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PGA Competitor Kokrak Signs Deal with Covelli
WARREN, Ohio – Warren native and PGA Tour professional Jason Kokrak calls a new sponsorship inked with Covelli Enterprises a "great start" to what he foresees will be a long-standing relationship with the company and the community.
"I've always been a hometown guy and I want to represent as well as I can Warren and northeast Ohio," Kokrak said during a press event Friday at Covelli's East Market Street headquarters. "This is where I grew up, and he's done a lot for this community."
Sam Covelli, the president of Covelli Enterprises, said it's exciting for his company to be associated with a rising young player on the PGA tour.
"I have followed his career since his high school days at Warren John F. Kennedy and have always been impressed with him on and off the golf course," Covelli said in a statement. "I look forward to him representing our company this year and watching him as he continues his rise as one of the best young players in golf."
The 27 year-old Kokrak, who now lives in Charlotte, N.C., completed his rookie year on the PGA Tour with two top-10 finishes, a tie for ninth place at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and a tie for second place at the Frys.com Open.
Kokrak will hit the links Jan. 7 at the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he'll sport a shirt embroidered with the Panera Bread logo.
As part of the sponsorship deal, Kokrak will wear the Panera Bread logo on his shirt during every PGA event in which he participates.
"Anytime somebody from the Valley makes it on the PGA Tour is special," said Allen Ryan, director of corporate affairs for Covelli Enterprises. "We're excited. This is a unique opportunity to help Jason and get some exposure for our brand in places where we normally wouldn't get it."
Financial details of the sponsorship agreement were not divulged.
Attracting sponsorships largely depends on how much television time a player receives, Kokrak said. "The major sponsorships want to see how many seconds you're on TV, how many times you've played well," he said.
Kokrak has an agreement with Cleveland Golf to use that brand of clubs on the tour.
In 2012, Kokrak was ranked 119th on the PGA Tour money list with $750,221 in earnings. The top 125 are awarded an automatic tour card for 2013.
Kokrak said his strong showings at Pebble Beach and the Frys.com Open helped his standings.
"The tie for second was a great thrill for me, a great rush," he said. "It gives me a lot of confidence, a lot to look back upon when I put myself in that position again. Hopefully we can go out there and get that first win, but I'd be happy just to play well and earn my PGA Tour card from year to year."
Among the closest relationships he's developed on the tour are with veteran pros Jim Furyk and Mark O'Meara. Kokrak says his strongest influences stem from his ties to the Mahoning Valley, his father and high school coaches.
Copyright 2012 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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