Volvo cuts back European Tour sponsorships

Volvo’s decision to withdraw sponsorship from two European Tour events comes as no surprise. The Swedish car company has been considering its relationship with the European Tour for some time.

Volvo will end its sponsorship of the World Match Play Championship at the conclusion of this week’s tournament at the London Club. Volvo has also decided to discontinue the Volvo Golf Champions event in South Africa. However, it will carry on with the Volvo China Open until 2019.

In a statement, Volvo said: "Focus will turn to one of the brand's key markets - China. The program around the Volvo China Open with its 20 years' history will be enhanced further, with a new five-year agreement in place."

The news is bad for the European Tour as it prepares to release the 2015 schedule next week. It won’t sit well with IMG either, since this week’s event is the 50th anniversary of the Mark McCormack inspired tournament.

“IMG and the European Tour are committed to running the championship in 2015 and talks are already under way with interested parties regarding the position of title sponsor,” Guy Kinnings, IMG’s global head of golf, said.

“We thank Volvo for their support and look forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of this historic event with them at the London Club next week.”

Volvo has not been entirely happy with its association with the European Tour for about two years. Sources within Volvo told Golfweek in May of unhappiness at the lack of communication with the European Tour’s top brass. The car company was also unhappy at the Tour’s lack of involvement when World Match Play went to Bulgaria last year.

The European Tour and Volvo go back to the late 1980s. In 1987 the car company, under the leadership of Mel Pyatt, agreed to become the European Tour’s corporate sponsor. In 1988 the European Tour officially became the Volvo Tour, with a total prize fund of £10 million. Volvo continued its title sponsorship of the tour until the end of the 1995 season.

Volvo’s news comes at a time when the Tour is under pressure to stage more events in England. Part of Sky Sport’s decision to sign a new deal with the Tour last year was on the understanding that more events would be staged in England.

The BMW PGA Championship and the Open Championship were the only two events in England this year. Twenty years ago there were six events in England.

There is some good news for the English fans. The Tour is set to announce the return of the British Masters on an English course next year, although the venue has yet to be announced. Chances are the World Match Play will be played in England next year, too, with the Tour and IMG underwriting the event.

However, IMG will waste no time taking the tournament abroad if it can find a willing sponsor.