The LPGA’s Epson Tour and Ascensus announced a three-year partnership Tuesday at a press conference at Newport Group’s Orlando office. Ascensus will sponsor the Epson Tour’s "Race for the Card," which awards the top 10 players on the money list with an LPGA card for the following season.

Ascensus is a pillar in the financial community, offering services and expertise to institutions, advisors and state governments and allowing millions of people to save for retirement and other major life moments.

Morning Read’s Kelly Okun spoke with David Musto, the president and CEO of Ascensus, to learn more about his company’s first investment in the sports industry.

“Golf and financial services are both competitive fields – and maintaining a competitive edge in either requires personal commitment and discipline. You can see it on the course with these talented athletes and in our business and our people,” Musto said. “Companies in our industry often look to sports to create awareness given that shared competitive spirit. We also think our mission to help people save for what matters resonates with the fans, supporters, and followers of the LPGA, the Epson Tour, and the Ascensus Race for the Card.”

The Epson Tour is building momentum in the golf world, having recently signed a five-year deal with Epson, and Ascensus is joining the rise.

“Choosing women’s golf for our first-ever sports sponsorship just makes sense. The LPGA has a wonderful global reputation and resonates across markets, industries, and genders. And like Ascensus, the LPGA and the athletes who compete on the tour are committed to excellence and a strong focus on diversity, equity, and inclusiveness," Musto said. "We are extremely proud of the role played by the exceptional women leaders and associates who make Ascensus a better organization and bring their best selves for our clients and partners, every day.

“The Epson Tour, the Road to the LPGA, and the Ascensus Race for the Card all align beautifully with our values and our brand. It’s exciting to be part of the story as these terrific athletes go after their dreams and launch themselves to the world stage in their profession.”

When asked what Ascensus hopes to achieve with this sponsorship, Musto said, “Partnership is at the heart of everything we do – and sponsoring the Ascensus Race for the Card offers wonderful opportunities for the constituents we serve to engage with these talented athletes, our people, and our brand mission.

“We’re behind each of these competitors and want to be witness to their success. Giving the partners we serve the opportunity to meet the athletes, to cheer them on, and to be inspired by their performances is inspiring and helps cultivate even stronger relationships.

“Equally as important, our role with the Ascensus Race for the Card reflects and mirrors our strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness.”

With Ascensus joining as the Epson Tour's newest partner, the players have gained a huge supporter who can make their dreams of playing on the LPGA Tour a reality

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. (May 24, 2022) – The Epson Tour and Ascensus have announced a three-year sponsorship agreement to make the company the official title sponsor of the Ascensus Race for the Card, the season-long chase for LPGA Tour membership. As the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA, the Epson Tour is in its 42nd year of structured competition.

This partnership represents the first sports-related sponsorship investment for Ascensus, which provides tax-advantaged savings technology, services and expertise, and enables institutional partners, advisors and state governments to help more than 15 million people save for retirement, education and healthcare across the United States. Every season, the top-10 players in the Ascensus Race for the Card earn LPGA Tour membership for the following year. Ascensus joins the LPGA family to lend financial support and enhance the visibility of the journey for athletes striving to achieve their dreams.

The Epson Tour and Ascensus deal is effective immediately and extends through the 2025 calendar year. “This partnership shines a spotlight on the Ascensus Race for the Card and stories of athletes competing for their spot on the LPGA Tour,” said Mike Nichols, the Chief Business Officer of LPGA Qualifying Tours. “Whatever financial goals savers are trying to reach, Ascensus and its partners help them get there—a commitment that aligns perfectly with their support of the competitors on the Epson Tour and their road to the LPGA.” Ascensus and the Epson Tour commit to enhancing coverage of the Ascensus Race for the Card through promotional activities and their efforts to support all Epson Tour members throughout their time on Tour and upon graduation to the LPGA. The platform of both organizations will demonstrate an ongoing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and include on-course engagement, as well as visibility and promotion online and across social media. “The talented athletes competing in the Ascensus Race for the Card—and the drive and determination they demonstrate—are great examples of never giving up on your goals and being willing to do the hard work to get there,” said David Musto, president and CEO of Ascensus. “We’re proud to champion these outstanding individuals on their journey to the biggest stage in women’s professional golf, and we look forward to watching their success for years to come.” During the 2021 LPGA Tour season, nine former Ascensus Race for the Card graduates or Epson Tour alumnae claimed 12 LPGA Tour wins, led by Rolex Rankings No. 2 Nelly Korda, who captured four titles plus a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Other notable LPGA players who got their start on the Epson Tour include major champions Inbee Park from the Republic of Korea, Lorena Ochoa of Mexico, and Australia’s Hannah Green. These individuals exemplify the international draw of the Epson Tour, which annually attracts players from more than 40 countries. Over the last seven years, 65 players from 21 nations have graduated via the Race for the Card. “Ascensus is a company rooted in a noble purpose—helping people save for what matters—because we believe everyone deserves to feel financially secure,” added Musto. “We’re delighted to associate the Ascensus brand with these dedicated athletes competing for LPGA membership and helping create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive world in this sport and beyond.” The 2022 Epson Tour schedule features 21 tournaments and continues this week with the Inova Mission Inn Championship at Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. The 2022 Ascensus Race For the Card graduates will be finalized upon the conclusion of the season-ending Epson Tour Championship, Oct. 6-9 at LPGA International in Daytona Beach.

Ascensus and its affiliated companies help millions of people save for what matters—retirement, education, and healthcare. Through co-branded, private-labeled, and other governmental partnerships, our technology, market insights, and business knowledge enhance the growth and success of our partners, their clients, and savers. Ascensus is a leading recordkeeping services provider, third-party administrator, and government savings facilitator in the United States.

On April 8, 2022, Newport merged with Ascensus. Newport is a leading retirement services provider that helps employers—and the advisors who serve them—prepare employees for a more financially secure retirement through non-qualified and qualified retirement plan solutions, corporate- and bank-owned life insurance, and fiduciary and total rewards services.

The unified company, operating as Ascensus, has more than $745 billion in assets under administration, serves more than 15 million savers across the U.S., and employs more than 5,500 associates.

For more information, visit ascensus.com and newportgroup.com.

ABOUT EPSON TOUR The Epson Tour (formerly the Symetra Tour) is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 42nd competitive season in 2022. With the support of entitlement partner Seiko Epson Corporation, the Tour’s mission is to prepare the world’s best female professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. In the last decade, the Epson Tour has grown from 15 tournaments and $1.6 million in prize money to $4.41 million awarded across 20+ events in 2022. With more than 600 graduates and alumnae moving on to the LPGA Tour, former Epson Tour players have won 459 LPGA titles. Follow the Epson Tour at www.epsontour.com, as well as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. ABOUT EPSON Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to co-creating sustainability and enriching communities by leveraging its efficient, compact, and precision technologies and digital technologies to connect people, things, and information. The company is focused on solving societal issues through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, manufacturing, visual and lifestyle. Epson’s goal is to become carbon negative and eliminate use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050. Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of around JPY 1 trillion. Epson America, Inc., based in Los Alamitos, Calif., is Epson’s regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Kelly Okun, the strategic partnership development manager for Morning Read, is a professional golfer turned professional golf fan. After playing at William & Mary for four years (Go Tribe!), she spent her next five years competing around the world.