Bridgestone's UK division has partnered with three European Tour competitions ©Bridgestone

Tyre manufacturer Bridgestone’s UK division has strengthened its relationship with golf after partnering with three European Tour competitions due to be held this year.

The company, a subsidiary of the main Japanese organisation, which is a top-tier worldwide sponsor of the Olympic Games as it is a member of The Olympic Partner (TOP) programme, will be an official partner of the European Tour British Masters.

The event will be staged at Woburn Golf Club from October 8 to 11 and returned from a seven-year hiatus from the European Tour calendar last year.

Bridgestone has also confirmed it will be the headline sponsor of Challenge Tour event the Bridgestone Challenge, the first of its kind to be staged in England for three years.

Heythorp Park in Oxfordshire will be the venue for the tournament, scheduled for August 26 to 29.

In the third and final sponsorship announcement, the company has revealed it will launch the Bridgestone DriveGuard Trophy, a brand-new event open to all 650,000 members of the 1,900 golf clubs across Britain.

No entrance fees will be charged for the tournament and a date and venue have yet to be confirmed.

The company is the title sponsor of the Bridgestone Invitational, one of the World Golf Championships on the PGA Tour
The company is the title sponsor of the Bridgestone Invitational, one of the World Golf Championships on the PGA Tour ©Getty Images

“It is fantastic news that Bridgestone are becoming a partner of the British Masters supported by Sky Sports,” European Tour director of championship management Jamie Birkmyre said.

“The tournament was a huge success on its reintroduction to the European Tour last year and it is a real coup to be able to enjoy the backing of the world’s largest tyre manufacturer.”

The company has a strong presence within the sport, which will make its return to the Olympic programme after a 112-year absence at Rio 2016, as it currently sponsors the Bridgestone Invitational, one of the World Golf Championships on the PGA Tour.

Bridgestone is the official tyre of the PGA Tour and also manufactures golf balls.

“We have identified huge potential from the world of golf and are extremely excited to be entering into a series of sponsorships covering such a broad range of the sport,” Bridgestone’s north region consumer sales and marketing director Farrell Dolan added.

Bridgestone became a TOP Partner of the Olympic Games in 2014, signing a ten-year deal which will run through to 2024.