JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s most successful cricket captain, Graeme Smith, has confirmed his place in a stellar field of pros and celebrities who will tee it up for charity in the Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola at The Lost City Golf Course at Sun City from 12-15 November 2015.
The former Proteas cricket captain will join the global field of professionals, celebrities and business leaders in a Union of Golf and Giving.
Smith is the most successful cricket Test captain of all time, winning 53 of the 109 Tests in which he led Proteas. After becoming South Africa’s youngest captain at the age of 22, he went on to claim the world record for captaining in the most Tests.
Smith will make his debut in the tournament and as part of a South African sports captain’s trio including fellow cricketer Mark Boucher and footballer Aaron Mokoena.
Boucher captained the Proteas in four Tests and returns to the Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola seeking his second victory after being on the winning team in 2003.
Mokoena captained Bafana Bafana and made 107 international appearances for his country. He also played for Blackburn Rovers, Portsmouth and Bidvest Wits. Mokoena returns hoping to successfully defend the title he won with tournament host Gary Player in 2014.
They will be joined by world-renowned musicians Ronan Keating and Brian McFadden, and radio and television personalities Thomas Msengana and DJ Spoony, Johnathan Joseph.
The professionals in the star-studded field include a first-time appearance by Wayne Player, the son of tournament host Gary Player, as well as French stars Jean van de Velde and Thomas Levet, South Africa’s Richard Sterne, and Ladies European Tour players Emma Cabrera-Bello, Danielle Montgomery and Carly Booth.
Montgomery, Cabrera-Bello, and Booth, a two-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, are regular supporters of the Gary Player Invitational.
“This is such a super mix of participants and we are truly humbled by the response we have received from everyone. This has been such a busy year on a number of fronts and it really means a lot that our friends have taken time out of their schedules to be with us and help us raise money for The Player Foundation. I am sure this is going to be one of our most memorable tournaments in history.” said GPI series founder Marc Player, CEO of Black Knight International.
PARTICIPANTS FOR THE GARY PLAYER INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA
Professionals
1. Gary Player
2. Wayne Player
3. Richard Sterne
4. Jean van de Velde
5. Thomas Levet
6. Carly Booth
7. Ronan Keating
8. Mark Boucher
9. Aaron Mokoena
10. Brian McFadden
11. Danielle Montgomery
12. Johnathan Joseph
13. Graeme Smith
14. Thomas Msengana
15. Emma Cabrera-Bello
16. Roland Schoeman
For more information on the Gary Player Invitational, visit www.garyplayerinvitational.com and follow @GPInvitational on Twitter – #GOLFandGIVING
For more information please contact:
Bo Wood – Black Knight International
b.wood@garyplayer.com
+ 1 864 477 2720
Meagan Fester – Black Knight International
meagan@garyplayer.co.za
+27 21 448 7777
Michael Vlismas – Michael Vlismas Media
michaelv@iafrica.com
+27 72 242 8399
ABOUT BLACK KNIGHT INTERNATIONAL
Established in 1983 by Marc Player, Black Knight International is a global holding company for The Player Group and the constantly expanding family of Gary Player® brands. With a powerful presence in North and South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, Black Knight is a multicultural and multilingual company offering branded services for the leisure and real estate industries. This rapidly growing firm is diverse and infused with the same tenaciousness and drive as Gary Player, world renowned iconic golfer. The holding company divisions include: Gary Player Design, Player Real Estate, Black Knight Enterprises, Black Knight Solutions, Black Knight Capital, Gary Player Academies, and The Player Foundation.
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 six 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 more than $60 million 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.
Contact:
Bo Wood
Media Manager
Gary Player Group, Inc.
22 South Main Street
Greenville, SC 29601
United States of America
Tel: + 1 864 477 2720
Cell: + 1 864 430 4011
Fax: + 1 864 477 2721
b.wood@garyplayer.com
www.garyplayer.com
