Lexus has signed with the United States Golf Association (USGA), making Lexus the automotive partner of the USGA and the official vehicle of the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Amateur. As part of this agreement, Lexus becomes the USGA’s first-ever automotive partner.

Lexus plans to support the partnership with advertising, public relations, direct marketing, promotions, dealer events, interactive support and online marketing as well as a number of specific USGA membership and onsite activities at championships, such as hospitality, clinics, charitable tie-ins, signage and special events.

This news isn’t terribly exciting, as golf is likely ignored by most auto enthusiasts. But so is Lexus. While superbly engineered, most Lexus vehicles are unlikely to get our adrenaline pumping.

Full press release after the jump.

## Source: Lexus ##

PRESS RELEASE:

Lexus Partners with the USGA
Lexus also expands its professional golf team
01/25/2007 Orlando, FL

January 25, 2007 – Orlando, FL - Lexus and the United States Golf Association (USGA) announced an unprecedented multi-year partnership that makes Lexus the automotive partner of the USGA and the official vehicle of the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Amateur. As a result of this landmark agreement, which was announced today at a press conference featuring Annika Sorenstam, Lexus becomes the first automotive partner in the USGA’s 112-year history.

“Lexus has been involved with golf for many years, but we see how passionate our customers are about this sport and we wanted to step up our involvement,” said Keith Dahl, national manager, event marketing for Lexus. “This is a tremendous opportunity for us to partner at a very high level in the sport and engage our customers in unprecedented ways.”

The USGA agreement strengthens the relationship that Lexus has with the game of golf and allows the company to use this partnership and USGA championships as opportunities to provide its customers with premium experiences around the sport of golf.

“The obvious fit is that the USGA will now be able to offer Lexus vehicles and provide the players with an enhanced experience at selected USGA national championships while Lexus gets to showcase its product line at the very top events in golf—the USGA national championships,” said USGA President Walter Driver. “We are looking at all of the possibilities and the things we can do together for the benefit of golf.”

Lexus plans to support this corporate partnership through an integrated marketing and communications campaign that includes advertising, public relations, direct marketing, promotions, dealer events, interactive support and online marketing as well as a number of specific USGA membership and onsite activities at championships, such as hospitality, clinics, charitable tie-ins, signage and special events.

In addition to announcing its USGA corporate partnership, Lexus also introduced its 2007 team of professional golfers. Lexus golfers Annika Sorenstam, Peter Jacobsen, Raymond Floyd and Nick Watney are joined by golfers previously in the Toyota stable: Mark O’Meara, Jeff Gallagher, Trevor Dodds (PGA), Janice Moodie (LPGA), Gil Morgan, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Mark Pfeil, Charles Sifford (PGA Champions), Greg Twiggs and Esteban Toledo (PGA Nationwide) to the team.

“I’m proud to represent the Lexus brand and the high quality it represents,” said Sorenstam, a top member of the Lexus team in golf and the defending Women’s Open champion. “Certainly I welcome a partnership like this, where the shared expertise of two leading companies can help us all do more to benefit the game.”

Championships will be conducted at the following times and venues: the U.S. Open will be played June 14-17 at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa.; the U.S. Women’s Open will be played June 28-July 1 at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C.; the U.S. Senior Open will be conducted July 5-8 at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis.; and the U.S. Amateur will be held Aug. 20-26 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.

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