Jason Day is now the world's best golfer and one Bellevue, Wash.-based travel expense software company couldn't be more thrilled.
When Concur first announced that it was sponsoring Jason Day a little more than a year ago, it seemed like a peculiar combo. First of all, why was Concur — which was acquired by SAP for $8.3 billion this past September — sponsoring a golfer? And second, why Day? The then-26-year-old was among the best professional golfers, but he wasn't exactly a household name.
Jason Day speaks at Concur's headquarters in Bellevue, Wash. this past June.
Fast forward to today, and the decision has certainly already paid dividends. Day has had a career-best year on tour in 2015 and won his first major title this past August at the PGA Championship.
The pro golfer, who also finished ninth at the U.S. Open near Seattle in June and fourth at the British Open in July, continued his hot streak after the PGA Championship, winning The Barclays by six shots on Aug. 30 and then setting a PGA Tour 36-hole scoring record en route to a BMW Championship win last week — an achievement that helped propel the Australian atop the world's golf rankings for the first time ever.
Day's success is fantastic news for Concur, whose logo is stitched on the upper left area of his golf shirts.
Editor's note: Concur CEO Steve Singh and President Elena Donio will speak at the GeekWire Summit on Oct. 1. Get your tickets here.
Concur, which had not previously sponsored an individual athlete, decided to venture into the golf sponsorship world early last year.
Jason Day (center) packs backpacks with food with Concur Chief Marketing Office Jerame Thurik and President Elena Donio.
Concur's marketing team then honed in on Day after looking for a golfer who could represent the company's core values. Thurik said that Concur identified with Day immediately after meeting him in person, and soon the golfer inked a multi-year deal with his first technology sponsor.
Jason Day poses with Concur employees after visiting the company in June to help stuff backpacks with food to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of King County.
Thurik said that the partnership with Day extends past the golf course, too. For example, earlier this year Concur was the title sponsor of the inaugural charity golf event for The Brighter Days Foundation, a non-profit run by Day and his wife Ellie. When the couple visited Concur's HQ in June, they helped stuff backpacks with food to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of King County.