• Newly-named “Staysure Tour” to include new headline event, The Staysure PGA Seniors Championship
• Total number of tournaments increased to 19 with additional new events in Russia, Spain and Denmark
Staysure, the UK's leading travel insurance provider and specialist in the over 50s market, is to become the first ever title sponsor of the European Senior Tour in a landmark partnership.
Renamed the ‘Staysure Tour’, the deal includes the incorporation of a new headline event, The Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, which aims to attract a stellar field and will offer a prize fund of £400,000.
The ten-year agreement will lead to a rebranding of the European Senior Tour including all physical and media assets. It marks yet another chapter in the continued rise of the senior game in Europe, which has developed from just one significant over 50s event in 1987 to a full, international schedule of 19 tournaments next year.
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: “This is a landmark moment for the European Senior Tour and we are delighted to welcome Staysure on board as title sponsor.
“Today’s announcement is testament to the strength and popularity of the senior game in Europe. Its success is evident through its continued expansion internationally as well as the calibre of player it now attracts.”
The deal also includes the launch of a new Staysure membership programme offering over 50s discounts and benefits on a range of travel insurance and golf insurance packages. Members will also receive access to tickets at Staysure Tour tournaments, Pro-Am playing places, signed merchandise, and discounts to other European Tour events.
Ryan Howsam, founder and Chairman of Staysure, said: “We're delighted to have signed this landmark deal with the European Tour to create the Staysure Tour. Many Staysure customers share our love of golf and this is the perfect opportunity for us to engage them on a new level.
"With over 500,000 over 50s travelling abroad to play golf each year, the partnership strikes the perfect chord for our customers and tops off a successful year for Staysure."
A total of four new tournaments will be added to the Staysure Tour roster next year, in addition to its new headline event: The Russian Open Golf Championship; The Shipco Masters in Denmark; and the Costa Blanca Senior Golf Masters, held in Spain.
David MacLaren, Head of the European Senior Tour, added: “Having Staysure on board as title sponsor highlights the progress we’re making in our commitment to revitalising the Senior Tour. We’re looking forward to working together with the Staysure team to deliver an exciting, interactive and competitive Senior Tour in the years ahead.”
Robert Maxfield, Chief Executive of the Professional Golfers’ Association said: “I am absolutely delighted that the PGA Seniors Championship will once again take its place proudly as one of Europe’s premier senior professional golf tournaments, under the patronage of the Staysure partnership.
“Our PGA Professionals will once again have the opportunity of pitting their skills against Europe’s best senior golfers and we look forward to offering, through our membership, a wide range of benefits to club golfers throughout the UK and Ireland.”
THE EUROPEAN TOUR - CELEBRATING GOLF. WORLDWIDE.
The European Tour celebrates men’s professional golf on a global stage. In 2018, the European Tour International Schedule will feature a minimum of 46 tournaments in 30 countries, including eight Rolex Series events, all part of the Race to Dubai.
Celebrating the global connectivity of the European Tour and Dubai, the Race to Dubai is a season-long competition to crown the European Tour’s Number One player, an honour which in 2017 went to England’s Tommy Fleetwood for the first time, and which, since 2009, has also been achieved three times by Rory McIlroy, twice by Henrik Stenson, and once each by Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Luke Donald.
Since its formation in 1972, the European Tour has witnessed 26 Members celebrate a total of 52 Major Championship titles between them, enjoyed ten Members attaining the pinnacle of World Number One and has celebrated its diversity as players from 36 different countries have won on the Tour.
The European Tour also manages the Challenge Tour, which featured 27 tournaments in 21 countries in 2017, and the Senior Tour, which featured 16 tournaments in 12 countries in 2017. It is also the Managing Partner of Ryder Cup Europe, the body which, alongside the PGA of America, administers golf’s greatest team contest, The Ryder Cup. In 2018, the 42nd staging of the biennial contest between Europe and the United States of America will take place at Le Golf National, France, from September 28-30.
The European Tour broadcasts live coverage of its tournaments to more than 490 million homes in more than 150 countries every week, generating in excess of 2,200 global broadcast hours for each event. It also enjoys the support of many of the world’s leading business brands with Rolex, BMW, Emirates and Titleist as Official Partners.
ABOUT STAYSURE
Founded in 2004, and first trading in 2005, Staysure Ltd is one of the UK’s fastest growing insurance and financial services providers offering a range of highly competitive products and services tailored for people aged over 50.
The company’s travel insurance division offers a comprehensive range of policies at competitive prices and has insured millions of travellers. Staysure can provide cover for a wide range of pre-existing medical conditions including cancer and heart conditions and offers medical screening both online and over the phone.
Staysure is the largest direct to consumer Travel Insurance provider in the UK (Munich Re) and the largest advertiser in the Travel category (Mintel), with an average spend of almost £1M per month.
The Gibraltar company licensed and regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission, uses 3 UK call centres in Northampton, Coventry and Glasgow, employing almost 500 staff dedicated to the over 50’s market. As measured by Trustpilot, Staysure’s customer ratings are at an ‘excellent’ 9.0 and with over 27,000 reviews, Staysure is officially the most reviewed travel insurance provider.
Staysure’s policies pay out over £1m in claims every month globally supporting its customers holidaying in Albania to Zambia.
Staysure secured nine awards throughout 2016 and continues its success this year:
• British Travel Awards 2016 – Best Travel Insurance Provider
• UK Broker Awards 2016 – Personal Lines Broker of the Year
• Moneywise Customer Service Awards 2016 – Highly Commended
• British Insurance Awards 2016 – UK Insurance Broker of the Year
• Insurance Times 2016 – Personal Lines Broker of the year and Broker Innovation of the Year Award
• Best Companies 2016 – One to Watch
• UK Customer Experience Awards 2016 – Insurance Services - Silver
• Insurance PR and Marketing Awards 2016 - Niche Marketing Campaign of the Year – Highly Commended
• UK Employee Experience Awards 2017 – Voice of the Employee and shortlisted for Internal Recognition
• Finance Awards 2017 - Business of the Year
• Moneywise Awards 2017 - Most Trusted Travel Insurance Provider
• British Travel Awards - Best insurance provider - GOLD