Following an exciting 2012 with tournaments played out across the continent, the 2013 schedule will get under way with the Kempinski “The Dome” Pro-Am hosted once again by Antalya Golf Club in early February (Entry Form available for download here: http://bit.ly/RBucAG).

The Confederation of Professional Golf Fourball Championship closely follows again taking place at Lumine Mediterránea Beach and Golf Community, Spain, and this year has been expanded to be played across the ‘Lakes’ and the ‘Hills’ courses, allowing for up to 120 pairs to compete (Entry Form available for download here: http://bit.ly/Ugbl9I).

The 8th Aegean Airlines Pro-Am sees it return to the magnificent Costa Navarino in late May/early June, and as with the Fourball Championship has been expanded to be played across two courses – the critically acclaimed Dunes and Bay layouts.

The schedule then pays two visits to Bulgaria with the BlackSeaRama Pro-Am in July followed by the UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe in late September. Portugal’s Hugo Santos will be aiming to make an historic hat-trick at the Confederation of Professional Golf’s flagship event as the 2013 edition returns to the wonderful surroundings of Pravets Golf and Spa Resort in Bulgaria with competitors again battling it out for the €10,000 first prize.

The year concludes in November with the BEKO Classic, won last year by Simon Edwards, and the International Team Championship, in which Scotland prevailed as 2012 champions for the seventh time in the tournament’s 23-year history.

2013 Confederation of Professional Golf Tournament Schedule:

[N.B. TBC dates and venues will be announced at later dates]

[Click Event name for more details]

Further information for each tournament will be released prior to the competition. Keep checking cpg.golf for more details.

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For more information on the Confederation of Professional Golf visit the CPG.com, follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

The European Tour Tournament Committee, made up of a number of current and ex-tour players, meeting at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, today decided to invite Ireland’s Paul McGinley to take the role of Captain in 2014, after which he accepted the position.

McGinley said of his appointment, “I’m obviously very pleased to be in this situation.  This is a position that I’m really thrilled to be in, and it’s also a very humbling experience.  I can’t wait to get into the role of being the captain.”

Richard Hills, Europe’s Ryder Cup Director, said: “We are delighted that Paul has accepted the invitation of the Tournament Committee to take up the role as Captain for 2014. Having played in three Ryder Cups and holed the winning putt at the Belfry in 2002, Paul has an innate understanding of every attribute required to be a successful Captain.

“Paul’s meticulous nature and his passion for the strategic aspects of the Captain’s role have been evident for many years, through his role as a Ryder Cup Vice-Captain and as Captain of the Great Britain and Ireland Team in the Vivendi Seve Trophy. We already know that he will leave no stone unturned in his quest to retain The Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in September 2014.”

McGinley’s Ryder Cup playing career spanned three teams (’02, ’04, ’06), with a 2-2-5 record, including the memorable moment at The Belfry in 2002 where he held a 10ft putt to secure the vital match-winning half point on the 18th hole of his match against the USA’s Jim Furyk.

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The 2014 Ryder Cup Matches will take place at The Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, Scotland from September 26 – 28, 2014.  For more informaiton on the matches click here.

For more information on the Confederation of Professional Golf visit the CPG.com, follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

The duo was presented with a letter from the Chairman of the PGA, Paul Marks and Honorary Member player badges by PGA of SA chief executive Ivano Ficalbi during the final round of the European Tour’s Volvo Golf Champions at Durban Country Club.

Ficalbi said the PGA of SA is proud to acknowledge Els and Oosthuizen for their achievements, their service to the game of golf and their ambassadorship of South Africa.

“The PGA of SA honours those professional golfers who have achieved extraordinary heights in golf, like winning a Major or a World Cup of Golf, with Honorary Membership,” Ficalbi explained.

“Ernie was first presented with Honorary Membership when he won the World Cup of Golf with Wayne Westner in 1996, but the Board unanimously agreed that we should honour Ernie again after his fourth Major victory at the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes last year.

“Louis won the 2010 Open Championship with a runaway victory at St Andrews and came agonisingly close at the Masters last year. Both players are also heavily invested in the future of South African golf – Ernie through the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation and Louis with his golf academy in MosselBay.

“The PGA of South Africa believes that it is critical for our up-and-coming stars to have their own heroes. As young golfers, Louis, Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace looked up to Ernie for inspiration and it’s wonderful to see how, in turn, they have become the inspiration for the younger generation. Both Ernie and Louis are doing an incredible job in making sure that South Africa will remain a strong contender on the world stage for years to come.”

Els, the owner of 65 international career victories, was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2010. He won the US Open in 1994 and 1997 and the Open Championship in 2002, a feat he repeated in 2012 at the age of 42.

“This means so much to me because South Africa was where it all started, it was my stepping stone,” said Els. “Winning here in South Africa opened a lot of doors for me. The support of the fans over the years has been incredible. I’m proud to be honoured in this way, and it’s nice to know I will always have somewhere to play when I retire one day.”

Oosthuizen, who has claimed nine of his 11 career victories in South Africa, was equally thrilled.

“This was a big surprise and I feel very honoured,” he said. “It’s really great to see how heavily the PGA of SA is invested in professional golf and that they are also looking after us. This is such a big honour; to have this award is really special.”

The pair join an illustrious list of South African golfers who have already received Honorary Membership of the PGA of SA, including Grand Slam champion and nine-time Major winner Gary Player, World Cup of Golf winners Westner and Rory Sabbatini (2003), and Major champions Retief Goosen (US Open Championship in 2001 and 2004) and Trevor Immelman, who won the Masters in 2008 and partnered Sabbatini in South Africa’s 2003 World Cup victory.

“Our other Honorary Members have ensured that South Africa has gained a reputation as a breeding ground for some of the greatest talent in world golf. We are immensely proud to reward Ernie and Louis with this honour.”

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For more information on the PGA of South Africa visit www.pga.co.za.

For more information on the Confederation of Professional Golf visit the CPG.com, follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

Masters Golf lead the European market with the supply of golf club components from all the major OEM brands including Golf Pride, True temper and Soft Spikes. This partnership includes the distribution of Golfsmith International’s proprietary brands like Snake Eyes, Maggie Lane and Tour trek. Golfsmith also have licensing agreements with OGIO Bags, Infiniti and a service and management contract with Greg Norman clothing.

Colin Christison, Masters Golf Commercial Director stated, “Masters Golf and Golfsmith Europe distribute similar products and it was an obvious choice to link both brands. Our forward thinking initiatives have enabled golf retailers in Europe and the UK to run their businesses more efficiently and profitably. This partnership will enable both companies to increase awareness in Europe. European customers will now have access to a wider range of products, benefiting from the supply and service that masters is renowned for.

This includes our sales force, product videos, trade website, StockTrac ordering system and customer service team.”

“Our partnership with Masters Golf signals a strategic growth initiative given their established presence and extensive distribution and sales network throughout Europe.” said Bob Sameski, Vice President of Business Development for Golfsmith.

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For more information www.golfsmitheurope.co.uk.

For more information on the Confederation of Professional Golf visit the CPG.com, follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

After the successful inaugural dual-event took place at the Lumine Mediterránea Beach & Golf Community in 2012, the events return to a new venue in which delegates will be greeted with a fantastic line-up of speakers and cutting edge subject matter.

The events will bring National team coaches together with coaches of elite players and are run separately but consecutively.

COACHES CIRCLE 18-20 March 2013 – Here national coaches, coaches of elite players (on a level 1,2 or 3 tour), and coaches involved in national junior programmes, are invited to attend theory and practical sessions.

HEADS OF TRAINING SUMMIT 21-22 March 2013 – Sessions are focussed on the latest information relating to the training of PGA Golf professionals and is tailored to Heads of Training or nominated individuals working within a PGA Training Programme on the delivery of such programmes.

Director of Education & Membership for The Confederation of Professional Golf, Tony Bennett said “The Coaches Circle has already become a not to be missed event. We have had many positive comments on how the 2012 Coaches Circle helped shape the preparation of National Team players in various countries”

He went on to say of the Heads of Training Summit: “Bringing together the Heads of Training allows us to better appreciate the challenges that our Member countries face while at the same time sharing good practices, offering solutions and facilitating meaningful discussions that have a long term effect on the future of the PGA golf professionals”.

Mike O’Brien, Director of Education for the PGA of Poland, a delegate at last year’s Coaches Circle, said “It was very good, very insightful, there were good topics and good information, and not only that we had an opportunity to network and sit down and talk in-between and after the conferences…

“When you’re away with the national team you don’t often have time to sit down with other coaches and talk so this was really good to talk about things that happen in different countries and different approaches.”

Both events will be set in the beautiful surroundings of the Chervò Golf Hotel Spa & Resort San Vigilio in Pozzolengo, in the splendid setting of Lake Garda, which is immersed in the green morainic hills (More info: http://bit.ly/TKX5ZN).

Further details of the speaker lineup and sessions will be released soon.

For more information or to register, contact Tony Bennett – tb@CPG.com.

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Watch the Coaches Circle and Heads of Training Promos here:

Coaches Circle 2013 – http://youtu.be/k1qPcRKyRC8

Heads of Training Summit 2013 – http://youtu.be/6fe31-xGqQg

For more information on the Confederation of Professional Golf visit the CPG.com, follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

The Swiss PGA is planning some events at the AGM on April 22nd in Otelfingen and at the Credit Suisse PGA Championship from October 1st – 4th in Geneva.

Exact to the Birthday the Swiss PGA is proud to announce the foundation of the Swiss PGA Services GmbH:

With effect of January 1st 2013, the Swiss PGA is proud to announce the founding of the Swiss PGA Services GmbH. This is a strategic move successfully undertaken by some of our fellow PGAs in Europe. The GmbH will provide us with a platform to move forward within the Swiss golf industry. The goal is to assure the future development of the Swiss PGA, to strengthen the relations with our sponsors and partners and to meet the demands of today’s business world.

The GmbH consists of CEO Peter Schwager and President Bruno Griss from the Swiss PGA along with Irek Myskow from Sports Marketing Solutions, also a member of the Swiss PGA.

The core of the business will be corporate golf consulting, organisation of events and running tournaments.

We believe that such a strategic decision will help to further develop Golf in Switzerland and will reposition the Swiss PGA with it ́s new services department as a strong and competent partner in the Swiss market.

The Swiss PGA Services GmbH was founded on January 10th 2013, exactly 70 years to the day since the association was founded.

We are looking forward to kicking off the new structure in the coming season.

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For more information on the Swiss PGA visit www.swisspga.ch.

Jaime, also known affectionately as Jimmy, helped to play an incredible part within the growth of European golf in the last 40 or so years by driving the expansion of the game throughout Spain, specifically through the influence of the Ryder Cup matches and his long-term support of various top level European Tour events.

His tireless efforts and incredible dedication to the game, and the professional golfer within it, saw him become President of the Confederation of Professional Golf in 2001/2002 succeeding John Jacobs in the position and preceding Sir Michael Bonallack, cementing his place amongst the golfing greats of Europe.

Ortiz-Patiño was also awarded the Confederation of Professional Golf Christer Lindberg Bowl back in 2006 to formally acknowledge and award his outstanding contribution to European Golf.

Patiño greatly contributed to the Confederation of Professional Golf and the then General Secretary, Lawrie Thornton, spoke fondly of him:

“To have him as Confederation of Professional Golf President ‘sandwiched’ between John Jacobs and Sir Michael Bonallack says everything about Jimmy’s standing in the world of golf. In those two years we enjoyed so many very special occasions in his company, and with his help, support and advice, were able to progress the fledgling Confederation of Professional Golf to the point where it was able to take its place at the peak of the games’ administration.”

Chief Executive of the Confederation of Professional Golf, Ian Randell, said “Jimmy was an inspiration to us all – he showed that European golf had it’s place on the global golfing map and the courses, infrastructures, and destinations were there to match the likes of the best in the world.

“He played a significant part in boosting the game in Spain, as well as influencing the biggest move seen in the Ryder Cup since it’s expansion to include Europe, by providing a world-class venue for that first match on Continental Europe’s soil. The game owes him a great deal for and he will be sorely missed by European golf.”

Carlos Roca, President of the PGA of Spain said “Jaime Ortiz Patiño has been one of the most influential players for Spanish Golf during our modern times.  His enthusiasm, hard work an vision goes far beyond creating Valderrama and its marvelous championships.

“He built up a future for generations to come by funding scholarships, junior leagues and amazing and overwhelming support for public golf.  All this hard work has helped tremendously in improving golf standards ensuring an easier, better and cleaner road for our spanish golf future.  From the PGA of Spain we want to honestly thank you and whish you to rest in peace.”

Born to Bolivian parents in Paris in 1930, Ortiz-Patiño found his passion for the game after a series of events beginning in Italy when caddying for Dai Rees and receiving Ryder Cup tickets for the following year’s match in Lindrick, UK, in 1957.

It was then that connection that lead him many years later to create a vision for what would become Valderrama – increasing participation and busy courses lead him and a group of associates to buy out the Los Aves course, which was subsequently remodeled by original designer Robert Trent Jones Snr, becoming Valderrama as we know it today.

Having created a masterpiece of the highest quality, it was not long before the course was hosting tournaments including 16 Volvo Masters, two World Golf Championship events and the Andalucía Masters. But it was likely the Ryder Cup match’s move to Valderrama in 1997 that will ensure it remains in the history books as Ortiz-Patiño’s crowning glory.

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For more information on the Confederation of Professional Golf visit the CPG.com, follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

Club Inc. will host the networking event to provide an opportunity to see a world-class venue with a money-can’t-buy tour behind the scenes of the FA headquarters set in the National Forest, in 330 acres of beautifully landscaped parkland, where the centre will be the training base for the 24 England teams.

Delegates will also hear the views and insights from Ian Randell, whose time and experiences as Chief Executive of the association, together with his position as a Ryder Cup Board member, will mean attendees will be sure to gather a huge amount of knowledge to take with them.

Benefits also include the ability to network with a number of CEO’s, GM’s, DoG’s, course managers and suppliers from the club and sport industry, learning more about opportunities that may exist within the industry.

Places at the Networking event are £55+VAT per person and you can reserve your place by completing an application form and returning it to info@clubincorporated.com.

For more information visit http://bit.ly/X2uXkq, or download an application form here.

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For more information about Club Inc. visit www.clubincorporated.com.

For more information on the Confederation of Professional Golf visit the CPG.com, follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

“We’re helping golfers play better through some exciting innovations,” said John A. Solheim, PING Chairman & CEO. “The entire line appeals to players of every ability level. The G25 driver offers meaningful adjustability to help all golfers optimize their trajectories without sacrificing the performance that’s often lost in bulkier hosel designs. The entire G25 series represents our continued commitment to engineering products that lead to lower scores and more enjoyment. I’m especially excited about the Scottsdale TR putter line, which features two significant innovations that will lead to tremendous improvement on the greens.”

PING pros Bubba Watson and Hunter Mahan have switched to the new adjustable G25 driver and will make their PGA Tour 2013 season debuts this week at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions with the new driver and fairway woods in their bags. Mahan will also rely on a Scottsdale TR ZB S model at the annual gathering of PGA Tour winners from last year.

In the new G25 iron, PING engineers have created a long, forgiving design with exceptional feel and distance control while maintaining a sleeker profile. The high-performance model features progressive sole widths, thinner top lines and moderate offset which will appeal to golfers of all abilities. Among the advancements that delivers both forgiveness and feel is the repositioned Custom Tuning Port (CTP). By lowering the CTP and aligning it directly with the impact area, weight was saved and redistributed to position the centre of gravity for easy launch and expand the perimeter weighting to ensure forgiveness. The G25s feature a dark, non-glare matte finish.

The Scottsdale TR putters feature two industry-first innovations – an insert with variable-depth grooves, and the option of an adjustable-length shaft in all traditional-length models.

The variable-depth grooves in the insert greatly improve ball-speed consistency whether the ball is struck on the centre, heel or toe. The grooves are deepest in the centre and get shallower toward the perimeter.

“We’ve engineered a putter insert with forgiveness,” Solheim said. “Regardless of where the ball impacts the insert, the variable-depth grooves produce nearly identical ball speeds. The distance control is the best we’ve ever seen when compared to inserts of all types.”

Traditional-length models can be ordered with a USGA/R&A-conforming shaft that adjusts from 31” to 38” to give golfers the option of varying the length of their putter prior to a round of golf.

“PING has always been a leader in custom fitting, and enabling golfers to personalize the fit and comfort for optimizing performance before a round of golf makes perfect sense,” Solheim added. “Our studies show that golfers are much more accurate and consistent with putters fit to the correct length. With the adjustable-length shaft in the Scottsdale TR, golfers can now properly adjust their putter themselves to the ideal length.”

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For more information visit www.ping.com.