BREAKING: WHOOP, PGA Tour Announce Multi-Year Partnership with Exclusive Insight

In the event you haven’t heard of Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka or Scott Stallings, then you’re probably not aware that physical fitness and general well-being has become a top priority of many PGA Tour. Indeed, with the value of the long ball, it’s become evident that being really, really good at golf isn’t enough to win. To the contrary, in addition to possessing top tier skills, it’s necessary to have athletic prowess and a well-conditioned and cared for body.

To help ensure that athletes are getting as close to optimal as possible, many PGA Tour golfers, including Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas, have been spotted wearing WHOOP fitness trackers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The short version of “what is a WHOOP” is that it is a holistic fitness tracker that captures data on everything from your activity intensity (whether that means a normal day at work, a casual walk around the block or an intense workout) to sleep “performance” and recovery. In other words, WHOOP tells you how hard you’re pushing yourself and when your body is ready for more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Notably, WHOOP’s proprietary algorithms have had success in detecting COVID-19 infections even before the user starts exhibiting systems. Some may remember when PGA Tour golfer Nick Watney, after testing negative, discovered mid-tournament at the RBC Heritage that he had COVID. Interestingly, WHOOP data showed that Watney’s respiratory rate had a big spike before he started feeling unwell and tested positive.

Shortly thereafter, the PGA Tour and WHOOP partnered up and distributed over 1,000 WHOOP Straps to players, caddies and other essential personnel at PGA TOUR, Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Champions events.

It’s worth noting that I have been a WHOOP user for over a year now (and just renewed for another 12-month period) and have experienced a tremendous improvement in my well being. I prioritize fitness, better eating habits and quality rest. Indeed, WHOOP data over the past month has helped me drastically improve my well being by providing analytics that have enabled me to recover better, push harder in workouts to get stronger and lose unwanted weight. To date, the only downside I’ve found is my WHOOP tan-line (which compliments my golfer sock, sleeve and glove hand tan-lines).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Unsurprisingly, WHOOP has been a huge hit on the PGA Tour and, as a result, the PGA Tour and WHOOP are announcing a multi-year partnership naming WHOOP as the “Official Fitness Wearable of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions” and a “Sponsor of PGA TOUR Active.” But what really helps separate this partnership from others is that golf fans will be provided with industry exclusive and never-seen-before content that will reveal how JT feels before making that greenside bunker shot to bring home a win and take the lead in FedEx Cup points.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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To explain, WHOOP and the TOUR will be implementing a WHOOP Live for Charity initiative to highlight player biometric data and heart rate during defining moments throughout the season with those real-time metrics integrated into video content. Featured players will receive a $10,000 contribution to the charity of their choice on behalf of WHOOP and the TOUR. Fans can follow these moments at #WHOOPLIVE beginning in 2021.

“We are excited to grow our partnership with WHOOP and utilize their health technology to optimize the way our athletes train, recover and sleep,” said Brian Oliver, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President of Corporate Partnerships. “Our athletes understand the importance of maintaining their health to ensure peak competitive performance, career longevity and overall well-being. The WHOOP Strap will help our athletes unlock actionable insights via physiological data to help them understand and prepare their bodies for competition. We’re eager to begin a first-of-its-kind activation at the TOUR that will incorporate player biometric data with defining moments from the golf course to create fascinating content for fans.”

Following the overwhelming positive reception of WHOOP on the PGA Tour from last summer, the official partnership is a natural evolution from the collaborative efforts to find new solutions to support TOUR athletes at all levels.

“WHOOP has organically grown amongst the world’s best golfers for years and we are proud to take our relationship with the PGA TOUR and all athletes to the next level,” said Will Ahmed, WHOOP Founder & CEO. “This partnership is particularly new and innovative in that it will bring heart rate and other engaging physiological metrics directly into the fan experience.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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WHOOP will activate and create custom content within PGA TOUR Active, a new TOUR initiative highlighting health, fitness and lifestyles of professional golfers, where fans get an inside look into the techniques and activities helping the best players, such as Rory McIlroy, in the world perform at their peak.

“I’ve been a WHOOP member for a number of years and having the ability to monitor my recovery on a daily basis is helpful for my overall performance. WHOOP has been everywhere on TOUR in 2020 and this new partnership will unlock the future of athletic performance and professional golf,” said Rory, WHOOP Investor and 4-time Major Champion. “And now fans will have access to player data that will change the way they experience and engage with the game.”

Throughout the partnership, PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions and Korn Ferry Tour players and trainers will receive the latest products and technology from WHOOP to assist in monitoring their health. WHOOP will have an amplified onsite presence at all PGA TOUR events to provide VIP support and incorporate that technology with training and recovery staff on the PGA TOUR’s state-of-the-art Player Performance Centers that travel to PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions events and bring state-of-the-art fitness equipment and care to its athletes throughout the season.

Cover Image via WHOOP