Golf Channel announced a new, multi-year partnership with The Antigua Group, makers of Antigua and Slazenger apparel, making Antigua the official apparel of the Golf Channel Am Tour, the largest amateur golf tour in North America.

The Golf Channel Am Tour has more than 60 local tours throughout the United States, boasting more than 5,000 members.  The Tour is open to the public and provides a professional tournament experience for players of all ages and abilities, as well as offering unparalleled access to some of the most renowned and challenging golf courses across the country

“Antigua is one of the top apparel brands in the golf industry, and we are pleased to have them aboard the Golf Channel Am Tour team,” said Gene Pizzolato, chief operating officer for Golf Channel New Media Ventures.

Golf Channel Am Tour members will receive Antigua apparel as a part of their membership welcome packs. The Antigua brand also will be woven into all Golf Channel Am Tour local championships, regional major championships and the 2010 Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships, Sept. 21-29 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

“All of us at Antigua are very proud to be the Official Apparel of the Golf Channel Am Tour, said Ron McPherson, president and CEO of The Antigua Group.  “Antigua has served the  apparel needs of the golf industry for over 30 years, and partnering with the Golf Channel Am Tour to create more interest in the game is another terrific milestone for our Brand.”

Each year, thousands of amateur golfers compete at a wide range of elite courses through the Golf Channel Am Tour, including PGA West, TPC Sawgrass, PGA National, Barton Creek, Innisbrook, Kingsmill and The Greenbrier to name a few.  Currently, the Tour conducts more than 800 local championships nationwide, culminating annually with the National Championships. The 2010 National Championships is a 72-hole stroke-play competition that determines the National Champion in each of six flights in senior and open divisions.

Headquartered in Peoria, Ariz., The Antigua Group, www.antigua.com, through its license sports division, holds license agreements with Major and Minor League Baseball (MLB), the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), along with numerous American universities and colleges for men's women's and children's apparel, headwear and outerwear. Its golf division also holds license agreements with the PGA TOUR, LPGA and the PGA of America