MIDLAND, Mich. – July 12, 2021 – Dow (NYSE: DOW), the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and the Ladies European Tour (LET) announced today that Dow will serve as the Official Sustainability Resource for the organizations.
The move symbolizes Dow’s commitment to help sectors continue to develop, mobilize and accelerate effective action, and generate far-reaching results across a range of priority themes connected to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The partnership is a four-year commitment to collaborate toward these goals – creating a strategic blueprint for sustainable action across women’s professional golf that will extend existing initiatives in equity, diversity and inclusion, and strengthen approaches to climate action, promotion of biodiversity, and reductions in resource use and waste.
Together, Dow, the LPGA and the LET aim to deliver direct positive impacts; generate tangible and lasting legacies; share knowledge; and celebrate credible and inspirational leadership examples.
"Our work with the LPGA and LET is perfectly in step with Dow’s ambitious 2025 sustainability goals, specifically by leading a blueprint for sustainability and engaging with communities, customers and employees for positive impact," said Mary Draves, chief sustainability officer and vice president, Environment, Health & Safety, Dow. "Through creative collaborations with like-minded partners, we can help ensure the well-being of people and the planet through the power of sport."
"We have a history with Dow in promoting inclusion and career advancement for women in golf and we’re excited to expand this effort through this first-of-its kind partnership," said Kelly Hyne, LPGA Chief Sales Officer. "As one of the world’s longest-running women's professional sports associations, we have a distinct opportunity to drive meaningful change among tournaments, players, fans and the communities that welcome us by taking action on sustainability – socially, environmentally and economically."
As the Official Sustainability Resource, Dow is working closely with the GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf (GEO) — a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring, supporting and recognizing sustainability in and through golf around the world. Dow and GEO will provide expertise to help develop LPGA and LET strategy, plus support and solutions to ensure effective and impactful delivery. GEO brings a wealth of experience to the table, working collaboratively with golf governing bodies, associations, athletes and media over the last 15 years. More widely, GEO has been highly active in the mainstream movement of sustainability, consulting with government agencies, NGOs, and business and supply chain platforms to bring the latest knowledge and insights to sustainability solutions for golf associations, tournaments, venues and athletes.
The expanded collaboration is an evolution of the success achieved at the inaugural Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational (Dow GLBI) in 2019, which became the first LPGA tournament to be GEO Certified®.
The first year of Dow as the Official Sustainability Resource will be dedicated to creating a baseline for long-term success, as well as exploring immediate opportunities for new action in inclusion, diversity and environmental stewardship. The program will expand to include developing initiatives which will promote sustainability and events centered on education and empowerment of young female golfers.
"Golf can play a highly valuable role in both championing and delivering on important social and environmental issues," said LET Chief Executive Officer Alexandra Armas. "Alongside partners such as Dow and the GEO Foundation, we are able to develop our leadership, support others and then celebrate powerful stories across our community. We are inspired to take action on some of the most important issues of our time - fostering nature; conserving resources; taking climate action; and strengthening communities through women’s professional golf."
The LET and Dow also collaborate on “Celebrating the Green,” an initiative spearheaded by the LET to celebrate and inspire change around conservation, climate and community across women’s golf.
Dow has been working alongside the LPGA since 2018 as the association’s Official Marketing Partner.
For more information on how Dow is helping bring new levels of sustainability and innovation to the game of golf, visit www.dow.com/golf.
About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation and leading business positions to achieve profitable growth. The Company’s ambition is to become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company, with a purpose to deliver a sustainable future for the world through our materials science expertise and collaboration with our partners. Dow’s portfolio of plastics, industrial intermediates, coatings and silicones businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated science-based products and solutions for its customers in high-growth market segments, such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer care. Dow operates 106 manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 35,700 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $39 billion in 2020. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information, please visit www.dow.com or follow @DowNewsroom on Twitter.
About the LPGA
The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women, with a goal to change the face of golf by making the sport more accessible and inclusive.
Created in 1950 by 13 Founders, the Association celebrates a diverse and storied history. The LPGA Tour competes across the globe, reaching television audiences in more than 220 countries. The Symetra Tour, the LPGA’s official qualifying tour, consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. The LPGA also holds a joint-venture collaboration with the Ladies European Tour (LET), increasing playing opportunities for female golfers in Europe. Across the three Tours, the LPGA represents players in more than 60 countries.
Additionally, the LPGA Foundation has empowered and supported girls and women since 1991, most notably through LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, the only national program of its kind, which annually engages with nearly 100,000 girls. The LPGA Amateur Golf Association and LPGA Women’s Network provide virtual and in-person connections to female golfers around the world, while LPGA Professionals are educators, business leaders and gamechangers dedicated to growing the game of golf for everyone.
Follow the LPGA on its U.S. television home, Golf Channel, online at www.LPGA.com and on its mobile apps. Join the social conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About LET
The LET inspires women and girls to pursue their passion and realise their potential through the game of golf. At our core, we aim to build and deliver an extensive competitive schedule of events to enable our strong, energetic, proud, and confident players to compete at the highest level, pursue their dreams and lead by example.
Our diverse and multicultural membership of 316 professional golfers represents as many as 36 countries. We are a global tour with roots in Europe. We aim to entertain and excite, but also to enhance health and quality of life, as a responsible, committed and respectful partner.
Inspiring – our players are inspiring role models to follow and encourage others to pursue their own dreams.
Passionate – we are driven by a passion to perform to our full potential and get better every day. It’s not just about the money or the glory, but a true love for the game.
Committed – we are fiercely committed to continuous improvement and recognise the grit that it takes to achieve long-term goals.
The 2021 LET season is the 43rd series of golf tournaments since the professional tour was founded in 1978 and marks the second edition of the Race to Costa del Sol. This year’s schedule includes 28 events in 20 different countries, including the Summer Olympics and the Solheim Cup, and a record-breaking prize fund of over €19 million.
The LET Access Series is the official development tour of the LET, formed to give players an opportunity to compete and progress onto the LET and achieve their dreams in professional golf.
About GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf
GEO Foundation is the international not-for-profit dedicated to advancing sustainability in and through golf. Its goal is to work collaboratively to help the sport embrace environmental and social issues and become widely acclaimed for its proactive leadership role in fostering nature, conserving resources, building stronger communities and taking climate action. In addition to its strategic support through partnerships with associations, GEO assures the OnCourse® programmes for grassroots golf facilities, new developments and tournaments, each of which can lead to the internationally accredited, endorsed and independently verified GEO Certified® label. Follow on @sustainablegolf and www.sustainable.golf.
For further information, please contact:
Chris Chandler
(989) 615-1685
CMChandler@dow.com