PGA TOUR, DePuy Mitek Enter 3-Year Marketing Deal

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The PGA TOUR and DePuy Mitek, Inc., a leading orthopaedic sports medicine company, have entered a three-year marketing and education agreement that includes sponsorship of the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour mobile fitness and therapy centers, which are available for player use at tournaments throughout the year.

DePuy Mitek becomes "The Official Mobile Health and Fitness Provider of the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour." DePuy Mitek will work with the PGA TOUR to educate consumers about the importance of maintaining joint health and the prevention and treatment of knee pain due to sports-related injuries or the early symptoms of osteoarthritis.

As part of the sponsorship, DePuy Mitek will sponsor the TOUR's mobile fitness and therapy centers. The facilities are staffed by professional physical therapists, chiropractors and athletic trainers who assist players in rehabilitative and preventive care, as well as personal conditioning programs. Through the new sponsorship, the four trailers -- two on each Tour -- also have been totally renovated with new state-of-the-art fitness and therapy equipment, as well as new interior designs. Reflective of the popularity of the traveling facilities among TOUR members, a committee of players -- including Tom Pernice, Jerry Kelly, Charles Warren, Zach Johnson and Stuart Appleby -- helped select the new equipment installed in the trailers.

The highly popular mobile facilities will feature DePuy Mitek's ORTHOVISC brand, an FDA-approved non-drug therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee that helps people manage knee pain for up to six months. The trailers will also point golfers and non-golfers who suffer from knee pain to educational resources that can help them address their pain. The newly branded trailers debut this week at the Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer.

"We are extremely pleased to enter this new relationship with DePuy Mitek, a leader in sports medicine, to provide players with the highest quality of care while educating our fans about solutions for knee pain," said Tom Wade, Chief Marketing Officer for the PGA TOUR. "As the importance of health and fitness among our players has grown in recent years, the mobile health and fitness program has become an invaluable asset and an essential part of many players' pre- and post-round routines. We often hear about how players overcome injuries and are able to continue in tournaments only because of this onsite service."

DePuy Mitek plans to have an expo presence at a number of tournaments on both the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour to educate consumers about knee pain and treatment options. The Company also will have a presence on PGATOUR.com. Details of this initiative are forthcoming.