Press Room > Press Release
PGA TOUR Champions Sign with Stanford Financial Group
1/12/2007
Houston, TX (January 12, 2007) – Vijay Singh, who just garnered his 30th PGA TOUR win at the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Kapalua, Hawaii, and David Toms, who placed 8th at the PGA TOUR season opener have signed multi-year endorsement deals with Stanford Financial Group. The announcement represents a continued enhanced presence with the PGA TOUR for Stanford, a Houston-based global financial services company. Stanford is the new title sponsor for the 2007 Stanford St. Jude Championship in Memphis, set for June 4-10 at TPC Southwind.
Specific financial terms of the endorsement deals with both PGA TOUR champions were not disclosed. The endorsement agreements include logo representation, personal appearances and inclusion in Stanford internal and external branding initiatives. Just this past November, Stanford announced an endorsement agreement with Colombian golfer Camilo Villegas. Villegas is the first native-born Colombian to qualify for The Masters, and his popularity in his native Colombia caused Colombian TV to pick up 30 PGA TOUR golf broadcasts in 2006. A Rookie-of-the-Year contender, he had four top-five finishes last year highlighted by his 2nd place finish one shot behind Tiger Woods at the Ford Championship at Doral.
Recently inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, Singh, who is 43, set a record for wins over the age of 40 with his recent PGA TOUR victory in Hawaii. He was the PGA TOUR money leader in 2003 and 2004, and in addition to his 30 PGA TOUR wins, has won 22 international victories and three Major Championship titles, including the PGA Championship in 1998 and 2004 and the Masters in 2000. He arrived on the PGA TOUR in the United States in 1993 and won in his first year while garnering Rookie-of-the-Year honors. He has been a member of the international team for all six of the President's Cup competitions.
Toms is the winner of 12 PGA TOUR titles, and is currently ranked 19th in the world. He is a three-time Ryder Cup team member and a two-time President's Cup team member.
According to R. Allen Stanford, Chairman and CEO of Stanford Financial Group, the international appeal of both the game of golf and these particular players is a fit with Stanford's global reach. Singh is a native of the Fiji Islands, Villegas is from Colombia and Toms is from Shreveport, LA.
"We are a private wealth management company with a presence both in the U.S. and abroad. Golf is a sport that transcends borders, and that's a key reason why we've aligned our brand with the PGA TOUR and with these champions. They represent the diverse personality of the game of golf - in terms of age and nationality. We're proud that they've agreed to represent our company and wear our eagle shield. I'm especially proud of Vijay for his recent victory at the Mercedes-Benz Championship. Everyone likes to be associated with a winner, so I guess our timing in agreeing to endorse Vijay was a victory for us both," said Stanford.
Singh said he's delighted to join forces with Stanford - and thrilled with his recent PGA TOUR win. "It's great to partner with a company like Stanford that brings such integrity and excellence to its business. In all my dealings with the company and its executives, I get a real sense of their desire to be at the top of their game. That's a desire I suppose we share, and I'm glad that my desire to win brought me a victory in Hawaii," said Singh.
About Stanford
Stanford Financial Group is a privately held, wholly owned global group of financial services companies founded by Lodis B. Stanford in 1932. Stanford's core businesses are private wealth management and investment banking for institutions and emerging growth companies. Stanford offers private and institutional investors global expertise in asset allocation strategies, investment advisory services, equity research, international private banking and trust administration, commercial banking, investment banking, merchant banking, institutional sales and trading, real estate investment and insurance. Stanford serves clients from 126 countries on six continents. Securities products and services offered through Stanford Group Company, member NASD/SIPC. More information on the company can be found at www.stanfordfinancial.com