Editor’s note: This story featuring Genesis first appeared July 8, 2022 on GGP/Biz, on the eve of the Genesis Scottish Open. It is being rerun today as the Genesis Invitational commences at Riviera Country Club.
The Genesis luxury automotive brand isn’t quite 7 years old, yet almost from its very founding it has been a household name in elite golf circles.
The Genesis Invitational at Riviera annually draws the top field of any regular-season PGA Tour event. This week’s Genesis Scottish Open – the first co-sanctioned event between the PGA and DP World tours – is the strongest non-major field in the European tour’s history. The Genesis Championship annually offers the highest purse on the Korean PGA Tour, which uses a Genesis Points ranking system similar to the FedEx Cup. Genesis is the official car of the next three Presidents Cups pitting Americans against the world.
It’s safe to say Genesis has literally made a name for itself via sponsorship in golf, in short order becoming – pardon a very old expression that could use updating – the “Cadillac” of PGA Tour title sponsors.
“The genesis of Genesis, if you will, also coincides with our involvement in global golf sponsorship,” said Graeme Russell, the chief brand officer of Genesis Motors, LLC.
“Golf is obviously a sport that resonates very strongly with the customers for premium luxury automobiles. … It is a very prestigious portfolio of golf tournaments, and we’re very delighted to be associated with each one.”
Until Genesis applied its name to the former Los Angeles Open in 2017, most Americans probably never had heard of it. Genesis began as the luxury vehicle division of Hyundai, the South Korean automotive manufacturer. In November 2015, the Genesis brand was officially announced as an independent company, eventually launching its first standalone model in 2017, the Genesis G90. The brand quickly earned acclaim, with American consumer research firm J.D. Power naming Genesis the “most dependable automotive brand” in 2020, the “most technologically innovative in North America” in 2021 and the “top premium brand” in 2022.
Its roots in utilizing golf as a marketing strategy went back to its parent company. The PGA Tour’s relationship with the Korean vehicle manufacturer began in 2011 with the Hyundai brand at the Tournament of Champions in Kapalua, Maui. That title sponsorship ran through 2016.
In 2017 – coinciding with the late 2016 U.S. launch of two models (the G80, previously sold as the Hyundai Genesis, and G90, previously sold as the Hyundai Equus) under the newly branded Genesis Motor, LLC – Genesis became the title sponsor of the venerable Riviera event. In 2020, in partnership with the Tiger Woods Foundation, its status was elevated to the Genesis Invitational along with the tour’s other player-hosted events at Bay Hill and Muirfield Village.
“With its successful involvement in the game previously (as Hyundai), there was obviously an opportunity for Genesis to expand the investments in golf,” Russell said. “You can see that not only here in Korea, with the Genesis Championship which we started sponsorship of in 2016, but then in 2017 we obviously looked at our global golf opportunities and became the title sponsor of the Genesis Open at Riviera.”
“Genesis is a brand that’s aggressively growing around the world,” said Christian Hardy, the PGA Tour’s senior vice president of international. “Throughout our partnership, they’ve really taken advantage of activation opportunities and showcasing their products to their customers through our events.”
“Their commitment to the Scottish Open will further enhance one of our premier events of the season.” – Keith Pelley
Four years later, Genesis was ready to expand into the European market. The timing proved fortuitous. When the PGA Tour announced its strategic alliance with the DP World Tour in May 2021, the Scottish Open was set to be the historic first event co-sanctioned by the world’s two leading professional tours. Simultaneously that May, Genesis launched its brand into the European market with the debut of the Genesis G70 Shooting Brake, its strategic model for European drivers.
“We began immediately looking in earnest for ways to bring both (tour) memberships together to compete, and at the exact same time it just so happened that Genesis was looking for an aggressive growth strategy in Europe and the U.K.,” Hardy said. “So, simultaneously, we were looking for a great partner who knew how to use our platform for their benefit. The conversation really became natural, and Genesis had a clear objective to be part of something historic in golf.
“We’ve had a great experience with them in one market. Let’s continue it in other markets, and it just so happened that we have an historic occasion for that to take place.”
In August 2021, Genesis was announced as the title sponsor for the Scottish Open, one of the most prestigious events in Europe.
“Adding an existing strong title sponsor in Genesis to our strategic alliance in the form of the Genesis Scottish Open is a significant step for the global game,” said Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner. “Coupled with their support of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera, we’re incredibly proud to forge a deeper relationship with this premier brand across the global game.”
Keith Pelley, the DP World Tour chief executive, said: “Their commitment to the Scottish Open will further enhance one of our premier events of the season.”
In Genesis’ eyes, it was another perfect match.
“Golf has obviously played a significant role in awareness and our ability to engage potential customers, existing customers,” Russell said. “It was a natural opportunity for us to look at golf as a means of introducing the Genesis brand to a European audience. And the opportunity came up with the Scottish Open, which obviously in itself is an iconic tournament.”
The Genesis name is now attached to two of the most prestigious events in golf. The Genesis Invitational in February attracted each of the top 10 players in the world, a rarity in non-major events. This week’s Genesis Scottish Open has 14 of the top 15 players in the field, including all four reigning major champions: Scottie Scheffler (Masters), Justin Thomas (PGA), Matthew Fitzpatrick (U.S. Open) and Collin Morikawa, who will defend his “champion golfer of the year” title at the 150th Open Championship the following week at St. Andrews.
Strongest field in @DPWorldTour history 🔥🔥🔥🔥 #GenesisScottishOpen | #RolexSeries | #FedExCup pic.twitter.com/2PZXfYEbee
— Genesis Scottish Open (@ScottishOpen) July 2, 2022
That the Genesis luxury brand is applied to such premium events is no accident (after all, it’s the official luxury car for the NFL, giving it a presence at the Super Bowl). Being title affiliated with prestige events enables Genesis not only to utilize the advertising footprint during broadcasts but also present a first-class on-site hospitality experience.
Hardy said that the Genesis standard of on-site presentation is second to none, a mindset that goes all the way to its global head and CEO, Jaehoon “Jay” Chang.
“Genesis is looking to create a premier experience on site for both our fans and those who happen to be their customers and key clientele,” Hardy said. “The way that they activate on site, it is pristine, it is immaculate. There’s precision with how every logo on the cars are pointed in the same way on the tires. It’s incredible their attention to detail. The CEO himself goes around the golf course and will inspect the property to see how the activation takes place and to make sure everything is up to their high standards. It’s very, very impressive. They leave no stone unturned.”
Russell refers to the Korean concept of “son-nim,” the company’s guiding principle relating to its guests (customers) to ensure they are happy and are the focus of attention.
“It really speaks to our inherent Korean hospitality,” he said. “I’ve had the pleasure of being introduced to it, and there’s a real attention to detail as the hospitality experience is very carefully considered. It’s very welcoming. That’s something we’re looking to always bring any time the Genesis brand is involved in an event, but particularly in the game of golf, which we believe lends itself well to hospitality.”
That hospitality extends beyond just the fans on site and the game’s elite players. For instance, both the player and caddie will win a prize for any hole-in-one made during the Genesis Scottish Open.
“We’re really focused on how to create the best possible experience for all participants, whether it be the facilities, the car service, the collection at the airport, and various other parts of their week at a tournament,” Russell said. “The caddies, we believe, are really an integral part of a team it takes for a professional golfer to be successful. On the range, we’ve put in place a new kind of cafeteria lounge for players and caddies and associates to maximize their experience.”
Genesis sees its association with golf as a mutual win for both building its own brand while elevating the PGA Tour events it’s associated with.
“I think you can see really, there’s a sense of supporting the game of golf, if you will,” Russell said. “Our executives, our stakeholders are very, very proud of our support for the game of golf.”