LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Simmons Bank has signed a five-year presenting sponsorship agreement with the Arkansas State Golf Association (ASGA). As part of the partnership, a new amateur event, the Simmons Bank Cup, will be established. The inaugural, Ryder Cup-style tournament will be held at the TPC Southwind golf course in Memphis, Tennessee from April 11–13, 2021. The annual tournament will match amateur champions from the ASGA and the Tennessee Golf Association (TGA) for a chance to win the Simmons Bank Cup.
“Building long-term partnerships that enrich our communities and contribute to the development of youth is fundamental to who we are at Simmons Bank,” said George Makris, Jr. chairman and CEO of Simmons First National Corporation. “We are honored to work with the Arkansas State Golf Association to support its mission and establish this annual event.”
“The Simmons Bank Cup is primed to be a premier event at a world class course, in which the best players from Arkansas and Tennessee participate and help us grow excitement around the game,” said Joe Mowery, president of the ASGA board of directors. “Simmons Bank has been a fixture of Arkansas for more than a century and ASGA is delighted to partner on this new endeavor.”
As part of the partnership, Simmons Bank will also sponsor the “Monk” Wade Junior Classic held annually in Little Rock. The ASGA event honors Charles “Monk” Wade, who served as ASGA executive director from 1975-1990. The tournament is open to male and female golfers from seven to 18 years of age. The 2021 “Monk” Wade Classic presented by Simmons Bank will be held at The First Tee of Central Arkansas from May 8–9, 2021.
The announcement of the Simmons Bank Cup follows the bank’s February 2020 deal to become the eight-year title sponsor of the Korn Ferry Tour’s Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation, previously known as the Nashville Golf Open.
###
About Simmons Bank
Simmons Bank is an Arkansas state-chartered bank that began in 1903. Through the decades, Simmons has developed a full suite of financial products and services designed to meet the needs of individual consumers and business customers alike. Simmons has grown steadily and today operates more than 200 branch locations throughout Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. Simmons is the subsidiary bank for Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ: SFNC), a publicly traded bank holding company headquartered in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, with total consolidated assets of $22.3 billion as of Dec. 31, 2020. For more information, visit https://simmonsbank.com/.
About the Arkansas State Golf Association
Founded in 1915, the Arkansas State Golf Association (ASGA) is a non-profit 501(c)3 association with over 11,000 individual members and 126-member clubs. The ASGA is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, comprised of men and women from across the state, and has a four-person paid staff that maintain an office in Little Rock. Through their programs the ASGA has the ability to touch the lives of golfers of all ages and skill levels in the state of Arkansas. Our scholarship program alone has provided over $400,000 in scholarship dollars to young men and women since its inception, and currently helps 19 young students toward their goal of a college degree. We look forward to continuing our efforts in growing the game of golf and supporting the next generation of golf ambassadors.
About the Tennessee Golf Association
Founded in 1914, the Tennessee Golf Association has been dedicated to serving the needs of TGA member golf courses and the needs of amateur golfers in Tennessee for over a century. The TGA hosts 19 state championship tournaments every year, highlighted by the Tennessee Open, the Golf Capital of Tennessee Women’s Open, the Tennessee Amateur Championship and the Tennessee Women’s Amateur. The TGA also operates the USGA’s Golf Handicap and Information Network (GHIN), which provides a uniform handicap service to all golfers in Tennessee. The TGA is the direct liaison between amateur golfers in Tennessee and the United States Golf Association (USGA).
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
ASHLEY LEOPOULOS
Simmons Bank
Public Relations Manager
501.413.7055 (mobile)
ashley.leopoulos@simmonsbank.com