Martin Kaymer, Robert Karlsson, Miguel Angel Jiménez Seek Title, Preview of Ryder Cup Host Course
(NEWPORT, Wales) — The Celtic Manor Resort — host of golf’s 2010 Ryder Cup and premier luxury retreat less than two hours outside London — announces Martin Kaymer and former champions Robert Karlsson and Miguel Angel Jiménez will play in the Celtic Manor Wales Open, June 3-6.
Kaymer, No. 11 in the Official World Golf Rankings, has won five times on the European Tour the past three seasons, including back-to-back victories in last summer’s Open de France ALSTOM and Barclays Scottish Open.
His challenge for the inaugural Race to Dubai title in 2009 was thwarted by a broken foot sustained in a go-karting accident, which ruled him out of action for two months. The 25-year-old German is back on track, however, after winning the Abu Dhabi Championship early this year. Kaymer is currently fifth on the European Points List and in very good shape to automatically qualify for his Ryder Cup debut this October at Celtic Manor.
Established Ryder Cup stars Karlsson and Jiménez hope to join Kaymer and bolster their claims for the 2010 matches with strong Wales Open showings.
Both previously won the event when it was staged on Celtic Manor’s Roman Road Course. Succeeding Jiménez as champion in 2006, Karlsson also finished runner-up to Scott Strange when the tournament moved to the Twenty Ten Course for the first time in 2008.
The 40-year-old Swede has won 10 times on the European Tour and returned to form with a blistering third-round 62 in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club.
Jiménez counts the BMW PGA Championship as the biggest of his 16 titles on the European Tour. His 2008 victory helped propel him to a third Ryder Cup appearance in the matches at Valhalla Golf Club.
“It’s great to have three more champion golfers of the caliber of Martin Kaymer, Robert Karlsson and Miguel Angel Jiménez in the starting field for the Celtic Manor Wales Open,” says Dylan Matthews, Chief Executive, Celtic Manor Resort. “It is particularly pleasing to see so many of our former winners here at Celtic Manor performing so well on the European Tour and, who knows, we may see the first person lift the trophy for a second time next week.”
Meanwhile, the latest winner at Wentworth Club, Simon Khan, is another former Celtic Manor Wales Open champion who will tee it up once again in South Wales next week. Khan secured his only previous European Tour victory at Celtic Manor in 2004 when he overcame Paul Casey in a thrilling playoff.
Khan edged another more heralded Englishman to gain his second title on Sunday when he beat Luke Donald by a single stroke. Donald’s reward was a jump of six places to No. 13 in the World Golf Rankings and he will set his sights on going one better when he tees up at Celtic Manor for the first time next week.
Ryder Cup skipper Colin Montgomerie is also in the field, as are fellow Ryder Cup stars Graeme McDowell, Oliver Wilson, Soren Hansen, David Howell, Paul McGinley and Niclas Fasth, the runner-up to Denmark’s Jeppe Huldahl last year.
Other leading contenders for this year’s European Team include Spain’s Alvaro Quiros, Italian brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari, and English quartet Ross Fisher, Ross McGowan, Chris Wood and Simon Dyson.
Says Matthews: “This is a great opportunity not only for the players to show Captain Montgomerie exactly what they can do on the tournament course, but also for sports fans to watch top class golfing action on a course which has been purpose built for fantastic spectator viewing.”
For more information or tickets, visit www.walesopen.com or call +44 01633 410318.
About the Celtic Manor Wales Open
The Celtic Manor Wales Open was the first European Tour event to be staged in Wales for a decade when Steen Tinning won the inaugural event in 2000. Prize money has more than doubled in the 10 years since with a roll call of champions which includes Ryder Cup stars Paul Lawrie, Paul McGinley, Ian Poulter, Miguel Angel Jiménez and Robert Karlsson. The championship was held on the Wentwood Hills course from 2000-2004 before switching to the Celtic Manor Resort’s Roman Road course from 2005 to 2007 as work was carried out on the new Twenty Ten Course.
The Twenty Ten, the first course ever to be purpose built to host the Ryder Cup, took over the staging of the Celtic Manor Wales Open from 2008. The Celtic Manor Wales Open strives to offer visitors more than just a golf tournament and sumptuous hospitality provision has been complemented by a tented village of attractions for all spectators to enjoy.
About Celtic Manor Resort
Located less than two hours outside London, Celtic Manor Resort will host golf’s 2010 Ryder Cup and is the UK’s foremost luxury retreat. Featuring 1,400-plus acres of panoramic parkland and wooded hills, it is recognized as the “Gateway to Wales.”
A popular destination among business and leisure travelers, golf-tour operators and corporate incentive agents, five-star Celtic Manor offers myriad amenities. These include three championship golf courses (the Twenty Ten, Roman Road and Montgomerie), two lavish hotels (the majestic, 330-room Resort Hotel and historic, 70-room Manor House), five savory restaurants, two tranquil spas and state-of-the-art health clubs, a golf academy and miles of hiking trails. A convention center, exhibition hall, array of well-appointed suites, meeting rooms and large ballrooms are also available to host groups up to 1,500 for conferences, weddings and other special events.
Celtic Manor is privately owned by founder Sir Terry Matthews, the Ottawa, Canada-based telecommunications entrepreneur who was born on the Celtic Manor site when the original Manor House was a maternity hospital.
For more information call 866.789.5779 (U.S.) / 877.354.2003 (Canada) or visit www.celtic-manor.com.
Getting There: Celtic Manor is 45 minutes from Bristol International Airport (BRS) and Cardiff International Airport (CWL). Daily, non-stop flights are available from Newark, New Jersey (EWR) to Bristol on Continental; and daily, one-stop flights are from New York (JFK) to Cardiff on KLM via Amsterdam. London Heathrow Airport (LHR) is a two-hour shuttle, with rail service from Paddington Station (London) to Newport, Wales also available.
Contact:
Stephen Reynolds
Buffalo Communications
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David Wood
Buffalo Communications
703.635.0577
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