La Quinta, Calif. – Desert Classic Charities, the charitable entity that has operated the Coachella Valley’s PGA TOUR event since its inception in 1960, has reached an agreement with the PGA TOUR and Lagardère Sports for the global sports agency to manage all aspects of the CareerBuilder Challenge PGA TOUR event. The Board of Directors at Desert Classic Charities will continue to oversee the charitable donations made to local non-profits from the proceeds of the tournament.
The event will be managed by the Lagardère Sports Golf Events division, which has a successful track record of growing and adding value to professional golf tournaments. Along with this new role with the CareerBuilder Challenge, Lagardère Sports also manages the Safeway Open PGA TOUR event in Napa, Calif., and a series of Web.com Tour and charity golf tournaments. The agency has been successful at increasing charitable contributions for its tournaments, including generating $125 million for charity through its golf events over the past 28 years.
Lagardère Sports previously served as management consultant firm for the 2017 CareerBuilder Challenge and brought 42-time PGA TOUR champion and World Golf Hall of Fame member Phil Mickelson on board as Tournament Ambassador. Mickelson will continue his role as Ambassador, and expand his involvement in the 2018 event. Jeff Sanders, Executive Vice President of Golf Events at Lagardère Sports, will be the new Executive Director of the CareerBuilder Challenge. Sanders also serves as the Executive Director of the Safeway Open.
“We are honored to be named the management company for the CareerBuilder Challenge and look forward to taking an active role in the future of this iconic event by working together with the team at Desert Classic Charities and the PGA TOUR,” Sanders said. “As a former Bob Hope Desert Classic PGA TOUR participant, and resident of La Quinta, this is a dream come true for me. We look forward to implementing our golf entertainment model at PGA WEST, and enhancing the tournament experience for the fans, players, sponsors, and volunteers.”
The 2018 CareerBuilder Challenge will be played January 17-21 in La Quinta. A field of 156 amateurs and 156 PGA TOUR professionals will tee it up on three courses – the Stadium and Jack Nicklaus Tournament Courses at PGA WEST, and La Quinta Country Club. Tickets to the tournament will be available in October. For more information, please visit www.CareerBuilderChallenge.com.
About Desert Classic Charities
Desert Classic Charities is the beneficiary of the PGA TOUR event in the Coachella Valley, and has contributed more than $58 million to Coachella Valley charitable organizations with the monies it has received since the tournament’s inception. The scope of giving is broad and includes support for structured and mentoring programs for children, social services, and food and safe shelter for the less fortunate. Desert Classic Charities is dedicated to continuing its mission to serve human needs in the Coachella Valley and beyond by generating funds and opportunities every year through the event.
About Lagardère Sports
Lagardère Sports is a leading sports marketing agency with a global network of local experts dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that meet our clients’ needs. We believe sport inspires emotions and passion that are essential to enriching people’s lives and generate powerful collective experiences. At Lagardère Sports, we dedicate our expertise and passion to providing our clients with privileged access to the infinite opportunities of sports. Lagardère Sports is part of Lagardère Sports and Entertainment, a company with more than 1,600 employees worldwide and 50 years of experience.
About CareerBuilder®
CareerBuilder is a global, end-to-end human capital solutions company focused on helping employers find, hire and manage great talent. Combining advertising, software and services, CareerBuilder leads the industry in recruiting solutions, employment screening and human capital management. CareerBuilder is majority-owned by Apollo Global Management (NYSE: APO) and operates in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.
About PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is the world’s premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 130 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR China.
The PGA TOUR’s mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in the communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.
Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to more than 1 billion households in 227 countries and territories in 30 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2015, tournaments across all Tours generated a record $160 million for local and national charitable organizations, bringing the all-time total to $2.3 billion.
The PGA TOUR’s web site is PGATOUR.COM, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
Contact:
Gayle Cochrane, Desert Classic Charities – Gayle@desertclassiccharities.com – 760-541-4105
ALL MEDIA INQUIRIES CONTACT: Jeff Sanders – jsanders@lagardere-se.com
