IRVINE, Calif. (January 22, 2023) – World No. 1 Lydia Ko, winner of the LPGA’s 2022 Rolex Player of the Year Award, has signed a three-year endorsement extension with PROTOCONCEPT Golf/Golf Partners to play PROTOCONCEPT irons and display the company’s logos through 2025.
Ko, who began playing PROTOCONCEPT irons in competition last year at the suggestion of her personal club fitter, subsequently signed an endorsement deal with the PROTOCONCEPT Golf/Golf Partner for the remainder of 2022.
In 2022, using PROTOCONCEPT irons, the 25-year-old Korean-born New Zealander won three times last year, including her 19th LPGA tournament – the season finale CME Globe Tour Championship – and was the Tour’s leading money winner ($4.364 million). She won the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average (68.988) and finished in the Top 10 64 percent of the time, best on the LPGA Tour. She stands two points shy of the 27 required for induction to the LPGA Hall of Fame.
"PROTOCONCEPT Golf/Golf Partner is very excited to extend its endorsement agreement with Lydia Ko for three more years," said Yasufumi Kawasaki, Brand Producer of PROTOCONCEPT and a managing executive for Golf Partner. "When Lydia signed her endorsement agreement with us last year, she already knew that she loved our clubs and believed they would help her play her best. Based on her results, she was proved to be right. We are thrilled she has chosen to have our clubs be a part of her quest for future success."
Under the agreement, Ko will have the Golf Partner logo on her bag, umbrella and headcovers, and both companies will have the rights to her name, image and likeness, company officials said.
The ultra-luxury Japanese golf club designer/manufacturer burst onto the scene in 2022 when three of its products were named to the Golf Digest’s 2022 Hot List for the first time.
PROTOCONCEPT is a collaboration between Japanese-owned Golf Partner Japan - the world’s largest golf retailer with some 400 locations - and fellow Japanese golf behemoth Endo Manufacturing, the industry standard in precision club manufacturing used by many of the world’s best-known OEMs.
"With PROTOCONCEPT Golf, the goal of our design team at Golf Partner is to produce the highest quality golf clubs for avid golfers of all handicaps" Kawasaki said. "The name PROTOCONCEPT is derived from the prototype-quality clubs that are developed for tour professionals."
PROTOCONCEPT products may be ordered online at protoconceptgolf.com and through designated green grass club fitters nationally, which can found at
https://protoconceptgolf.com/pages/store-locator.
PROTOCONCEPT was established in 2019 in Tokyo, Japan and is a part of Golf Partner Co. Ltd. www.golfpartnerusa.com.
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Ko is the winner of 29 tournaments worldwide, including 17 on the LPGA Tour, two of which were major championships, the Evian Championship and the ANA Inspiration, now known as the Chevron Championship.
Earlier this year, the new ultra-luxury Japanese golf club designer/manufacturer burst onto the scene by having three of its products named the Golf Digest's 2022 Hot List for the first time. The Hot List was released on Jan. 25.
PROTOCONCEPT is a collaboration between Japanese-owned Golf Partner Japan - the largest golf retailer in the world with some 400 locations - and fellow Japanese golf behemoth Endo Manufacturing, the industry standard in precision club manufacturing that is used by many of the world’s best-known OEMs. Kawasaki also is a managing executive officer of Golf Partner (www.golfpartnerusa.com).
"With PROTOCONCEPT Golf, the goal of our design team at Golf Partner is to produce the highest quality golf clubs for avid golfers of all handicaps," Kawasaki said. "The name PROTOCONCEPT is derived from the prototype-quality clubs that are developed for tour professionals."
PROTOCONCEPT products may be ordered online at protoconceptgolf.com and through designated green grass club fitters nationally, which can found at
https://protoconceptgolf.com/pages/store-locator.
PROTOCONCEPT was established in 2019 in Tokyo, Japan and is a part of Golf Partner Co. Ltd. www.golfpartnerusa.com. Yasufumi Kawasaki is Brand Producer for Proto Concept and is amanaging executive officer of Golf Partner Japan.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Barry Cronin
Cronin Communications, Inc.
847-867-3032