FRISCO, Texas (February 26, 2025) —The PGA of America announced today a partnership with dentsu, one of the world’s leading advertising and marketing firms, and Producer John Cohen on an animated feature film franchise in which golf is a hero in a multisport story based in the fictional world of “SportsCity.” Dentsu Entertainment, the specialist entertainment division within dentsu, will play a key role in the development of the initial movie, as well as leading commercial strategy and brand engagement.

The highly engaging animated franchise will feature the PGA of America’s nationally acclaimed PGA Jr. League program for boys and girls, with the guidance and support of a PGA of America Golf Professional as the coach. Since its formation over a decade ago, PGA Jr. League has introduced more than 500,000 boys and girls to the game of golf.

PGA Jr. League brings families and friends together around fun, team golf experiences for kids ages 17 and under, with expert PGA of America coaching. In 2024, a record of more than 77,000 players participated. PGA Jr. League is also the flagship youth pillar program of the PGA of America REACH Foundation, the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the Association, with efforts focused on making the program accessible to every child everywhere, with nearly 5,000 scholarships awarded in 2024 to children who qualified for financial assistance or were from a military family. PGA of America proceeds from the franchise will be used to make sure every interested child has the opportunity to play.

“The PGA of America is excited to partner with dentsu and John Cohen in the development of this animated multisport film which highlights the great qualities inherent in the game of golf and the important role our more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals play every day in the sport,” said PGA of America Chief Commercial and Philanthropy Officer Jeff Price. “Our mission is to serve our Members and grow the game of golf, which this project delivers against in a truly meaningful way.”

John Cohen has signed on as Lead Producer of the film franchise. He brings an amazing ability to breathe life into animation that captures the imagination of both young and old alike. Cohen's producing credits include blockbuster hits such as Despicable Me, The Angry Birds Movie and, most recently, The Garfield Movie, among others. Cohen is currently in production on The Angry Birds Movie: 3.

Dentsu Entertainment is a specialist global division of dentsu, an integrated growth partner to the world’s leading brands. Dentsu will play a vital role in the development, production, marketing and distribution of the film. Geneva Wasserman (Gnome Alone; Spiderhead; Charming; Trouble), Global EVP of Film/TV Development & Financing for dentsu entertainment will serve as a Producer on the film.

“Entertainment presents such a unique opportunity to create and shape culture, while driving important outcomes for clients – whether that is attracting new communities to the great game of golf, or designing co-branded experiences which lead to commercial impact,” said Geneva Wasserman, Global EVP of IP Development & Financing for dentsu entertainment, and Producer of the new franchise. “Partnering with John again makes total sense for a feature like this, as the PGA of America and others, come together to engage audiences through an exciting new story.”

Scott Dmitrenko, the creator of the original story and a Producer on the project, said, "One of the main goals of the film is to expose the game of golf to the next generation of players and fans in a manner that is engaging, inclusive and fun. The creative team have crafted a classic sports story that culminates with a drama-filled sports showdown. In true sports-film fashion, the story will pull at your heartstrings, inspire your soul and provide hilarious entertainment.”

The partnership and film was introduced at the 2025 PGA Show in Orlando, Florida, during the Golf Leadership Summit organized by the PGA of America. The film is scheduled to enter production Q4 of 2025.‍

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About the PGA of America

The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals who love the game, are expert coaches, operators and business leaders, and work daily to drive interest, inclusion and participation in the sport. The PGA of America owns and operates numerous championships and events, including major championships for men, women, seniors and the Ryder Cup, one of the world’s foremost sporting events. For more information, visit PGA.com and follow us on X, Instagram and Facebook.

About dentsu entertainment

Dentsu entertainment is a specialized practice within the dentsu group, involved in the development, financing, production, distribution, and marketing of IP, across movies, TV, anime, gaming, and more. Ongoing projects include Angry Birds Movie: 3, among a robust slate of scripted and unscripted film and TV.

About dentsu

Dentsu is an integrated growth and transformation partner to the world’s leading organizations. Founded in 1901 in Tokyo, Japan, and now present in over 120 countries and regions, it has a proven track record of nurturing and developing innovations, combining the talents of its global network of leadership brands to develop impactful and integrated growth solutions for clients. Dentsu delivers end-to-end experience transformation (EX) by integrating its services across Media, CXM and Creative, while its business transformation (BX) mindset pushes the boundaries of transformation and sustainable growth for brands, people and society.

Dentsu, Innovating to Impact.‍

Media Contacts

Jesse Dodson, PGA of America, jdodson@pgahq.com

Matt Cross, dentsu, matt.cross@dentsu.com