- 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 — 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.
“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.”
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.
“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.”
In addition to this partnership announcement, Ally also signed Lilia Vu to Team Ally.
As a centerpiece of the relationship, Ally 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.
