For the City Times

Leading Insurance Company Begins Second Year as the Title Sponsor to Winners-only event as the First TOUR Event in 2019

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla., and STEVENS POINT – The PGA TOUR and Sentry, one of the largest business-focused mutual insurance companies in the United States, today announced the second year of the Sentry Tournament of Champions will begin action January 2-6 at the Kapalua Resort in Hawaii.  Sentry became the new title sponsor of the event in 2018 under a five year deal that extends through the 2021-22 season.

In 2019 fans will be able to enjoy expanded food and beverage options that embrace the unique cuisine the island of Maui has to offer with comfortable amenities throughout the Plantation course.  Tickets for this year’s event are still available.  Visit, pgatour.com/tournaments/sentry-tournament-of-champions/tickets.html for more information.

“All of us at Sentry are excited for a great week of golf with some of the best golfers and winners from last season as we start our second year with the PGA TOUR,” said Pete McPartland, Sentry chairman of the board, president, and CEO. “We couldn’t be happier to be the title sponsor and help share this breathtaking venue. The opportunity to increase visibility of the Sentry brand while doing good for the community through our philanthropic work in association with the tournament is a natural fit for us. We have a history with the game.”

The second year of the Sentry Tournament of Champions continues a deep connection Sentry has with the sport of golf.  Beginning in 1982 Sentry opened SentryWorld, Wisconsin’s first destination golf course. The Robert Trent Jones, Jr. designed course has played host to golf pros and celebrities alike from Arnold Palmer and Gary Player to Green Bay Packer legends Brett Favre and Bart Starr.  In 2019, SentryWorld will play host to its second USGA event, the 71st U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship.

The Sentry Tournament of Champions dates back to 1953, when it was introduced at Las Vegas’ Desert Inn Country Club as an event for winners from the previous season. The Tournament of Champions remained at Desert Inn CC until 1967, when it moved to Stardust Country Club. The tournament moved from Las Vegas in 1969 to La Costa Country Club in Carlsbad, California, where it remained for 30 years before relocating to its current home at Kapalua Resort on the island of Maui.

Defending champion Dustin Johnson, will join previous Tournament of Champions winners Justin Thomas (2017) and Patrick Reed (2015) among others to a highly competitive field of golfers to Kapalua.