ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. (June 1, 2006) – Bob Dodds and Bill Fullard had never played a round of golf together until they were paired in the ING International Pairs World Finals Qualifier at the 16th Annual ING Spring Conference.
Odds are, they will probably now spend a lot of time together on the golf course. That’s because Dodds and Fullard teamed to win the qualifier, conducted at Tobacco Road Golf Club in the Pinehurst, N.C., area. And what did that earn for them, besides a nice trophy and some merchandise prizes?
It earned them a trip to Wales to represent the United States in the International Pairs World Finals. That championship is set for August 9-12 at Celtic Manor, site of the 2010 Ryder Cup. Nearly all expenses will be paid by International Pairs, based in England.
Dodds is Technical Director of the Professional Clubmakers Society in Louisville. Fullard is President of BF Tournament Services and a contributor to African American Golfer’s Digest. They bettered 30 other teams in the qualifier at Tobacco Road, one of the most challenging courses in all of the Carolinas. Their 56-point total was four better than runners-up Ron Garl and Scott Walker.
"What a thrill," said Dodds. "It’s going to be an exciting week." Added Fullard, "I still can’t believe it – representing the USA. This is a great event."
This is the third time the winning team from ING has went on to represent the United States in the International Pairs World Finals. It’s a relationship tournament founder Ross Honey is happy to continue.
"International Pairs is an established competition in the UK, but relatively new in the United States," said Honey. "It won’t be a secret for long here, however, with the help of ING. This is a terrific organization, one that fits very well with what we have established with International Pairs."
International Pairs brings together national champion teams from dozens of countries around the world to compete in the 36-hole, better ball net points game. Last year the team representing Colombia, South America won the championship.
The ING duo will carry the USA colors well. Razor Golf has donated logo’d golf bags, and Jackets Required, via Johnny Lyons, has donated two blazers with the International Pairs logo embroidered for them to wear when they represent the USA in Wales. Also, Sports Express will ship the pair’s clubs free of charge.
The ING Spring Conference featured much more than the International Pairs World Finals Qualifier. The ING One-On-One Appointment Golf Show, in which attendees and exhibitors conduct a series of private, 15-minute meetings in which business relationships are developed or nurtured, was held at the Country Club of Whispering Pines on the opening day. There were also product launches at the Demo Lab at The National Golf Club, job skills enhancement programs and a panel about The Future Of Golf.
The next ING conference is Aug. 27-30 at Myrtle Beach, called The ING World Am Celebration Of Golf. Also, the 5th Annual ING Fall Media Forum, held in conjunction with the PGA Fall Expo, is set for Sept. 10-13 at New York-New York Hotel Casino in Las Vegas.
For more information on the ING Spring Conference, call 407-328-0500.
Contact:
Mike Jamison
407-328-0500
mike@inggolf.com
