and is recognized as being among the last great professional sporting events where winning, and not prize money, is its own reward. Begun in 1927, when enterprising English seed merchant Samuel Ryder commissioned the casting of a gold trophy that bears his name, the U.S. defeated Great Britain, 9½ to 2½, in the inaugural matches in Worcester, Mass. The 38th edition of The Ryder Cup was held in 2010 at The Celtic Manor Resort, in Newport, Wales, with Europe regaining the Cup with a 14½ to 13½ victory. Since 1979, when players from Continental Europe became eligible to compete in the Ryder Cup, Europe owns an 8-7-1 advantage.

About Ryder Cup Europe
Ryder Cup Europe, which comprises representatives of The European Tour (60%), of the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland (20%) and The Ryder Cup European Development Trust (RCEDT) (20%), owns the rights of The Ryder Cup when the competition is held in Europe. The European Tour is the Managing Partner and has prime responsibility for all matters concerning The European Team; the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland is the Founding Partner; and The Ryder Cup European Development Trust is responsible for the management of the Trust. The Ryder Cup match and player issues rest with The European Ryder Cup Players and Stakeholders Board comprising Peter Baker, Ken Brown, Jim Christine, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Colin Montgomerie, Donato di Ponziano, Jean Van de Velde and Philip Weaver. The European Ryder Cup Players and Stakeholders Board is also responsible for ratifying The European Tour Tournament Committee’s choice of Ryder Cup Captains. José Maria Olazábal has been named as the European Team Captain for the 2012 Ryder Cup
The European Ryder Cup Management Board is responsible for the day-to-day management of the business of The Ryder Cup and comprises of Sandy Jones, Richard Hills, George O’Grady, CBE, Jonathan Orr and Mikael Sorling with John Yapp of the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland acting as the Partnership Secretary.

About The PGA of America
Celebrating its 95th year, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission of its founders: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in a multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering dramatic world-class championships and exciting and enjoyable promotions that are viewed as the best of their class in the golf industry, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. The PGA of America brand represents the very best in golf.

About Interbrand
Founded in 1974, Interbrand is recognized for being at the forefront of the dialogue on brands as business assets. Today, Interbrand is among the largest brand consultancies and has grown to include 40 offices in 25 countries. The combination of rigorous strategy and analytics with world-class design creativity help its clients to create and manage brand value in all market dynamics. It is widely respected for its annual study, The Best Global Brands, and creating a broader platform for the discussion on brands in the Webby-award winning website, brandchannel.com. For more on Interbrand, visit www.interbrand.com.