European Tour launch new identity in China

The start of The 2009 European Tour International Schedule at the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, China, on November 6, will coincide with the introduction of The European Tour’s new corporate identity. The new European Tour logo style, which will also be adopted by the European Senior Tour and European Challenge Tour, evolved following a research project conducted across a wide-range of interested parties, with the creative work being led by FutureBrand, a respected New York based design agency. Harry Vardon, who many consider as the first truly international touring professional golfer, was chosen as the iconic figure represented within the new logo. Vardon’s vision in 1912 is interesting in that after his travels to the Continent and to the United States he “found evidence of great enthusiasm for the game in other parts of the world.” Vardon wrote of receiving invitations to Australia, India, South Africa and other countries and, although deeming these places to be “so very many driver shots away that I have hesitated to leave my native teeing-ground,” he pointed out that “Golf is now the game of all nations and it deserves to be.” The Harry Vardon Trophy, first presented in 1937, is awarded to the winner of The European Tour Order of Merit. This reference to Vardon is carried into The European Tour Race to Dubai graphics and into the Dubai World Championship itself when, at Jumeirah Golf Estates, the winner of The Race to Dubai will be decided on November 22, 2009. Another element of the new corporate identity is a world skyline graphic, representing the cities and countries visited on The European Tour International Schedule that form such an important part of The Race to Dubai. They also represent the diversity of The European Tour Membership - 47 nationalities - and the global nature of The Race to Dubai with 27 destinations hosting tournaments en route to the Dubai World Championship. A multi-lingual text background will also be used to compliment these messages and to further reflect the multi-cultural, international diversity which now makes up The European Tour Membership and its followers around the world. George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: “The Tour and its Membership has always respected the significance of the traditions of golf and, similarly, we recognise the importance of increasing the popularity of the game around the world. “The Race to Dubai is designed to take The European Tour to a new dimension and to reflect this milestone we felt it appropriate to bring together the distinctive image of Harry Vardon with the world skyline graphic. This mirrors our policy of developing an International Schedule which takes the Tour to all corners of the globe and provides opportunities for players from every country in the world to compete.” The Race to Dubai carries a Bonus Pool of US$10 million and culminates with the Dubai World Championship, which itself has a prize fund of US$ 10 million. The new European Tour identity, together with the new Race to Dubai graphics, will be introduced globally on November 4 and will be present at each tournament in the run up to the season-ending Dubai World Championship in November 2009.