- Ally becomes presenting partner of the U.S. Women's Open;
founding partner of the U.S. National Development Program
- New partnership moves Ally closer to equal spending goal
across men's and women's sports paid media
- Ally Signs World No. 1 Golfer Lilia Vu
- 2024 U.S. Women's Open purse set for record $12M
CHARLOTTE, N.C. and LIBERTY CORNER, N.J., Feb. 1, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY), a financial
services company with the nation's largest all-digital bank and a
leading brand in women's sports, and the United States Golf
Association (USGA) today announced a new multi-year,
multi-million-dollar corporate partnership. Among the terms of the
deal, Ally becomes the official retail banking partner of the USGA,
the U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open, and the new presenting partner
for the U.S. Women's Open, the premier championship in women's golf
that, since its inception in 1946, has led the way in elevating the
women's game.
In addition to this partnership announcement, Ally also signed
Lilia Vu to Team Ally.
"Golf is on a meteoric rise and its fanbase is more diverse than
ever, bringing it in line with those who choose to bank with Ally,"
said Stephanie Marciano, head of
sports marketing at Ally. "The USGA is best-in-class and presented
us a powerful opportunity to positively impact both the women's and
men's game, as well as engage a new group of sports fans across the
country. We couldn't be more excited to team up and deliver on that
promise together."
The USGA is a leader in the world of golf with several blue-chip
partners and has for more than 125 years demonstrated a commitment
to equity in the game. Ally, which is entering the national golf
scene for the first time, has quickly become a well-known name in
sports, specifically for its landmark commitment to media equity
and focus on inclusivity across its sponsorship portfolio.
"Partnering with Ally allows us to not only continue elevating
the U.S. Women's Open, but to also further our commitment to the
future of the game via our U.S. National Development Program," said
USGA CEO Mike Whan. "Ally has
established itself as a force in sports, with a passion for equity
across the industry. Its brand values and actions align perfectly
with ours, and I can't wait to see what we are able to do
together."
As a centerpiece of the relationship, Ally also secures
presenting partner rights for the U.S. Women's Open, which will
elevate its purse for the 2024 championship to $12 million, the highest in all of women's golf.
The 2024 U.S. Women's Open Presented by Ally will be held at
Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club, which in 2015 set attendance records.
Upcoming U.S. Women's Opens will be held at Erin Hills, Riviera
Country Club, Inverness Country Club, Oakmont Country Club and
Pinehurst, many of which will also
host U.S. Open Championships over the next decade, including the
back-to-back championships in 2029 at Pinehurst. The championship is coming off a
banner year at Pebble Beach, with the highest attendance since
2015, highest broadcast viewership since 2014 and set records as
the most-streamed women's golf event in NBC Sports history.
Ally is a market mover in women's sports, led by its
unprecedented 50/50 Pledge, which is an initiative Ally launched to
reach parity across its paid media spend in men's and women's
sports. This deal contributes to the 50/50 Pledge as Ally will now
integrate into the USGA's best-in-class media coverage. As part of
this relationship, Ally will invest significantly with NBC
Universal Media as part of its media commitment, which will also
give Ally category exclusivity for in-broadcast features during the
U.S. Women's Open.
The deal advances Ally's goal to reach parity far ahead of
schedule and now expects to be at 45/55 by the end of 2024.
The U.S. National Development Program was launched by the USGA
early last year and is the country's first unified pathway to
nurture the potential of America's top players, starting in
competitive junior golf and progressing to the pinnacles of the
sport. As a founding partner, Ally will invest millions of dollars
to assist in the development and funding of the next generation of
great American golfers. Through this program, Ally and the USGA
hope to increase access to the sport for golfers of diverse
backgrounds and help break down financial barriers for all American
youth golfers.
In addition to this landmark partnership, Ally is also revealing
its latest addition to Team Ally: Lilia
Vu (No. 1 women's golfer in the world). Team Ally is a
collective of influential athletes and creators who are teamed up
with Ally to help make women's sports hard to miss.
"I'm proud to be partnering with Ally as they align with the
USGA and continue their mission to change the game for women's
sports and elevate the U.S. Women's Open," said Lilia Vu. "Their commitment to advancing equity
in women's sports is unprecedented, and I look forward to working
with their team and my fellow brand ambassadors to create change
while encouraging others to do the same."
Vu will join the rest of Ally's unique brand ambassador program
to advise the company on how the brand can create the biggest
impact through investments in women's sports. Vu and her caddie,
Cole Pensanti, will also display
Ally's logo on the front of their hats during all USGA/LPGA
competitions as part of their deal.
About Ally Financial
Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a financial services company
with the nation's largest all-digital bank and an industry-leading
auto financing business, driven by a mission to "Do It Right" and
be a relentless ally for customers and communities. The company
serves more than 11 million customers through a full range of
online banking services (including deposits, mortgage,
point-of-sale personal lending, and credit card products) and
securities brokerage and investment advisory services. The company
also includes a robust corporate finance business that offers
capital for equity sponsors and middle-market companies, as well as
auto financing and insurance offerings. For more information,
please visit www.ally.com and follow @allyfinancial.
For more information and disclosures about Ally,
visit https://www.ally.com/#disclosures.
For further images and news on Ally, please
visit http://media.ally.com.
About United States Golf Association
The USGA is a nonprofit organization that celebrates, serves and
advances the game of golf. Founded in 1894, we conduct many of
golf's premier professional and amateur championships, including
the U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open Presented by Ally. With The
R&A, we govern the sport via a global set of playing,
equipment, handicapping and amateur status rules. The USGA campus
in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, is
home to the Association's Research and Test Center, where science
and innovation are fueling a healthy and sustainable game for the
future. The campus is also home to the USGA Golf Museum, where we
honor the game by curating the world's most comprehensive archive
of golf artifacts. To learn more, visit usga.org.
Contacts:
Justin Nicolette, Ally
Financial
justin.nicolette@ally.com
Julia Pine, United States Golf
Association
jpine@usga.org
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SOURCE Ally Financial