"Earth Chemical Presents 1st TOP CONNECT Cup" Press Conference

TOP CONNECT Co., Ltd. has announced the holding of Japan's first golf tournament (TOP CONNECT Cup) exclusively for male professional golfers under the age of 30, with the aim of supporting young professional golfers and developing the golf industry.
The first tournament will be held at Eagle Point Golf Club on May 9th, with support from title sponsor Earth Corporation as well as many other companies including Aderans and Skylark.
This tournament has been much talked about for its uniqueness, but what is particularly noteworthy is the lineup of prizes. The total prize money is 0 yen, which is rare for a golf tournament, but there are prizes worth 1 million yen in total. Specifically, these include the right to participate in the Pacific C Challenge Tournament from May 24th to 26th, and the right to wear badges from major companies.
For young professional golfers who have few opportunities to receive tour qualifications or sponsor endorsements, these prizes are a great opportunity to boost their future professional activities.
In addition, Earth Corporation, the title sponsor, has close ties with the golf industry, having previously hosted the Earth Mondamin Cup.
At this press conference, we spoke to the representatives of TOP CONNECT Co., Ltd. and Earth Corporation, two companies that are actively entering the golf industry, about the current state of the industry and its future prospects.

■Message from Mr. Katsuyoshi Kawabata, President and CEO of Earth Corporation

We are pleased to announce that we will be sponsoring the 1st TOP CONNECT Cup, a tournament for young male professional golfers.
I've known Uchida for a long time.Earth Mondamin Cup,TOP CONNECT LadiesI was able to make connections through these and other means, and was asked to participate in this project.
I believe that Uchida's energetic, unconventional attitude and passion for bringing a breath of fresh air will lead to the revitalization of the golf industry.
Our company's business involves dealing in a wide range of daily necessities, but many of our employees are golf lovers, so we wanted to contribute to society by boosting the golf industry.
We have been holding the Earth Mondamin Cup for the past 12 years, and as we have entered the golf industry, we felt that we could create some opportunities for professional golfers who have lost their opportunities to shine.
We hope that this sponsorship will expand opportunities for young male professional golfers and help develop the golf industry.

■From Masaaki Uchida, Representative Director of TOP CONNECT Co., Ltd.

Compared to women, male professional golfers have fewer tournaments relative to the total prize money and number of participants, meaning that they currently have fewer opportunities to excel than in the past. This tournament was planned with the desire to give young male professional golfers who find themselves in difficult situations more opportunities to seize a chance.
By holding a tournament limited to young male professional golfers, we hope to create more momentum for the future of men's golf.
One of the features of this tournament is that it will include study sessions for male professional golfers. Of course, it is very important to seize opportunities based on skill. However, by honing personal qualities beyond skill, we hope to increase opportunities to gain sponsorship and develop golfers who are well-liked.
As a small-to-medium-sized company, we cannot compete with major corporations in terms of prize money, so we want to use our planning and action skills to create a tournament that is appealing to the male professional golfers who participate and to our sponsors.
Through this activity, we hope to not only increase the number of golfers but also expand the fan base.
We would like to continue coming up with many unique projects to liven up the golf industry.

1st TOP CONNECT Cup　
Date: Tuesday, December 2023, 5
Venue: Eagle Point Golf Club (1668-5 Fukuda, Ami-machi, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki Prefecture)
Organizer: TOP CONNECT Co., Ltd.
Sponsor: Earth Chemical Co., Ltd.

Five points of the tournament
① Earth Pharmaceuticals, the organizer of the Earth Mondamin Cup, becomes the first title sponsor of a men's professional golf tournament.
② The prizes include the right to participate in the main challenge tournament and the right to wear a famous company badge.
1) The tournament will be a first in Japan, with a pro-am format consisting of three professionals and one amateur golfer.
④A distinguished group of business executives participated as amateur golfers.
⑤TOP CONNECT CEO Uchida will hold a seminar on "How to Capture the President's Heart"

March 31, 2023 Interviewees: Keio University 4th year student Miyu Ito / Chuo University 2nd year student Yoshikazu Kamei / Rikkyo University 3rd year student Narina Ogata