Golf Ireland has announced a new three-year partnership with Whirlpool that will see the household appliance brand become an official partner of the governing body and its official appliance partner.
The agreement will give Whirlpool naming rights across a number of established Golf Ireland championships and initiatives, with a particular focus on the senior game, mixed competition and volunteer recognition.
Whirlpool will become the title sponsor of the Irish Senior Men’s Open Championship, the Irish Women’s Senior Open Championship, and the Irish Senior Men’s and Women’s Close Championships.
The partnership will also include the Whirlpool Senior Order of Merit and the Whirlpool Irish Mixed Fourball, as well as support for Golf Ireland’s Volunteer of the Year programme through the Women and Girls Award.
The partnership was launched at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club during the opening round of the Whirlpool Irish Senior Men’s Close and Women’s Senior Open Championship, one of the key events on the domestic amateur calendar.
“We’re delighted to welcome Whirlpool on board as a partner of Golf Ireland,” said Golf Ireland CEO Mark Kennelly.
“This is a broad agreement that will support key championships and initiatives, particularly within the senior game, which continues to grow in both participation and standard.
“Having that level of backing is important for us as we look to recognise performance and contribution across the sport. We’re looking forward to working closely with Whirlpool over the coming years.”
For Golf Ireland, the agreement brings additional commercial backing into areas of the game that are central to participation and community strength, but which can sometimes sit outside the spotlight reserved for elite professional golf.
The inclusion of the Mixed Fourball, the Senior Order of Merit and Volunteer of the Year support gives Whirlpool multiple points of contact with players, clubs and communities around the country.
It offers visibility for the brand across a sport with a strong club network, an active base of participants, and year-round engagement. It also builds on Beko Ireland’s wider association with grassroots sport, while placing the Whirlpool brand more prominently within the Irish sporting landscape.
Wirlpool is part of the Beko brand family and is already a supporter of Irish sport through a volunteer partnership with Leinster GAA.
“We are delighted to be launching Whirlpool’s partnership with Golf Ireland and look forward to contributing directly to the continued success and growth of the game across the country,” said Shane O’Connor, Beko Ireland Marketing Manager.
“While continuing to showcase Beko Ireland’s long-standing dedication to Irish grassroots sport, this initiative will place Whirlpool front and centre.
“We can’t wait for Whirlpool to showcase its presence at these prestigious upcoming events, and we are incredibly excited to work closely with the Golf Ireland team.”
The deal adds another significant brand partnership to Golf Ireland’s commercial portfolio and underlines the continuing appeal of golf as a platform for companies looking to connect with participants, volunteers and clubs across Ireland.
Sport for Business Perspective
This is a smartly structured partnership, not only because of the championship naming rights, but because of the spread across senior golf, mixed competition and volunteering.
That gives Whirlpool a presence across competition, community and recognition, three areas that matter deeply within golf clubs. It is also a reminder that sponsorship value in Irish sport is not always measured by broadcast reach alone. Sometimes the strongest connection is built through repeated, practical presence in the everyday life of the game.
Golf Ireland and Beko are full members of Sport for Business.
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Image Credit: Golf Ireland
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