PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL (February 15, 2016) – The PGA TOUR and DEAN & DELUCA today announced an agreement making the specialty foods retailer the title sponsor of the TOUR’s longstanding tournament at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, TX.

The newly named “FORT WORTH Invitational” is scheduled for the week of May 23rd – 29th and has been held at Colonial Country Club for the past 70 years, making it the TOUR’s longest-tenured tournament at a single venue. The six-year sponsorship agreement runs through 2021.

“We are very pleased to introduce DEAN & DELUCA as the new title sponsor of one of the most historic and prestigious tournaments on TOUR,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. “DEAN & DELUCA is recognized for its uncompromising commitment to excellence and customer service in the gourmet food industry and we look forward to working with their team to integrate their brand, products and expertise into the tournament.”

“The partnership with DEAN & DELUCA is very exciting given their expansion plans in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and key PGA TOUR locations across the country,” said tournament chairman Bobby Patton. “For us to celebrate our 70th and, looking ahead, 75th anniversary with DEAN & DELUCA means a lot to Colonial Country Club and the Fort Worth community.”

The FORT WORTH Invitational is among the PGA TOUR leaders in charitable giving, including a record $9.1 million awarded to charities in 2015. The tournament has generated $80 million in cash and services for more than 150 organizations over the past two decades.

“We are delighted to welcome DEAN & DELUCA as the sponsor for such a time honored tradition here in Fort Worth,” said Mayor Betsy Price. “DEAN & DELUCA’s commitment to invest in our community in this way means that the annual tournament at Colonial will continue proudly like it has for the last 70 years.”

The tournament has a unique connection to some of the games’ greatest names. Historically, the tournament and Colonial Country Club are noted for their mutually strong ties to the late golf legend Ben Hogan, a Fort Worth native. The first playing of the FORT WORTH Invitational in 1946 was fittingly won by Hogan, as were the following year’s and three more after that, making him the tournament’s only five-time champion. Today, a bronze statue depicting Hogan’s famed follow-through is outside the clubhouse and inside is the Ben Hogan Trophy Room.

The club honors Hogan’s legacy with The Ben Hogan Award, given to a top college golfer exhibiting excellence in academics as well as college golf. The winner is invited to compete in the following year’s tournament, and the award has kick-started the careers of some of the best young players in the game. Previous recipients include Bill Haas, Hunter Mahan and Rickie Fowler.

Many of the game’s biggest names have won the tournament over the years, including a number of World Golf Hall of Fame members. The defending champion is Chris Kirk, who captured his fourth career PGA TOUR victory by one stroke over Jordan Spieth, Brandt Snedeker and Jason Bohn.

Joel Dean, Giorgio DeLuca, and Jack Ceglic co-founded DEAN & DELUCA in 1977. Their passion for food, innovative merchandising and aesthetic sensibility revolutionized American food culture. Their vision changed the way the professionals, retailers and home chefs think about, prepare and present food. DEAN & DELUCA continues to exert a powerful influence on the global food scene with new stores and new markets throughout the United States and the world. Visit www.deandeluca.com for more information.

The PGA TOUR is the world’s premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 130 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR China.

The PGA TOUR’s mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in the communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.

Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to more than 1 billion households in 227 countries and territories in 30 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2014, tournaments across all Tours generated a record $140.5 million for local and national charitable organizations, after surpassing $2 billion in all-time charitable contributions early in the year.

The PGA TOUR's web site is PGATOUR.COM, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.