Hunter Mahan
Royal Bank of Canada is adding Hunter Mahan to the list of high-profile professional golfers that it sponsors.
Canada's biggest bank announced Tuesday morning that Mahan is joining so-called Team RBC, which also includes world No. 1 Luke Donald, Matt Kuchar, major champions Jim Furyk, Ernie Els and Fred Couples, Canadian veterans Mike Weir and Stephen Ames and rising women's star Morgan Pressel.
Hunter, an American who turned 30 last week, is a five-time winner on the PGA Tour and ranked No. 10 in the world.
As part of his sponsorship deal with RBC, he is expected to sport the bank's golden lion logo on the left sleeve of his shirt and on his golf bag. Terms of the multi-year deal were not disclosed.
Mahan's connection to Canada deepens with the deal. He is also sponsored by Sun Life Financial, a Toronto-based insurer and financial services company. He has a Canadian swing coach, Sean Foley, and a Canadian therapist and trainer, Craig Davies.
The native Californian who wears flat-billed golf caps joked earlier this year that he is turning Canadian.
Mahan also plans to compete in the RBC Canadian Open, which begins July 26 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Ancaster, Ont. Furyk and Kuchar have also committed to playing.
Tournament organizer Bill Paul also confirmed that Paul Casey, Brandt Snedeker, 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, Stuart Appleby and fan favourite John Daly have also been added to the tournament field. Daly and former world number one David Duval were extended tournament exemptions to compete in Hamilton.
Next week, Golf Canada and RBC will announce a list of Canadians and other international competitors that have also been extended tournament exemptions.
RBC started endorsing tour players a couple of years ago as it got more deeply involved in sponsoring golf overall as a way to reach and nurture its clients. Canada's biggest bank sponsors the Canadian Open, another PGA Tour event, the RBC Heritage, grassroots initiatives in Canada and the PGA of America.
It also supports some emerging Canadian players, including Maude-Aimée Leblanc, Nick Taylor and Matt Hill.
The only high-profile player that RBC signed and then cut ties with was Anthony Kim, an American whose career has fallen on hard times during a spell of injuries.