Applied Underwriters Announces 2023 - 2024 Plans for Nation’s Largest Amateur Golf Tournament, the Applied Underwriters Invitational, with Anticipated 11,000 Golfers Set to Compete to Benefit 65 National and Local Charities

Top names in sports join Applied in drive to raise $10 million through the longest-running, most successful charity golf event

Omaha, Nebraska -- Tuesday, April 11, 2023 -- Applied Underwriters, a global risk services leader, has set the dates for the world’s most successful charity golf event, the 2023-2024 Applied Underwriters Invitational. Mr. Jamie Sahara, President of Applied Underwriters, has announced that The Invitational will start on June 3, 2023 and culminate May 1-5, 2024 as winning foursomes from the series of 75 tournaments will be invited to compete in the National Finals for the first time ever at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri.

The Invitational, which has held better than 4,400 tournaments and raised over $276 million in net proceeds in its 35 years, and which has been sponsored by Liberty Mutual, Glenlivet Scotch and General Motors as the Cadillac Classic, has today been adopted by Applied Underwriters to sustain the tradition of national and local charitable contributions made possible through the efforts of the amateur golfers participating in the yearlong series, according to Mr. Sahara who will serve as Commissioner of The Invitational. Mr. Sahara stated, “We have been inspired by the amateur golf enthusiasts, the amazing line up of sports greats, the selection of challenging courses to be played and by the outpouring of support from our business sector of insurance for the support of this undertaking. We plan to garner even greater participation and prestige for the tournament through collaboration with our colleagues in financial services and other major industry sectors and through the use of the widely acknowledged promotional and organizational capacities of Applied. We have made a long-term commitment to it, to the growing amateur field and to the charities that need our help. I am delighted with the leadership team now in place to realize exceptional results including several of golfdom’s greats who have joined together with other sports legends to spur excellence in this competition, including current Ryder Cup Captain and Golf Champion, Luke Donald and Golf Champion Scott Harrington. They are joined by National Chairpersons U.S. Open Champion Curtis Strange, LPGA Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez, golf broadcasting legends Kelly Tilghman and Jim Kelly, and Major League Baseball’s legendary Cy Young award-winner Vida Blue.”

Commenting on the Applied Underwriters Invitational, Luke Donald said, “There is nothing quite like the special thrill you feel during competition, when you find out how you are able to perform under intense pressure and if you can raise your game to new heights when everything is on the line. That is the case here where golfers will compete on championship courses designed by some of golf’s top names, including Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Gary Player, Tom Fazio, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, at the finals in Big Cedar. Created by Bass Pro Shops founder, Johnny Morris, set on 4,600 acres deep in the heart of the Ozarks, it is considered one of the most rewarding golf experiences in the country. I urge amateur golfers everywhere to step up their game and step up for charity.”

Mr. Donald, 45, is former world number one and plays on the U.S. PGA and European Tours. In May 2011, Donald, an Englishman, became the number one golfer in the Official World Golf Ranking after winning the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and held the number one position for 40 weeks before he and Rory McIlroy began years of exchanging the number one position.

Scott Harrington who is a leading U.S. golf competitor at 43 and is a great exponent of the game, also commented: “Applied is doing a lot to make it an even better national event which will demand the concentration, practice and discipline of entrants as they hone their skills on their way up the ladder to the national level – all for social good. Golf is a unique sport where pros and amateurs alike can play with the same seriousness and fever whatever their ability and however and whenever life’s journey affords. Then the scramble format encourages teamwork that ultimately extends to the participants’ service to their communities and to those in need. This is what makes The Invitational so special. I am proud to team up with Applied to score big for charity.”

Loren Shapiro, founder and National Tournament Director of The Invitational, said Applied’s strengths align perfectly with the goals of The Invitational program: “Applied is seriously committed to maximizing the success of The Invitational. We are confident that Applied Underwriters’ new and enhanced title sponsorship will greatly benefit our charitable partners, the events, the program and its impact on the people we work together to serve. We are thrilled to be working with such enthusiastic partners.”

Mr. Sahara noted, “Applied’s attraction to The Invitational, a substantial corporate commitment, reflects the values in our enterprise’s approach to our award-winning care for our clients, especially the injured or those experiencing economic stresses due to damages suffered. The best business leaders share in common with sports champions a drive to win that is coupled with sportsmanlike fairness, the creation of a culture of good conduct and the development of the strength to focus without distraction no matter how dire a problem might be. This approach is best learned at a younger age, usually through competitive sports. We see The Invitational as a societal win and are proud to be the principal force in its continued vitality. We thank our growing list of national sponsors including Cobra Puma Golf, Bridgestone Golf, Bass Pro Shops, The Experience - St. Andrews, Blank Label, Under Armour Eyewear, and Big Cedar Lodge, and our marketing sponsors All American Classics, Global Golf Post, Golf Text, Sportsbox AI, and Inspirato.”

The Applied Underwriters Invitational opens on June 3, 2023 in Pinckney, MI. Those interested in participating in the tournament as sponsors, golfers, charities, and spectators should visit www.invitational.com.

For further information contact:
Ryan Gerding, Public Relations, at +1 (913) 602-8531 or at press@auw.com.

About the Applied Underwriters Invitational (www.invitational.com)
The Applied Underwriters Invitational^™, The #1 Charity Event in Golf^™, supports charitable partners in holding up communities and championing those in need. Each year, over 11,000 golfers play in approximately 75 tournaments benefitting more than 65 national and local charities across the US. Since its inception, The Invitational has conducted more than 4,400 tournaments, raising over $276 million in net proceeds for its benefiting charities.

About Applied Underwriters (www.auw.com)
Applied Underwriters® is a global risk services firm that helps businesses and people manage uncertainty through its business services, insurance and reinsurance solutions. As a company, Applied Underwriters has been distinguished by its innovative approaches to client care and by its strong financial strength. Applied Underwriters operates widely throughout the US, UK, EU and Middle East. Its operational headquarters is located in Omaha, Nebraska.