CITY OF NEWPORT, South Wales (June 2, 2011) … Let’s hear it for the girls who finished 1-2-3 in Monday’s inaugural PowerPlay Golf driven by SAAB: Ignition , the first in a series of nine-hole risk-and-reward PowerPlay Golf tournaments, featuring a star-studded international field playing The Twenty Ten Course at The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales.
Caroline Hedwall, a 22-year-old Swede, upstaged major champions and Ryder Cup stars by scoring 32 Stableford points – including 18 on the final three holes – in the new nine-hole format. Helen Alfredsson, also from Sweden, was second with 29 points, while current women’s U.S. Open champion Paula Creamer of the United States was third with 27, tied with Ian Poulter of England.
Hedwall’s victory came a day after she won her first event on the Ladies European Tour at the Allianz Ladies Slovak Open. In a threesome alongside Ian Poulter and Alfredsson, Hedwall birdied the final three holes, designating each as a PowerPlay hole, where birdies or better are worth double points.
Poulter was the leader in the men’s field, one point ahead of France’s Victor Dubuisson.
PowerPlay Golf’s innovative nine-hole “most points wins” golf scoring format features two flagsticks on every green. Implementing the Stableford points system, there are constant risk-reward decisions to be made, as golfers choose to play to the regulation hole placement, designated by a White Flag, or try to score extra points by playing to the more difficult placement, or Black Flag.
Opting for the Black Flag is called a “PowerPlay,” with each player required to designate three PowerPlays for the first eight holes. The ninth hole provides the chance to score bonus points, but also is the only hole where points can be lost (with a bogey, or worse).
Two more events are scheduled for 2011 in the United States and Asia, with an additional seven events worldwide in 2012.
PowerPlay Golf is now available for use at clubs and courses throughout the U.S. For more information and official registration, visit www.powerplay-golf.com.
PowerPlay Golf driven by SAAB: Ignition final results:
Player, Country Pts Earnings
Caroline Hedwall, Sweden 32 £100,000
Helen Alfredsson, Sweden 29 £50,000
Ian Poulter, England 27 £32,500
Paula Creamer, USA 27 £32,500
Victor Dubuisson, France 26 £26,000
Ian Woosnam, Wales 25 £23,000
Maximilian Kieffer, Germany 22 £20,000
Paul Casey, England 20 £17,000
Gary Player, South Africa 18 £15,000
Thongchai Jaidee, Thailand 16 £13,000
Graeme McDowell, N. Ireland 15 £10,500
John Daly, USA 15 £10,500
About PowerPlay Golf
PowerPlay Golf® is a 9-hole golf format in which golfers choose to aim for one of two flags on the green – a White Flag and a Black (‘PowerPlay’) Flag. The format is ideal for TV, enabling broadcasters to televise a complete golf tournament in less than three hours, and to increase interest among golf television audiences. In the game, golfers have limited PowerPlays, and score extra points for net birdie or better when playing to the Black Flag, thereby creating extra pressure. Golf clubs become PowerPlay Golf® Official Venues by registering on the PowerPlay Golf® website, whereupon they are sent a club pack containing PowerPlay Golf® flags and other branded materials. Players can register for Global Access online for a series of benefits. Website: www.powerplay-golf.com.
Contact:
U.S. Media Contacts
Ed Vyeda
Hunter Public Relations/West
(831) 375-1747
evyeda@hunter-pr.com
Karen Moraghan
Hunter Public Relations/East
(908) 876-5100
karen.moraghan@hunter-pr.com
