NBC Sports and Adidas invest in this year's Augusta National Women's Amateur golf tournament
The GIST: Call it a masterstroke — or two. This year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) golf tournament, which tees off today, is buzzier than ever thanks to upgraded investment from two heavy-hitters: NBC Sports and Adidas.
The broadcast: NBC Sports is offering live coverage during the four-day event, beginning with Golf Channel and Peacock’s broadcasts of the first and second round. Golf Channel will also cover Friday’s practice rounds, with Saturday’s final round airing live on NBC and Peacock.
- In previous years, the broadcaster only aired Saturday’s final round on its platforms but changed tack following a meeting with Augusta National officials after last year’s event.
The collection: Adidas unveiled the Our [Fair]way Floral Collection on Monday, a new batch of women-designed golf apparel. Amateur world No. 1 and Adidas athlete Rose Zhang is the face of the campaign and will sport fresh gear during this week’s competition, as will PGA players competing at next week’s Masters. Talk about a lewk.
The context: The ANWA champ is invited to compete at several LPGA events, but the amateur event is otherwise unattached to the pro tour. The tournament falls under the umbrella of the Augusta National Golf Club — which also hosts a men’s amateur event and the PGA’s Masters — and rides the popular men’s major’s hype train in its buildup.
Zooming out: Brand dollars are flooding women’s golf, and NBC’s increased coverage both matches the sponsorship fervor and creates new ad inventory to sell. The new investment also aligns with a growing sense that Augusta National’s events are a package deal with men and women, which is all the rage in the sport. Golf and business partners.
