The International Sports Promotion Society has recently become the title sponsor of the Senior Open, which features professional male golfers 50 and over.
As Europe’s sole major championship for seniors, it ranks among the most prestigious tournaments globally, alongside the Senior PGA Championship and the U.S. Senior Open. Furthermore, the ISPS will host two standard men’s tours and a senior tour in Japan this year while supporting the Women’s Scottish Open as its title sponsor.
The development was announced at a May 20 news conference at the Hilton Tokyo Odaiba, where speakers from the involved parties, including ISPS founder and Chairman Haruhisa Handa, spoke about the details.
The ISPS was established in 2006 with the purpose of enabling individuals with disabilities to enjoy and participate in sports. Building upon its ongoing commitment to the welfare of people with disabilities, the international charity now supports diverse sports organizations and events worldwide. This support stems from the belief that sports possess the power to inspire and transform society, unite individuals and communities and foster world peace.
The R&A’s Chief Commercial Officer Neil Armit said that the ISPS’s mission aligns with that of The R&A, which organizes the Senior Open, and praised the charity’s ongoing support for golf globally. He noted that the ISPS has supported European Tour Group events across the world for many years, which makes it a suitable partner for the prestigious Senior Open.
The European Tour, now officially the DP World Tour, is a leading professional golf tour established in 1972 and is considered one of the largest alongside the PGA Tour in the U.S.
The ISPS Handa Senior Open is scheduled to take place at Sunningdale in Berkshire, Britain, from July 25 to 28.
“I know that the players will relish the challenge as they compete for the title over its renowned old course for the prize fund of $2.85 million,” Armit said.
Notable participants in the tournament will include golf legends such as Padraig Harrington, an ISPS Handa ambassador and three-time major champion, K. J. Choi, winner of the 2024 Senior Open, and Bernhard Langer, a 12-time senior major winner.
The ISPS Handa Senior Open will also include a birdie challenge with the aim of raising at least $50,000 to help introduce golf to children in Battambang, Cambodia. The Handa Foundation has been supporting the local community and children there for more than 10 years by building and supporting medical and educational institutions and projects.
The ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open will be held from July 24 to 27 at Dundonald Links in Ayrshire, Britain, with a total purse of $2 million.
One of the two men’s regular golf tours to be hosted by the ISPS this year in Japan will offer the winner a prize of ¥12 million, with the total prize money reaching ¥60 million. It is scheduled to take place at the Gozensui Golf Club in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, from Aug. 14 to 17.
Another one, also in Hokkaido, will be held at Hokkaido Brooks Country Club from Aug. 21 to 24 and will offer total prize money of ¥213 million, including ¥42.6 million for the winner.
The other senior tour event that the ISPS will host later this year will take place at Morinagatakataki Country Club in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, from Nov. 14 to 16, offering total prize money of ¥30 million.
Representatives from Japanese organizations, including the Japan Golf Association, the PGA (of Japan) and Japan Golf Tour Organization, also gave speeches and expressed appreciation for the ISPS’s contribution to promoting the sport.
Japanese pro golfers Naomichi Ozaki and Koki Idoki attended the news conference, while comments and video messages were presented from several other Japanese players, including Isao Aoki, Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki and Tsuneyuki Nakajima.
Handa, a Japanese philanthropist renowned for his dedication and support for the advancement of sports as well as diverse areas of society ranging from arts and education to welfare, said the potential global benefits of sports have always driven his decisions.
“The ISPS’s decisions regarding sponsorship for various sports events have always been based on whether the power and value of sports can be maximized through the events to benefit society,” he said.
Handa went on to express his appreciation for the stakeholders of the golfing events for sharing his vision.
