‘Honorary Welshman’ and 2010 Celtic Manor Wales Open champion excited for Ryder Cup return in 100 days
(NEWPORT, Wales) – The Celtic Manor Resort – host of golf’s 2010 Ryder Cup and premier luxury retreat less than two hours outside London – congratulates reigning Celtic Manor Wales Open champion Graeme McDowell on his historic U.S. Open victory at Pebble Beach.
In early June, McDowell gave a glimpse of his major championship form when he closed with rounds of 64-63 on the Twenty Ten Course to claim the Celtic Manor Wales Open title. With his triumph at Pebble Beach, he became the first European winner of the U.S. Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970, and effectively guaranteed his second career Ryder Cup berth.
“We are so proud of Graeme,” says Dylan Matthews, Chief Executive of Celtic Manor. “He exhibited all the skills required of a U.S. Open Champion – sound course management, accuracy in the long game, a deft touch around the greens and an ability to persevere under the most trying conditions.
“When Graeme lived in Wales, he frequently practiced at Celtic Manor and we got to know him well. He’ll always be an honorary Welshman, not just because of his former ties, but also the grace and class he unfailingly exhibits on and off the golf course.”
In 100 days, McDowell will return to Celtic Manor for the Ryder Cup, October 1-3. He and his teammates will vie to recapture the title on the par-71, 7,493-yard Twenty Ten Course.
“I think this is going to be a wonderful venue,” he said after winning at Celtic Manor. “The golf course is magnificent, and you know, what they have done here, the Matthews family, what they have put into this event to get the Ryder Cup, they deserve everything they get.
“It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been here and I’m impressed; it looks amazing. The holes with the water they’ve shaped and defined well and made them much more visually intimidating. The more you play it, the more you really start to like the golf course.”
The Twenty Ten Course is the first to be specifically planned and built for the demands associated with hosting the Ryder Cup. For instance, three hospitality platforms running along holes 16-18 are capable of servicing up to 7,000 patrons per day, and the banks along the last four holes can hold an estimated 50,000 fans. From this hillside, spectators can watch the drama unfold on up to 10 holes in the valley below.
Remarked McDowell: “For the finish, 15 through 18, you just have huge natural amphitheatres and we’ve been out there the last few days just picturing 50,000 people on the banks and what it’s going to be like for the Ryder Cup.”
Moreover, in a nod to its primary role as Ryder Cup host, Ross McMurray and the European Golf Design Team incorporated many risk / reward holes into the Twenty Ten. The theater of match-play was constantly top-of-mind.
“This golf course has all the length you want and I think they have a fabulous amount of tee options,” said McDowell. “There’s so much they can do with the course to move it around. I love the way this golf course sets up.
“The fairways are reasonably generous targets in places, but if you missed them, there was some horrible, horrible rough out there, really thick, wiry type stuff. If you were out of position, you were in big trouble. But if you could drive it good, you could really set yourself up with some medium and short irons to the greens.”
For more information about Celtic Manor and the Twenty Ten Course, visit www.celtic-manor.com.
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.
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Buffalo Communications
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