Indian professional golf gets a Volvo boost

MUMBAI: Swedish carmaker Volvo has signed a three-year agreement with Professional Golf Tour of India as the official automobile partner beginning 2012 and running through to 2014.

The strategic partnership will also mark the India debut of Volvo?s flagship event ?Volvo World Golf Challenge?. The announcement was made jointly by PGTI director Padamjit Sandhu and Volvo Auto India MD Tomas Ernberg.

As part of this joint endeavour, Volvo will be the Official Automobile Partner for all PGTI-sanctioned professional events in India this year. Each of Volvo?s seven dealerships will host a golf tournament this year, which will be supervised by PGTI.

The best-placed finishers at each event will qualify for the national final in New Delhi later this year, at which the two leading golfers will win an invitation to compete in the World Final next January.

?Golf is a sport that resonates with Volvo?s core values of quality, integrity and fair play. We have nurtured a long and cherished commitment to premier golf tournaments. With ?Volvo World Golf Challenge? we aim to make India an integral part of a truly multinational tournament that begins at home and ends in a celebration of golf at the annual World Final," Ernberg said.

?We are happy to be associated with PGTI in our joint endeavour of promoting professional golf in India, while engaging with relevant stakeholders across levels,? he added.

Announcing the partnership, PGTI Director Padamjit Singh Sandhu said, ?The partnership with Volvo provides us a great opportunity to leverage professional golf in India. Volvo has been supporting and promoting golf across the world, and our association with Volvo in India will help us leverage more opportunities for all invested stakeholders.?

The Volvo World Golf Challenge is a golf tournament for customers and prospective clients with participation of more than 50,000 club golfers from over 25 countries.