The International Pairs, the world’s largest competition for club golfers, has secured an agreement to take the world final back to Celtic Manor for a second year.
The fabulous Welsh venue, which will stage the Ryder Cup in 2010, hosted the 2005 International Pairs world final in June – immediately after the Wales Open.
And officials decided the resort proved so popular with participants they would return, in 2006, to the Roman Road course, the current venue for The Celtic Manor Wales Open and the venue for the 2005 All*Star Cup – a Ryder Cup-style tournament featuring celebrities such as Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones.
Wales hosted the inaugural world final of the International Pairs in 2004 at Marriott St Pierre and it moved on to Celtic Manor in 2005.
The entry list this year included competitors from 32 different countries, but the 2006 event promises to be even bigger with Spain and Lichtenstein taking the total up to 34.
International Pairs managing director Anita Damron explained: "Celtic Manor provided us with a great setting this year and as a future venue for the Ryder Cup it offers a fantastic opportunity for the competitors and we look forward to welcoming even more of them to the world final."
The 2006 International Pairs world final is once again sponsored by the Wales Tourist Board and the Greens of Southern Wales who are working to develop golf tourism in the principality in the run up to the Ryder Cup in 2010.
The Wales Tourist Board’s director of marketing, Roger Pride, said: "The International Pairs is a wonderful event for amateur golfers across the world. It sits perfectly with our work to promote golf tourism through our campaign, Wales – golf as it should be.
"As the tournament is growing in status and broadening its appeal across the world, we at the WTB have continued our commitment too, along with our sponsorship of the final stage, which this year amounts to £37,500."
Sandra Belcham, chair of Greens of Southern Wales, added: "The 2006 International Pairs world final promises once again to be an excellent event, giving golfers from all over the world the chance to visit Wales and play on a championship course.
"We have a diverse golf product in Wales: links courses, resort courses and parkland courses in the beautiful Welsh valleys. We hope our work with International Pairs will help us to put Welsh golf on the map."
Colombians Pablo Hernandez, 20, and Julio Garcia Salas, 28, romped to success at this year’s Sky TV-covered event, with English teenagers Robbie Turner, 17, and Ian Ritchie, 16, four points adrift in second place.
Salas, who plays off 12, said: "I hope our success will encourage more children to take up the game. Golf is developing quickly in our country and news of this win will be on television and in papers and all of the golf clubs. That’s very exciting for us. We have about 20 golf clubs in Colombia but it is already popular among children."
He added: "We have had a really exciting time. The course is fantastic and the competition is amazing. Representing your country is a tremendous honour and there are some great golfers here representing their countries. We’re just getting used to the fact that we are world champions. It’s wonderful."
Now in its eighth year, the International Pairs gives ordinary golfers the chance to represent their club and their country on the world stage.
For a fee of just £5 each, golfers play in a pairs qualifier at their home club. They can be men’s, ladies or mixed pairs. In the UK alone this year, more than 25,000 golfers will take part at 400 club events. The winning pair at each event qualifies for a national semi-final, of which there are up to 12, and then a national final which, together, are held over a three-day period.
And it’s a process being repeated in countries across the globe from the US to Russia, and from Australia to Iceland.
Contact:
Pete Richardson, Dave Bowers or David Garlant
08700 330 550
pete@prcpr.co.uk, dave@prcpr.co.uk or david.garlant@prcpr.co.uk
