Standard Life Investments will become the first worldwide sponsor of the Ryder Cup at the next match between Team USA and Team Europe in 2014.
“We've been looking for a global sponsorship for a while,” said Nuala Walsh, Edinburgh-based head of global client relations at SLI, which had £264 billion ($398 billion) in assets under management as of Sept. 30. “Timing was great; it fits in with the momentum of our business.”
SLI has been gradually increasing assets under management sourced from outside the U.K., to now account for about 27% of the total compared with 15% five years ago.
The Ryder Cup is “very much aligned to our values,” such as the emphasis on teamwork, Ms. Walsh said. “It's a strategic fit for our business, and a powerful asset to extend our franchise globally.”
SLI will partner with Ryder Cup Europe and the PGA to sponsor the biennial golf tournament, which was first played in 1927. The fund manager will be the worldwide partner both for the 2014 tournament to be played at The Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, Scotland, and the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Course, Chaska, Minn.
According to data provided by SLI, the Ryder Cup now reaches a potential daily television audience of 500 million people across 183 countries.
