Written by Amy Ralls | Aug 12, 2021 4:00:00 AM
Melbourne, Australia - August 11, 2021 - The PGA of Australia and the WPGA Tour of Australasia today announced a new multi-year partnership with Webex which will provide enhanced experiences for golf fans and strengthened industry collaboration. Additionally, Webex connects players year-round with mentors, media, and family, closer to the action. As part of this new partnership, Webex becomes a Premier Partner of the PGA, and partner of the WPGA Tour. The Webex Suite and devices will be integrated across the PGA and WPGA Tour, driving collaboration for their respective staff, members and stakeholders. This integration and partnership enables hybrid work across the day-to-day operations of PGA and extends to the hybrid sport environment, including the PGA Tour of Australasia and WPGA Tour, bridging in-person interactions with digital connections through virtual meetings, calling and other applications to deliver a truly blended experience. Together, the PGA, WPGA Tour and Webex are committed to advancing inclusivity in sports, using innovation and technology to grow the game, and inspire the next generation of golf fans and players. The Webex technology integration will also support the growth of women’s golf through networking and development sessions and the relaunching of its current education program to an expanded virtual program, allowing the PGA to increase its reach across the community. "The partnership with Webex provides technology that assists the PGA to connect and collaborate with our members, staff and the wider golfing community,” said Michael McDonald, commercial director of the PGA. “This collaboration has never been more important than this current moment in time and it is pivotal to continue the growth our sport has seen over the last two years.” McDonald added, "The PGA of Australia stages, promotes, or administers over 400 tournaments annually across Australia, from Mandurah to Mackay. Webex technology is a game-changer for our organisation as it will assist to overcome the geographical challenges that we face in today's world and allow us to deliver innovative experiences for our fans. We are thrilled to expand our partnership and excited to see the continued benefits this world-class technology is delivering to the PGA in this new era of hybrid work and sports." Aruna Ravichandran, VP and Chief Marketing Officer, Webex by Cisco, said, “Together with the PGA and WPGA Tour, we’re able to redefine what’s possible when the world of sport and technology play together, creating immersive hybrid experiences that bring fans and partners unparalleled access to game. Webex continues to be committed to our promise of advancing inclusivity and growth of the sport across the region. We couldn’t be more excited about the endless opportunities that this presents for years to come.” As part of this expansive partnership, The Players Series, a world-first tournament concept launched by the PGA and WPGA Tour
earlier this year, will become The Webex Players Series. The Series, which sees women and men compete in the same field for the same prize purse, will continue to celebrate inclusivity within golf and provide enriching experiences and opportunities for PGA and WPGA Tour Members to further mentor up-and-coming professionals and amateurs. CEO of the WPGA Tour Karen Lunn noted that the Webex technology will improve how the peak golf bodies prepare golf’s rising stars ahead of a professional career on tour. "This partnership with Webex provides a long-term commitment to inclusivity in golf and the growth of the professional game in Australia,” Lunn said. “This was evident earlier this year when Webex technology was implemented into The Players Series and allowed our local players the opportunity to connect and gain insights from players across the globe. We are excited to grow the inclusiveness of our sport further with Webex by our side." Learn more about how the PGA and Webex is powering an inclusive hybrid sport
here.
About PGA of Australia The Professional Golfers Association of Australia is the country's pre-eminent golf body representing almost 3000 Vocational and Tournament Members. For almost 110 years, our Members - made up of head and club professionals, assistant professionals, teaching professionals, tournament and senior tournament professionals and PGA associates - have been the cornerstone of the golf industry and are the leaders in coaching, advice, club-fitting and retail.
About WPGA Tour of Australasia The WPGA Tour of Australasia is the sanctioning body for Women's Professional Golf in Australia and New Zealand and is one of seven major international women's golf tours. The member-based organisation represents over 300 tour professionals, with many competing internationally. The WPGA Tour passionately endeavours to create and enhance playing opportunities within its region, as well as providing other opportunities for members within the golf industry.
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About Webex by Cisco Webex is a leading provider of cloud-based collaboration solutions which includes video meetings, calling, messaging, events, customer experience solutions like contact center and purpose-built collaboration devices. At Webex, we start with people and their experiences first. This focus on delivering inclusive collaboration experiences fuels our innovation, which leverages AI and Machine Learning, to remove the barriers of geography, language, personality and familiarity with technology. Our solutions are underpinned with security and privacy by design. We work with the world’s leading business and productivity apps – delivered through a single application and interface. Learn more at
webex.com.