Mercedes-Benz is back for its 18th year of sponsoring the Masters Tournament, widely considered the most prestigious of golf’s four major championships.

This year at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, the automaker is bringing to life the 1886 Club — the name marks the brand’s founding year. 

Invited guests can immerse themselves in more than a century of brand heritage, including iconic vehicles, innovative designs and storytelling, inspired by the creation of the first vehicle in 1886, created by Carl Benz, and the first-ever road trip by his wife, Bertha Benz. 

“The Masters is one of our biggest marketing moments of the year, bringing together a fully integrated campaign of on-the-ground activation,” Mercedes-Benz CMO Melody Lee tells Marketing Daily.

New this year, The Masters app will be available on the MBUS infotainment systems of select Mercedes-Benz models.

Five new 30-second TV spots from Merkley+Partner will debut during the tournament, which begins Thursday and runs through Sunday.  Each spot focuses on a different vehicle and features voiceover by longtime Mercedes spokesman Jon Hamm. 

“Too Far” shows off the GLE Plug-In Hybrid while “Icon” features the G-Class. “Flow State” includes the AMG CLE Cabriolet while “Beyond Imaginable” focuses on the Maybach S-Class  and “Checkmate” shows off the electric EQS SUV.

The spots feature a diverse cast of characters, which is fitting since the game of golf is also diversifying. 

Data shows that today, there are more golfers between 18 and 34 than there are over the age of 65, and the number of female golfers is now at a record high of 26% of the total, with women on average 4.5 years younger than the average age.

“We’re excited that the game of golf continues to diversify and appeal to the next generation,” Lee says. 

The automaker is also celebrating two brand ambassadors in golf, Bernhard Langer and Ludvig Åberg.

The company created a one-off personalized S-Class to honor Langer, who is a two-times Masters champion and has been associated with the brand for almost 40 years. The handcrafted vehicle is adorned with embroidered Masters logos, meticulously crafted with over 2,800 stitches, as well as Langer’s signature.

Lee says the partnership is the perfect match between the brand that was the first to invent the automobile, and the first major tournament of the season. 

“Like Mercedes-Benz, The Masters is incomparable,” she says. “We are two legacy brands with a long shared history steeped in tradition, the celebration of excellence and pursuit of greatness.”

Other top sponsors of the event include Bank of America, AT&T and IBM.