British Lions rugby star Martin Bayfield, along with Irish vocalists Ronan Keating and Brian McFadden are just a few of the well-known celebrities that will be participating in the Gary Player Invitational being held on July 22nd at the Wentworth Golf Club.
The Gary Player Invitational series at Wentworth is the second tournament of the four-tournament Gary Player Invitational series, which also includes tournaments in the United States, China and South Africa.
This year’s Gary Player Invitational series celebrates not only The Player Foundation’s 30th anniversary, but also Gary Player’s 60th year as a professional golfer.
Over the last 30 years, The Player Foundation has been able to raise over $50 million USD to support underprivileged children around the world. Funds from this year’s Invitational at Wentworth Golf Club will benefit BerenbergKids, which is a partnership with Berenberg that supports the Demelza Hospice Care for Children and its care of over 700 life-limited children and their families.
Like so many others, Ronan Keating is a longstanding supporter of the Gary Player Invitational series and is passionate about the work that is being done by The Player Foundation around the world. Alongside Keating will be his former Westlife band member Brian McFadden, who made his debut at the South Africa Gary Player Invitational last year.
In addition to the many celebrities that will be attending the tournament, several professional golfers, including golfer Carly Booth, will also be attendance to show their support. Booth has won multiple Ladies European Tour championships and is a generous supporter of the Gary Player Invitational series.
“We are thrilled to welcome back so many close friends of the Gary Player Invitational Series, and to be able to build new relationships as well,” said Marc Player, CEO of Black Knight International.
“The power of this series is its ability to bring together a family of golfers with a shared vision, and to be able to do the kind of good that it has done over the years.”
For further information, please contact:
Meagan Sickle, Black Knight International (South Africa)
E: meagan@garyplayer.co.za or T: +27 (0) 21 448 7777
Grace Lipscomb-Vine, Black Knight International (US)
E: grace@garyplayer.com or T: + 1 864 477 2720
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Notes to Editors
Gary Player Invitational 2013 Series
United States – Georgia
Dates: 14-15 April 2013
Champions Retreat, Augusta
United Kingdom – England
Dates: 22 July 2013
Wentworth Golf Club, Surrey
China – Shanghai
Dates: 4-5 November 2013
Shanghai Links
South Africa – To Be Announced
Dates: To Be Announced
To Be Announced
About The Player Foundation
The Player Foundation was established in 1983 by Marc Player. What began as an effort to provide education, nutrition, medical care and athletic activities, for a small community of disadvantaged children living on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa has now blossomed into an organization that circles the globe bringing aid to underprivileged children and impoverished communities.
The Foundation is funded primarily by four Gary Player Invitational events presented through Black Knight International. Pairing celebrities and professional golfers from the PGA and Champions Tours with businessmen and international sports figures, the annual tournaments are staged in the United States, China, Europe and South Africa. The proceeds of these tournaments and other special events provide funding for an ever- expanding number of institutions around the world, including the Blair Atholl Schools in South Africa, the Pleasant City Elementary School in Palm Beach, the Masizame in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, and AIDS infected children in Baoshan, a drug-infested city located on the China-Burma border. Since its establishment, The Player Foundation has donated over $50 million dollars to the support of children’s charities, the betterment of impoverished communities and the expansion of educational opportunities throughout the world.
Gary Player, acknowledged as a world class humanitarian, believes that the strength of our future depends upon the abilities of our children. “I have found that the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others does not thrust itself upon us,” Player says, “But we do not need to look hard for it either. When you spot the chance to give back to the world, act on it. You will have made life better, for others, and for yourself.”
The Gary Player Foundation is a non-profit 501 C (3) organization managed by Black Knight International in Palm Beach, Florida.
About BerenbergKids
Formed in 2007 and then established as an official foundation in 2009, BerenbergKids supports underprivileged children through different fundraising and volunteering activities, which range from social events to physical challenges and competitions.
Many of the children and young people supported by the programme lack access to one or more of life’s fundamental rights: shelter, food, education, health care and social support.
The foundation has raised close to $1 million for its chosen charities.
About Demelza Hospice Care for Children
Demelza Hospice Care for Children cares for over 700 life-limited children and their families. The charity offers respite, symptom control, end-of-life care and bereavement support for families with children who are either life limited or suffer from conditions that mean they need a lot of specialist care.
The philosophy of the charity is that palliative care is not solely about dying but is more about quality of life irrespective of how long or short that life will be.
Contact: