Banking is a relationship-based industry, so it’s no wonder PNC is continuing its sponsorship of an event highlighting some of the closest relationships of all.
PNC has extended its contract to remain the title sponsor of the PNC Father/Son Challenge golf tournament, held annually in Orlando, Fla., an event that pairs golf champions and legends with their sons, daughters and grandchildren over three days at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club Orlando, Grand Lakes.
The Father/Son Challenge, which is operated by a partnership between IMG and NBC Sports, will be played this year from Dec. 14-16 and televised on Golf Channel and NBC. It will be the seventh edition of the event since PNC became the title sponsor in 2012, and the company’s ties to the tournament run deep.
“In terms of PNC being a sponsor, it goes back to 2012, and it goes back to Arnold Palmer and our former CEO, who is retired now, Jim Rohr,” PNC chief financial officer Rob Reilly told DKPittsburghSports.com. “The tournament had been around but went defunct for a while (from 2009-11). What it needed was a person like Arnold to put the energy in to bring it back.
“What we really want to do is make the event a celebration of relationships. Even though it’s named the Father/Son Challenge, we’ve had fathers and daughters play, and last year we had a (golf pro) son and his father play. Each year, that relationship dynamic grows. For us, banking is a business of relationships, so it’s a natural fit for us in that regard.”
Ritz Carlton Golf Club Orlando — PNC Bank
Many of the biggest names in golf have participated in the event — the pro in each pairing must be a former major champion or The Players’ Championship winner — and former champs include Jack and Gary Nicklaus, Raymond Floyd and Raymond Floyd Jr. and Davis Love III and Davis (Dru) Love IV.
Angel Cabrera, the 2007 U.S. Open champion at nearby Oakmont Country Club, and his son, Angel Cabrera Jr., were last year’s winners.
“The PNC Father/Son Challenge long ago became one of my family’s favorite golf tournaments,” Jack Nicklaus said in a statement when the sponsorship extension was announced. “I have had the pleasure of playing with my sons, and last year, partnering with my 15-year-old grandson, GT, was a thrill. I am delighted the event — a uniquely special one to us fathers and grandfathers, and perhaps to the many fans out there watching from home or outside the ropes — will continue for many years to come.”
In addition to the main event, there is also a Pro/Am Event tied to the Father/Son Challenge, which this year will have local qualifiers in Dallas, Chicago and Philadelphia.
Apart from the golf aspect of the event, the Father/Son Challenge has been a driver behind charitable donations for PNC and other event sponsors. Through six years collaborating with the event, PNC has donated $900,000 to the Arnie’s Army Charitable Foundation and Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children’s “Healthy Families Orange” program, while also benefitting organizations that support small businesses, veterans and more.
Most important, it is another way for PNC to connect with the communities they serve through sports. The bank also recently signed a sponsorship with NASCAR and the naming rights to a Chip Ganassi IndyCar, part of their ongoing expansion into the Southeastern U.S.
PNC also holds the naming rights to arts and sports venues in New Jersey, North Carolina and, of course, PNC Park in Pittsburgh, and they are a sponsor of DKPittsburghSports.com.
“We’re a super-regional bank, and we live and do business in these communities,” Reilly said. “Much of the sports sponsorships are anchored into the community. … We’ve got a lot of customers in a lot of different markets, and we like being connected with them. In each of these sports sponsorships, they’re multi-year commitments. Long-term growth is the basis of success. For the Father/Son, specifically, ratings continue to grow each year, and we’re happy to be able to continue our partnership.”
