Pirelli teams with Italian golfer Francesco Molinari

Feb. 19, 2013

Pirelli & Cie SpA is adding golf sponsorship to its sports marketing activities. The company is partnering with Italian golfer Francesco Molinari in 2013.

Molinari joins famed soccer club F.C. Internazionale Milano as one of Pirelli’s select athletic sponsorships outside of motorsports.

“Our dedication to continued investment in the North American market includes plans for increased brand awareness through strategic and innovative methods,” says Pirelli Tire North America Inc. Chairman and CEO Paolo Ferrari. “A portion of our premium strategy has always remained outside the immediate industrial sector in the world of sports, arts and culture; much of this is what lends itself to differentiating the brand as more than just a tire company.”

Currently 35th in the world standings, Molinari turned professional in 2005. In 2009, he made history alongside his brother, Edoardo Molinari, when Italy won the World Cup for the first time.

He also has won three times on the European Tour (HSBC Champions, Telecom Italian Open and Reale Seguros Open de España) and has played twice on winning European Ryder Cup teams (2010, 2012).

“I am very honored to be able to announce Pirelli as a sponsor for 2013,” says Molinari. “I have followed their success in all motorsports, especially in Formula 1, and I hope to be a good ambassador for them as they enter into the world of golf."

Molinari begins his United States tournament schedule Feb. 18-24 at the Accenture Match Play Championship in Marana, Ariz., near Tucson. The match play championship is a World Golf Championship event.