Tokyo, April 29, 2021 - Rakuten Group, Inc. today announced the signing of a sponsorship agreement with professional golfer Mone Inami. This marks Rakuten’s first-ever sponsorship of a professional golfer.
- Rakuten Group, Inc.
Rakuten Announces Sponsorship Agreement with Pro Golfer Mone Inami
Inami started playing golf at the age of 10 and passed the test to turn professional in 2018. After winning her first tournament at the Century 21 Ladies Golf Tournament in 2019, Inami received the Rookie of the Year Award from both the Japan Ladies Professional Golfers' Association (JLPGA) and the Golf Tournament Promotion Association of Japan (GTPA). Inami has earned six tournament victories on the JLPGA tour in three years since turning pro, marking her as one of the most promising rising stars in the sport.
As part of the agreement, Inami will take to the course wearing a cap emblazoned with the Rakuten logo and will appear in promotional content for golfers in support of Rakuten GORA, a leading golf reservation service in Japan. Plans are also in place for marketing collaborations with internet shopping mall Rakuten Ichiba, online travel agency Rakuten Travel, and a wide range of other Rakuten Group services.
Rakuten has long valued the unique and impactful role sports play in society, as owner of professional baseball team Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and J.League football club Vissel Kobe. Rakuten has also partnered with Spain’s legendary FC Barcelona football club and the NBA’s Golden State Warriors basketball team. Rakuten enters into this sponsorship agreement with Inami because she shows tremendous promise and has demonstrated her ability to achieve at the highest level.
Mone Inami commented, “I am delighted and honored to partner with Rakuten in this sponsorship agreement, a company which supports top teams and athletes all over the world. The pandemic has deeply affected the lives of so many, and it has required us all to exercise restraint in multiple facets of daily life. But this new agreement has given me a powerful supporter. It has made me want to set my sights even higher. While we continue to play tournaments without fans for the foreseeable future, I will do my best on the course to deliver smiles and encouragement to everyone watching and cheering us on through the screen.Thank you so much for your support now and in the future.”
Player Profile
Name: Mone Inami
Date of birth: July 29, 1999 (21 years old)
Height: 166 cm
Place of birth: Toshima Ward, Tokyo
Affiliation: Tsuzuki Denki Co., Ltd.