Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, United States: The PGA of America has announced a strategic partnership agreement with Legends, a global premium experiences company specialising in data-intelligence fuelled holistic solutions for sports and entertainment organisations and venues.

Legends will operate and elevate on-site, online, licensing and corporate merchandising for the PGA’s spectator championships – PGA Championship, Ryder Cup, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.

“Given Legends’ experience and expertise, this partnership is a great opportunity for the PGA of America to advance our merchandising strategy for spectator championships, where there is growing demand,” said Jim Richerson, President of the PGA of America, an Executive Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.

“Bringing in Legends to handle this expanding area of our Association is a logical next step in these efforts,” he added.

As part of the transition, the PGA’s merchandising and licensing department, led by Michael Quirk, will become part of the Legends Global Merchandise group. Quirk will continue to lead this team and serve as Senior Vice President, Golf and Strategic Growth.

Coming off a record-setting sales experience at the Ryder Cup, the team will tap into Legends’ myriad resources to continue to innovate the on-site and online shopping experience for championships and golf facilities alike.

The PGA’s new e-commerce solution allows fans to shop a larger online product selection than ever before. Additionally, in late 2022, PGA Members will be able to utilise the e-commerce feature by creating online stores for their golf facilities and pro shops.

Legends Global Merchandise has worked with some of the top brands in sports and entertainment. With this partnership, Legends Global Merchandise will utilise its vertical capabilities, extensive data and analytics to accelerate the growth of the PGA’s merchandising.

“The PGA of America has an incredible platform of storied spectator championships and vast PGA Member facilities with passionate followings that will benefit from an elevated merchandise solution,” Legends Co-President and COO Mike Tomon said.

“With PGA’s merchandise team integrating with Legends Global Merchandise, together we will deliver a seamless omni-channel experience on-site and through e-commerce to build a dynamic merchandise approach for the future,” he added.