The venerable European bank has brought in a bit of sporting startdust by recruiting a former US Masters champion as a brand ambassador.

Fred Couples, the top-class golfer who won tournaments such as the Masters with his trademark elegant swing, has been named as a brand ambassador for Berenberg, Germany’s oldest bank.

A former world number one golfer, Couples has agreed a partnership to run over a “number of years”, Berenberg said. Couples will wear the bank’s lettering on the front of his cap and take part in several of the lender’s tournaments, including the Berenberg Gary Player events in Wentworth, UK, and GlenArbor, near New York.

Along with Couples, the two most successful German golfers, Bernhard Langer and Martin Kaymer, are part of the Berenberg brand ambassador programme, as are Grand Slam winner Gary Player, ex-Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie, and the successful PGA Tour golfer Branden Grace. 

Couples was admitted to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2013. He won the Masters in Augusta in 1992. In the same year, he was the first American to spend 16 weeks at the top of the world rankings. Because of his long drives, he has been given the nickname “Boom Boom Freddy”. Since 2010, he has played on the US Champions Tour, where he has already notched up two majors victories.

“Fred isn’t just an excellent golfer, but also an outstanding Presidents Cup captain and he will certainly be a fantastic ambassador and a popular figure for our bank,” said Hendrik Riehmer, managing partner of Berenberg.

Wealth managers of different sizes have sponsored artistic, sporting and philanthropic events and programmes to promote their brands. At one end of the scale, UBS, the world’s largest wealth manager, is a sponsor to Formula One, the motor racing tournament. At a slightly less noisy level, UK wealth management house Quilter Cheviot, which is part of the UK's Old Mutual Wealth, is the headline sponsor for the BBC's new Countryfile Live show. In golf, Barclays sponsors Phil Mickelson, three-time winner of the Masters and winner of a number of other majors and top-ranking tournaments.

Berenberg, which offers wealth management services among its business lines, dates its history to 1590.