Mitsubishi Electric extends PGA TOUR agreement

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The PGA TOUR and Mitsubishi Electric Monday announced an extension of their Official Marketing Partnership through 2012, as well as an expansion of Mitsubishi Electric's involvement with the Champions Tour.

Mitsubishi Electric will continue to provide the highly popular Diamond Vision LED scoreboards at virtually every PGA TOUR tournament as the Official Large Outdoor Video Display Provider of the PGA TOUR. The 33 state-of-the-art scoreboards are divided into three traveling sets of 11 that rotate among tournaments. Since being introduced at THE PLAYERS Championship in May 2007, the Diamond Vision boards have significantly upgraded the onsite fan experience through a variety of videos as well as an array of player and course information and graphics generated by the TOUR's ShotLink real-time scoring system.

"We are delighted to announce the extension as well as an expansion of our partnership with Mitsubishi Electric," said Tom Wade, chief marketing officer for the PGA TOUR. "The feedback we have received since the debut of the Diamond Vision scoreboards has been tremendous. They have provided a wealth of information for our players and fans and have significantly enhanced the onsite experience."

Mitsubishi Electric Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Division will become the Official HVAC Partner of the PGA TOUR, while the Factory Automation Division and Power Products Division will become Official Sponsors of the PGA TOUR. As an Official Marketing Partner, Mitsubishi Electric has and will continue to utilize select PGA TOUR tournaments for hospitality and entertainment.

A new element to the partnership is Mitsubishi Electric's title sponsorship of the Champions Tour's season-opening tournament at Hualalai in Hawaii beginning next year. The Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai is scheduled for Jan. 19-25, 2009, and features an elite field of the past two seasons' tournament champions and senior major championship winners from the past five years. As part of the sponsorship agreement, Mitsubishi Electric will provide its Diamond Vision LED scoreboards at Hualalai, marking their first use on the Champions Tour.

"Mitsubishi Electric has been quite pleased with our association with the PGA TOUR, which has given us great opportunities to develop and strengthen business relationships," said Akira Tasaki, president/CEO of Mitsubishi Electric US Holdings. "Our title sponsorship of one of the premiere Champions Tour events will enable us to reach out even more to our target audiences."

"We are extremely pleased that Mitsubishi Electric is expanding its involvement with the PGA TOUR by assuming title sponsorship of our season-opening tournament in Hawaii," said Mike Stevens, president of the Champions Tour. "The Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai is an elite tournament that is popular among our players and has proven to be an ideal start to our season."

The Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai has led off the Champions Tour season on the Big Island since 1997. The tournament dates back to 1984 when it debuted at La Costa Country Club in Carlsbad, Calif. It moved to Dorado, Puerto Rico, for 1995-1996 before relocating to Hualalai Golf Club. Fred Funk is the defending champion.