One of Europe's most prestigious golf championships has been given a major boost by the De Vere hotel group agreeing a three year sponsorship extension.
The deal will see the luxury golf resort company sponsor the De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship until 2013.
The announcement comes ahead of this year's £250,000 event, which will be contested over the Hunting Course at Northumberland's Slaley Hall from June 24-27.
It will the third successive year the European Senior Tour's longest-running event has been staged at the venue and Carl Mason, who won the title for a third time last summer, is expected to defend his crown.
The tournament was first staged in 1957 and, except for its four majors, is the only 72-hole event on the Senior Tour.
Past winners include former Open champions Max Faulkner and Kel Nagle, the legendary Christy O'Connor and, more recently, the reigning Senior Tour Order of Merit winner Sam Torrance who triumphed in 2005 and 2006.
De Vere's commitment to the tournament extends a relationship with the PGA Seniors Championship that began in 1996 and has helped establish the group's reputation for operating world class golf venues.
PGA chief executive Sandy Jones said: "The PGA enjoys a strong relationship with De Vere that has been built up over many years. De Vere's support of the PGA Seniors Championship has helped it go from strength to strength.
"So the decision to extend their sponsorship is a huge boost for the event and we look forward to some more exciting golf over the next three years."
Daniel Hodson, De Vere's director of golf and leisure, said: "Our sponsorship of the De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship at Slaley Hall has been extremely rewarding since it started in 2008. Hosting such a prestigious event has been instrumental in further establishing Slaley Hall as one of the UK's leading championship venues."
Andy Stubbs, managing director of the European Senior Tour, added: "Many of the players who evolve from The European Tour on to the Senior Tour put the PGA Seniors Championship towards the top of their list of titles to win as it is the oldest Senior Championship and the only one outside the majors to be played over four rounds.
"It is fantastic, therefore, that De Vere has extended its own long standing association with the Championship - a relationship that began in 1996 - for another four years and together we can look forward to some more great champions joining the list of prestigious past winners."
17 February, 2010