The TCC will take place on Sunday 21 and Monday 22 of September in the lead up to The 2014 Ryder Cup at The Gleneagles Hotel, and will see a maximum of 300 delegates attend seminars around the following subject matter:

• Introducing the sport and grass-roots teaching
• The coaching experience from the player’s perspective
• Creating a supportive environment for player development
• Performance – Working with elite athletes

“The Teaching & Coaching Conference is an excellent chance to give PGA Professionals the opportunity to join together in a prestigious environment perfectly tailored towards learning and education,” said Ian Randell, Confederation of Professional Golf Chief Executive.

“With the conference taking place at the beginning of Ryder Cup week it will be a perfect way to illustrate how PGA Professionals can help coach juniors and grass roots players all the way up to Ryder Cup stars. We have a variety of excellent speakers in the pipeline and we’re looking forward to announcing these in the coming weeks.”

Confederation of Professional Golf Director of Education & Membership, Tony Bennett, added, “Every Confederation of Professional Golf TCC that I have attended has been valuable to my personal and professional development. I have learned valuable insights, from both the stage and from other delegates, which has enabled me to become a better coach.

“The speakers at this year’s TCC will bring a blend of knowledge, practical suggestions and solutions for dealing with all standards of players. The TCC will take coaches on a journey from the first contact with golf, until the last putt on Ryder Cup Sunday. In my opinion it is a not-to-be-missed event.”

Conference Delegates will also be given the opportunity to attend the Junior Ryder Cup at Blairgowrie Golf Club on Tuesday September 23 and to receive tickets for the Practice Days of The 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.

A draft conference programme, further information on speakers and subject matter, along with registration details will be released over the coming weeks at http://eur.pe/europeanTCC.

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For more information about the 2014 Teaching and Coaching Conference visit the Event Hub here:http://eur.pe/europeanTCC, follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the Hashtag #EuropeanTCC, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

The Pro-Am will take place from the 15th – 20th July (tournament dates 17th – 19th July) and will see up to 25 teams of one PGA Professional and three amateurs battle it out across 54 holes at three different courses for team prizes and a Professional prize fund of €25,000 (based on 25 teams).

After a year out from the tournament, Thracian Cliffs Golf Course, home of the 2013 Volvo World Matchplay Championship won by Graeme McDowell, will host the first stableford Pro-Am round, whilst Round 2 will again take place at the Lighthouse Golf & Spa Resort that sits next-door to BlackSeaRama.

The third and final round will take place across BlackSeaRama Golf & Villa’s par 72, 6648-meter championship course that offers a classic links-style layout and incredible views out to the Cape Kaliakra.

Beginning at €949 for non-members, and along with an exceptional après-golf offering (details here:http://eur.pe/1ep8AAu), packages include:

• 5 Nights Accommodation and complimentary airport transfer from / to Varna Airport
• Every day Lavish Buffet Breakfast included; Coffee, tea and Water in the Villas, Limited Mini-bar
• 1 Practice day green fee at BlackSeaRama Opening Cocktail at BSR Clubhouse
• 3 Tournament days green fees at BlackSeaRama, Thracian Cliffs and Lighthouse (transfers included)
• 3 Half-way food & beverage stops
• 2 Buffet Dinners: La Campana & Lake Taverna
• 1 Prize giving ceremony with Gala Dinner
• Free use of Fitness Centre, Infrared and Finnish Sauna, Jacuzzi, Billiard, Table Tennis, Pools, Steam Bath and Relax zone, Wi-Fi Internet
• Access to all functions and activities during the Pro-Am week

Find out more information on the schedule by downloading the Tournament Information Sheet here – http://eur.pe/1gCmifI – and to enter download the Entry Form here – http://eur.pe/OE3cQ9. Contactblacksearama@blacksearama.com with entries and for enquiries.

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For more information on the Confederation of Professional Golf visit the Tournament Hub Page, follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter search the Hashtag ‘#BlackSeaRama’, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

For more information on BlackSeaRama Golf Club visit www.BlackSeaRama.com.

The 2014 Ryder Cup will be attended by more members of the public than any of its predecessors after around 5,000 tickets for each match day were made available through a second sales process.

Ryder Cup Europe imposed a strict deadline on event stakeholders to take up their allocation of ‘Right to Buy’ tickets in order to have enough time to make returns available to members of the public. That deadline has now passed, and the tickets will be sold to all previously registered applicants who uploaded a photograph in the sales process last year, but who were unsuccessful in securing match day tickets. The tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis through an online sales process at www.rydercup.com, the official Ryder Cup website. The process will be open from 3pm on Wednesday 26th March. No new applicants will be accepted. Ryder Cup Europe confirmed that people can buy up to four tickets at once, although each ticket can only go to someone with an existing Ryder Cup registration number. This means you must have the details of everyone’s registration number before you try to buy. Different ticket ‘types’ will be on sale, from single Match Day tickets to multi-day season tickets and full season tickets. However, the terms of sale prevent applicants from buying more than one ticket type. Richard Hills, Europe’s Ryder Cup Director, said: “We’re delighted to be able to release further tickets to the general public. Those who were unsuccessful in last year’s sales process now have a final opportunity to snap up a Ryder Cup match day ticket. “Being a member of the Ryder Cup family of stakeholders comes with many benefits, one of which is an allocation of ‘Right to Buy’ tickets. It’s perfectly normal for some to be returned. However, we understand that people need to plan for the event and we did not want to miss the opportunity to release more tickets to the public. “These are not corporate hospitality tickets or sponsor allocations: the response for corporate hospitality has been excellent, and all sponsor allocations have been used.”
The 2014 Ryder Cup will be attended by more members of the public than any of its predecessors after around 5,000 tickets for each match day were made available through a second sales process.

Ryder Cup Europe imposed a strict deadline on event stakeholders to take up their allocation of ‘Right to Buy’ tickets in order to have enough time to make returns available to members of the public.

That deadline has now passed, and the tickets will be sold to all previously registered applicants who uploaded a photograph in the sales process last year, but who were unsuccessful in securing match day tickets.

The tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis through an online sales process at www.rydercup.com, the official Ryder Cup website. The process will be open from 3pm on Wednesday 26th March. No new applicants will be accepted.

Ryder Cup Europe confirmed that people can buy up to four tickets at once, although each ticket can only go to someone with an existing Ryder Cup registration number. This means you must have the details of everyone’s registration number before you try to buy.

Different ticket ‘types’ will be on sale, from single Match Day tickets to multi-day season tickets and full season tickets. However, the terms of sale prevent applicants from buying more than one ticket type.

Richard Hills, Europe’s Ryder Cup Director, said: “We’re delighted to be able to release further tickets to the general public. Those who were unsuccessful in last year’s sales process now have a final opportunity to snap up a Ryder Cup match day ticket.

“Being a member of the Ryder Cup family of stakeholders comes with many benefits, one of which is an allocation of ‘Right to Buy’ tickets. It’s perfectly normal for some to be returned. However, we understand that people need to plan for the event and we did not want to miss the opportunity to release more tickets to the public.

“These are not corporate hospitality tickets or sponsor allocations: the response for corporate hospitality has been excellent, and all sponsor allocations have been used.”

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For more information on the Ryder Cup visit www.RyderCup.com/europe.

 The Pro-Am will take place from the 15^th – 20^th July (tournament dates 17^th – 19^th July) and will see up to 25 teams of one PGA Professional and three amateurs battle it out across 54 holes at three different courses for team prizes and a Professional prize fund of €25,000 (based on 25 teams).

 After a year out from the tournament, Thracian Cliffs Golf Course, home of the 2013 Volvo World Matchplay Championship won by Graeme McDowell, will host the first stableford Pro-Am round, whilst Round 2 will again take place at the Lighthouse Golf & Spa Resort that sits next-door to BlackSeaRama.

 The third and final round will take place across BlackSeaRama Golf & Villa’s par 72, 6648-meter championship course that offers a classic links-style layout and incredible views out to the Cape Kaliakra.

 Beginning at €949 for non-members, and along with an exceptional après-golf offering (details here: http://eur.pe/1ep8AAu), packages include:

• 5 Nights Accommodation and complimentary airport transfer from / to Varna Airport
• Every day Lavish Buffet Breakfast included; Coffee, tea and Water in the Villas, Limited Mini-bar
• 1 Practice day green fee at BlackSeaRama Opening Cocktail at BSR Clubhouse
• 3 Tournament days green fees at BlackSeaRama, Thracian Cliffs and Lighthouse (transfers included)
• 3 Half-way food & beverage stops
• 2 Buffet Dinners: La Campana & Lake Taverna
• 1 Prize giving ceremony with Gala Dinner
• Free use of Fitness Centre, Infrared and Finnish Sauna, Jacuzzi, Billiard, Table Tennis, Pools, Steam Bath and Relax zone, Wi-Fi Internet
• Access to all functions and activities during the Pro-Am week

 Find out more information on the schedule by downloading the Tournament Information Sheet here – http://eur.pe/1gCmifI – and to enter download the Entry Form here – http://eur.pe/OE3cQ9. Contact blacksearama@blacksearama.com with entries and for enquiries.

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 For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/ODZ032), follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter (http://bit.ly/Pojrwy) and search the hashtag ‘#BlackSeaRama’ (http://eur.pe/13Dp6Hg), or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page (http://on.fb.me/RnDfEc).

 To find out more about BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas visit www.BlackSeaRama.com.

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 Notes to Editors:

 An Association of 36 National PGAs (31 European and 5 international) with a collective membership in excess of 21,000 golf professionals, the Confederation of Professional Golf is committed to the advancement of golf, golfers and the golf profession across Europe.

 The Association is also a partner in Ryder Cup Europe as the sole member of the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, and is widely acknowledged as a lead body in the delivery of golf development expertise on a global basis through its collaboration with The R&A in its “Working for Golf” programme.

 BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas

 “BlackSeaRama is a special golf course – you have to see it to believe it”! – Gary Player

BlackSeaRama is a classic links golf course with remarkable views of the sea – the similarity with Scotland is obvious, with the only difference being that Bulgaria is the newest golf destination in Europe, while Scotland – the oldest. But the real difference is the climate – the sunny days in BlackSeaRama are more than 260, which makes around 10 perfect months of golf on the Black sea coast. Situated some 50km away from Varna-only one and a half hours flight from Vienna and Prague or Europe’s centre. BlackSeaRama offers the very best of Gary Players’ style, says the US Masters champion Angel Cabrera, a little after he played all 18 of the great championship holes.

BlackSeaRama residential area consists only of one or two-storey villas. This creates a cozy atmosphere with breath-taking views to the Cape Kaliakra and the golf course. All hundred luxurious villas have five-star hotel services, and the infinity swimming pools bring a delight sense of timeless relaxation.

The bistro and the Gourmet restaurant in the clubhouse are the home of the famous East European chef Kirin.

BlackSeaRama golf academy disposes of latest golf simulator equipment, which facilitates training all year round, both indoors and outdoors. Besides, BlackSeaRama has two tennis courts, a professional gym, a therapeutic massage centre, as well as unlimited opportunities for practicing various sports. The complex offers everything from cycling and table tennis to riding, hunting, diving and yachting.

The philosophy of BlackSeaRama is maximum self-sufficiency, absolute peace and an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Own labels of red and white wine are produced from the vineyards grown aside the fairways available only for its members and guests. The fruits and vegetables are also organically produced on site.

BlackSeaRama – the golf course named by “Golf Inc”, “Best new course in the world 2009”, which has a Bentley prize, and a clubhouse titled “Building of the year 2008”.

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 Steenkamer’s third round at the La Manga Club did not get off to the best of starts with bogeys at the second and fourth holes, followed by a trio of bogeys at holes seven, eight and nine, making the turn in 42 shots and four-over par for the tournament leaving plenty of work to be done.

 But his final nine holes at the club’s South Course was in stark contrast to his previous nine beginning an incredible comeback that saw birdies at holes ten, eleven, thirteen and finally from just two-feet on eighteen to ease the pain of his front nine and finish on one-over for the day (74) and even for the tournament.

 “It’s the first time I’ve played a tournament since October – I spent three weeks in Latin America trying to play a few events there, so I worked hard on my game,” explained Steenkamer. “Today I got off to a pretty poor start – I actually played pretty well but I was five-over after nine so my team got really quiet and they thought I was going to give it away – but I came back in four-under. I hit a great three-iron into the 18th and actually had an eagle putt, knocked it two-feet by and made birdie, so really happy.”

 “My gameplan was basically to be patient and persevere – it was an emotional week this week as two days before I left a cousin of mine died. I played with my dad who is 75 years old so we basically said you know what, we’re going to have a good time and we’re glad to be here and glad to be playing golf.”

 Three shots behind in second place was the PGA of Sweden Professional, Mikael Lundberg, who had led through Round 1 after an excellent opening eight-under 65, but lost traction after a second round ten-over 82.

 Lundberg’s round was again awash with birdies and bogeys but a one-over front nine and level-par back nine ensured he remained near the top of the leaderboard with his closing 74 and a three-over par (221) total for the tournament.

 PGA of Great Britain & Ireland Professional, Brendan McGovern, was one of the other most consistent Professionals across the week. The Irishman added to his first round 75 and second round 74 with a closing one-over par 74 that included a characteristic finishing stretch of seven regulation pars to end in third place for the tournament on five-over par.

 In the Team Pro-Am Competition it was the team of PGA of Spain Professional, James Ferraby, that took the stableford honours. Ferraby, together with his Russian amateurs Pavel Shestopalov, Vitaly Samsonov, and Alfonso Grijalva, played consistent team golf all week, but it was the final day that topped it all.

 A tournament-highest round of 89 points (-17) was enough for them to capitalise on their Round 2 lead, finishing on 256 points (-40) for the tournament, four shots ahead of their nearest rivals in the shape of Lundberg and his amateurs, Mike Norris, Chris Webb, and Fraser Phillips on 252 points (-36).

 Brendan McGovern’s team including amateurs Ronan Reilly, Marcus Burley, and Jonathan Toms, had a closing eight-under par total of 80 points which wasn’t quite enough to advance further than the third place Team Pro-Am honours, ending on a 243-point (-27) total for the week.

 Full final tournament scores can be found at http://eur.pe/1cdjmcX.

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 For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/1cdjmcX), follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter (http://bit.ly/Pojrwy) and search the hashtag ‘#LaMangaClubProAm’ (http://eur.pe/17KzVMu), or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page (http://on.fb.me/RnDfEc).

 To find out more about the La Manga Club visit www.lamangaclub.com.

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 IMAGE CAPTION: 2014 La Manga Club International Pro-Am Individual Professional Winner, Joost Steenkamer (PGA of Holland) [Image courtesy of La Manga Photos – www.lamangaphotos.com]

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 Notes to Editors:

 An Association of 36 National PGAs (31 European and 5 international) with a collective membership in excess of 21,000 golf professionals, the Confederation of Professional Golf is committed to the advancement of golf, golfers and the golf profession across Europe.

 The Association is also a partner in Ryder Cup Europe as the sole member of the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, and is widely acknowledged as a lead body in the delivery of golf development expertise on a global basis through its collaboration with The R&A in its “Working for Golf” programme.

 La Manga Club

 La Manga Club is an unrivalled sports and leisure paradise which sits between the low hills that separate the Mediterranean from the Mar Menor Sea, just 20 minutes from Murcia airport and an hour from Alicante.

 Set out over an area of some 560 hectares (approx. 1,400 acres), it enjoys a mild year-round Mediterranean climate and offers visitors a prestigious five-star hotel, luxury vacation apartments and extensive sports facilities, including three championship golf courses, a 28-court tennis centre and eight grass sports pitches. The resort is also home to innumerable leisure facilities, such as the 2,000m² Spa La Manga Club with its 13 luxurious treatment rooms, comprehensive fitness centre and 25m indoor swimming pool; meeting, banqueting and incentive facilities, and more than 20 restaurants and bars.

 As well as hosting both Davis and Fed Cup tennis matches, La Manga Club has signed a long-term deal to be the overseas training resort of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) until 2016. It has also staged the Spanish Open golf championship and regularly attracts professional and international football teams to the first-class year-round training facilities which are also used by rugby and cricket sides.

 As a result of more than 40 years of continued investment, innovation and commitment to excellence, La Manga Club is widely recognised as Spain’s flagship resort and as one of the finest sports and lifestyle destinations in the world. Evidence of this is provided by its numerous awards and accolades.

 La Manga Club was the proud recipient of a 2013 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel website, for the facilities and service on offer at its five-star Hotel Principe Felipe. The resort has long been a staunch supporter of women’s golf, being the official overseas resort partner of the English Women’s Golf Association for three years as well as hosting the Ladies European Tour (LET) Qualifying School from 2009-12. La Manga Club is also the venue for the Ladies Murcia Open, an LET Access Series event, and regularly hosts top women’s amateur events and teams. [www.lamangaclub.com]

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PGA of Holland Professional, Joost Steenkamer, completed a stunning back nine comeback during his final round at the Confederation of Professional Golf-sanctioned La Manga Club International Pro-Am today, to finish at even-par for the tournament (218) and take home the winner’s cheque for €4,000.

Steenkamer’s third round at the La Manga Club did not get off to the best of starts with bogeys at the second and fourth holes, followed by a trio of bogeys at holes seven, eight and nine, making the turn in 42 shots and four-over par for the tournament leaving plenty of work to be done.

But his final nine holes at the club’s South Course was in stark contrast to his previous nine beginning an incredible comeback that saw birdies at holes ten, eleven, thirteen and finally from just two-feet on eighteen to ease the pain of his front nine and finish on one-over for the day (74) and even for the tournament.

“It’s the first time I’ve played a tournament since October – I spent three weeks in Latin America trying to play a few events there, so I worked hard on my game,” explained Steenkamer. “Today I got off to a pretty poor start – I actually played pretty well but I was five-over after nine so my team got really quiet and they thought I was going to give it away – but I came back in four-under. I hit a great three-iron into the 18th and actually had an eagle putt, knocked it two-feet by and made birdie, so really happy.”

“My gameplan was basically to be patient and persevere – it was an emotional week this week as two days before I left a cousin of mine died. I played with my dad who is 75 years old so we basically said you know what, we’re going to have a good time and we’re glad to be here and glad to be playing golf.”

Three shots behind in second place was the PGA of Sweden Professional, Mikael Lundberg, who had led through Round 1 after an excellent opening eight-under 65, but lost traction after a second round ten-over 82.

Lundberg’s round was again awash with birdies and bogeys but a one-over front nine and level-par back nine ensured he remained near the top of the leaderboard with his closing 74 and a three-over par (221) total for the tournament.

PGA of Great Britain & Ireland Professional, Brendan McGovern, was one of the other most consistent Professionals across the week. The Irishman added to his first round 75 and second round 74 with a closing one-over par 74 that included a characteristic finishing stretch of seven regulation pars to end in third place for the tournament on five-over par.

In the Team Pro-Am Competition it was the team of PGA of Spain Professional, James Ferraby, that took the stableford honours. Ferraby, together with his Russian amateurs Pavel Shestopalov, Vitaly Samsonov, and Alfonso Grijalva, played consistent team golf all week, but it was the final day that topped it all.

A tournament-highest round of 89 points (-17) was enough for them to capitalise on their Round 2 lead, finishing on 256 points (-40) for the tournament, four shots ahead of their nearest rivals in the shape of Lundberg and his amateurs, Mike Norris, Chris Webb, and Fraser Phillips on 252 points (-36).

Brendan McGovern’s team including amateurs Ronan Reilly, Marcus Burley, and Jonathan Toms, had a closing eight-under par total of 80 points which wasn’t quite enough to advance further than the third place Team Pro-Am honours, ending on a 243-point (-27) total for the week.

Full final tournament scores can be found here.

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For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page, follow @PGAsofEurope and search #LaMangaClubProAm on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

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PGA of Holland Professional, Joost Steenkamer, completed a stunning back nine comeback during his final round at the Confederation of Professional Golf-sanctioned La Manga Club International Pro-Am today, to finish at even-par for the tournament (218) and take home the winner’s cheque for €4,000.

Steenkamer’s third round at the La Manga Club did not get off to the best of starts with bogeys at the second and fourth holes, followed by a trio of bogeys at holes seven, eight and nine, making the turn in 42 shots and four-over par for the tournament leaving plenty of work to be done.

But his final nine holes at the club’s South Course was in stark contrast to his previous nine beginning an incredible comeback that saw birdies at holes ten, eleven, thirteen and finally from just two-feet on eighteen to ease the pain of his front nine and finish on one-over for the day (74) and even for the tournament.

“It’s the first time I’ve played a tournament since October – I spent three weeks in Latin America trying to play a few events there, so I worked hard on my game,” explained Steenkamer. “Today I got off to a pretty poor start – I actually played pretty well but I was five-over after nine so my team got really quiet and they thought I was going to give it away – but I came back in four-under. I hit a great three-iron into the 18th and actually had an eagle putt, knocked it two-feet by and made birdie, so really happy.”

“My gameplan was basically to be patient and persevere – it was an emotional week this week as two days before I left a cousin of mine died. I played with my dad who is 75 years old so we basically said you know what, we’re going to have a good time and we’re glad to be here and glad to be playing golf.”

Three shots behind in second place was the PGA of Sweden Professional, Mikael Lundberg, who had led through Round 1 after an excellent opening eight-under 65, but lost traction after a second round ten-over 82.

Lundberg’s round was again awash with birdies and bogeys but a one-over front nine and level-par back nine ensured he remained near the top of the leaderboard with his closing 74 and a three-over par (221) total for the tournament.

PGA of Great Britain & Ireland Professional, Brendan McGovern, was one of the other most consistent Professionals across the week. The Irishman added to his first round 75 and second round 74 with a closing one-over par 74 that included a characteristic finishing stretch of seven regulation pars to end in third place for the tournament on five-over par.

In the Team Pro-Am Competition it was the team of PGA of Spain Professional, James Ferraby, that took the stableford honours. Ferraby, together with his Russian amateurs Pavel Shestopalov, Vitaly Samsonov, and Alfonso Grijalva, played consistent team golf all week, but it was the final day that topped it all.

A tournament-highest round of 89 points (-17) was enough for them to capitalise on their Round 2 lead, finishing on 256 points (-40) for the tournament, four shots ahead of their nearest rivals in the shape of Lundberg and his amateurs, Mike Norris, Chris Webb, and Fraser Phillips on 252 points (-36).

Brendan McGovern’s team including amateurs Ronan Reilly, Marcus Burley, and Jonathan Toms, had a closing eight-under par total of 80 points which wasn’t quite enough to advance further than the third place Team Pro-Am honours, ending on a 243-point (-27) total for the week.

Full final tournament scores can be found at http://eur.pe/1cdjmcX.

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For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page, follow @PGAsofEurope and search #LaMangaClubProAm on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

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Round 2 – Steenkamer Sits One Ahead at La Manga Club International

PGA of Holland Professional, Joost Steenkamer, battled through tough conditions at the La Manga Club’s West Course in Spain, carding a one-over par 73 to total one-under par for the tournament (144) and one ahead of the chasers.

Steenkamer’s [pictured left alongside amateurs Chris Steenkamer, Marc Van Overbeek, Hans de Roos] round was once again up and down with four bogeys and two birdies on the front nine, but managed his back nine much better with only one bogey and two birdies.

But hot on the Dutchman’s heels is Spain’s Carlos Rodiles whose advance on the tournament was solid throughout his second round until the 17th hole when a double bogey seven halted the charge. But an instant birdie response on the 18th hole helped to ease the pain of 17 and leaving Rodiles on even-par for the tournament (145).

Round 1 leader, Mikael Lundberg (PGA of Sweden), wasn’t able to emulate his first round at the South Course with a string of bogeys in both nines for a second round of ten-over par. But yesterday’s round ensured he didn’t end up too far off of the pace, sitting at two-over par for the tournament.

In the Team Pro-Am event, PGA of Spain Professional, James Ferraby, and his team of Pavel Shestopalov, Vitaly Samsonov, and Alfonso Grijalva, lead after a consistent eleven-under, 83-point total, matched with their first round of 84 points, leave them one ahead with 167 points (-23).

Whilst Lundberg’s individual score for the day was not as hot as Round 1’s, his team score was enough to hold second place at 166 points, followed by Brendan McGovern’s team on 163 points.

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Round 1 – Lundberg Lights Up Sunny Spain

PGA of Sweden Professional, Mikael Lundberg, got his La Manga Club International Pro-Am campaign underway today after carding an eight-under 65 to take the lead at the La Manga Club in Spain after Round 1.

Perfect spring conditions leant themselves to good scoring and an eagle on the 4th hole to kick things off, followed by three birdies before the turn on the South Course at La Manga was a dream start for Lundberg.

Three birdies and six regulation pars through the back nine secured the 65 and no less than a five-shot lead heading into Round 2 at La Manga’s West course.

The PGA of Spain’s Carlos Rodiles kept things simple in Round 1 with three birdies at holes four, six and eight, and pars for the remaining holes for a three-under par 70.

In a tie for third place sits the PGA of Holland’s Joost Steenkamer and PGA of France Professional, Julian Gressier. Both Professionals had much more up-and-down rounds than the two Professionals ahead of them – seven birdies, three bogeys and a double for Steenkamer, and six birdies, one bogey, and a triple for Gressier, left them both with two-under 71s.

PGA of Ireland Professional, Brendan McGovern, and PGA of Norway Professional, Audunn Einarsson, both carded two-over par 75s making it 6 players within 10 shots of the lead.

Lundberg and his team of Mike Norris, Chris Webb, and Fraser Phillips also lead the Team Pro-Am competition with a 16-under par 88 points, ahead of Team McGovern on 14-under (86 points).

The third place team of Gressier was helped to their 13-under 85-point total by amateur Raphael Gayraud who made a hole-in-one on the 17th hole of the South course.

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La Manga Club International Pro-Am – Entry Closes Midnight (GMT) 20/02/2014

Time is running out to enter a team into the 1st La Manga Club International Pro-Am and there are limited places remaining, so be sure to book your place as soon as possible.

Entries close on the 20th of February at Midnight (GMT) and the Pro-Am takes place from the 8th- 10th March 2014 at the La Manga Club, Spain.

The Confederation of Professional Golf has renewed its ties with the five-star La Manga Club in a partnership that ignites an old flame between the Association and the resort, and will see PGA Professionals from across the continent contest an overall prize fund of €20,000 (based on 20 teams) and a first prize of €3,500.

Players will compete over 54 holes for an array of individual and team honours, with packages costing €800 per person (€2,400 per team, professionals go free) and include:

• Tournament entry
• 4 nights’ twin-share accommodation at 5* Hotel La Manga Club Príncipe Felipe – just a short putt from the newly refurbished practice facilities and golf club house
• Practice round on La Manga Club South Course
• 3 tournament rounds on La Manga Club South and West Courses
• Lunch on all 4 event days
• Welcome reception
• Prize-giving dinner

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La Manga Club International Pro-Am Entry Opens

Entries are now open for the La Manga Club International Pro-Am taking place from the 8-10th March 2014 at the La Manga Club, Spain.

The event will see 20-plus teams from across the continent – made up of one professional and three amateurs – gather at La Manga Club to contest an overall prize fund of €20,000 (based on 20 teams) and a first prize of €3,500.

Players will compete over 54 holes for an array of individual and team honours, with packages costing €800 per person (€2,400 per team, professionals go free) and include:

• Tournament entry
• 4 nights’ twin-share accommodation at 5* Hotel La Manga Club Príncipe Felipe – just a short putt from the newly refurbished practice facilities and golf club house
• Practice round on La Manga Club South Course
• 3 tournament rounds on La Manga Club South and West Courses
• Lunch on all 4 event days
• Welcome reception
• Prize-giving dinner

The Pro-Am sees the Confederation of Professional Golf renew its ties with the five-star La Manga Club in a partnership that ignites an old flame between the Association and the resort. The Club was once the continental European base of the Confederation of Professional Golf, hosting the Association’s Annual Congress and International Team Championships for many years.

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La Manga Club Reignites Confederation of Professional Golf Relationship With Pro-Am Tournament

The Confederation of Professional Golf has renewed its ties with the five-star La Manga Club in a partnership that ignites an old flame between the Association and the resort, and will take the form of a brand new Pro-Am Tournament being added to the 2014 Confederation of Professional Golf Tournament calendar.

Taking place in early March, the event will see 20-plus teams from across the continent – made up of one professional and three amateurs – gather at La Manga Club to contest an overall prize fund in excess of €20,000.

Players will compete over 54 holes for an array of individual and team honours, with packages costing €800 per person (€2,400 per team, professionals go free) including tournament entry, one practice round, a welcome cocktail reception, prize-giving gala dinner and all accommodation.

La Manga Club was once the continental European base of the Confederation of Professional Golf, hosting the Association’s Annual Congress and International Team Championships for many years, and now the pro-am tournament will be the second major international event that La Manga Club will stage early next year, with the resort also set to host the 2014 Spanish Seniors Amateur Championship in February.

Ian Randell, Chief Executive of the Confederation of Professional Golf (pictured right), said: “La Manga Club has played a significant role in the history of the Confederation of Professional Golf, hosting the Association’s Annual Congress and International Team Championship in the formative years of our association.

“We are delighted to be renewing our relationship and this tournament signifies the start of another exciting chapter in our partnership together.”

Gary Silcock, Director of Golf at La Manga Club (pictured left), said: “As Europe’s top sports and leisure destination, it was a logical step for La Manga Club to team up with the Confederation of Professional Golf again and this is fantastic news for the resort.

“This region of Spain offers the perfect climate for winter golf. The resort is very popular with professionals hosting coaching groups on overseas breaks and the pro-am will give us the chance to showcase the extensive golf and practice facilities that we have to a discerning international audience.”

Having celebrated its 40th birthday last year, La Manga Club stands as a bastion of European golf, sports and lifestyle resorts.

Among its most recent accolades, La Manga Club has been voted as the best golf resort in Spain by UK readers of Today’s Golfer magazine for the last two years, hosted the 2013 Spanish Amateur International Golf Championship and is the overseas training base of the Lawn Tennis Association until 2016.

 Steenkamer’s round was once again up and down with four bogeys and two birdies on the front nine, but managed his back nine much better with only one bogey and two birdies.

 But hot on the Dutchman’s heels is Spain’s Carlos Rodiles whose advance on the tournament was solid throughout his second round until the 17^th hole when a double bogey seven halted the charge. But an instant birdie response on the 18^th hole helped to ease the pain of 17 and leaving Rodiles on even-par for the tournament (145).

 Round 1 leader, Mikael Lundberg (PGA of Sweden), wasn’t able to emulate his first round at the South Course with a string of bogeys in both nines for a second round of ten-over par. But yesterday’s round ensured he didn’t end up too far off of the pace, sitting at two-over par for the tournament.

 In the Team Pro-Am event, PGA of Spain Professional, James Ferraby, and his team of Pavel Shestopalov, Vitaly Samsonov, and Alfonso Grijalva, lead after a consistent eleven-under, 83-point total, matched with their first round of 84 points, leave them one ahead with 167 points (-23).

 Whilst Lundberg’s individual score for the day was not as hot as Round 1’s, his team score was enough to hold second place at 166 points, followed by Brendan McGovern’s team on 163 points.

 For full Round 2 scores visit http://eur.pe/1cdjmcX. The Final Round’s play returns to La Manga’s South Course and gets underway at 08:30 CET.

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 For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/1cdjmcX), follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter (http://bit.ly/Pojrwy) and search the hashtag ‘#LaMangaClubProAm’ (http://eur.pe/17KzVMu), or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page (http://on.fb.me/RnDfEc).

 To find out more about the La Manga Club visit www.lamangaclub.com.

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 IMAGE CAPTION: 2014 La Manga Club International Pro-Am Round 2 Leader, Joost Steenkamer (-1), pictured alongside his amateur team mates [L-R], Chris Steenkamer, Marc Van Overbeek, and Hans de Roos. (Image courtesy of La Manga Photos – www.lamangaphotos.com)

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 Notes to Editors:

 An Association of 36 National PGAs (31 European and 5 international) with a collective membership in excess of 21,000 golf professionals, the Confederation of Professional Golf is committed to the advancement of golf, golfers and the golf profession across Europe.

 The Association is also a partner in Ryder Cup Europe as the sole member of the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, and is widely acknowledged as a lead body in the delivery of golf development expertise on a global basis through its collaboration with The R&A in its “Working for Golf” programme.

 La Manga Club

 La Manga Club is an unrivalled sports and leisure paradise which sits between the low hills that separate the Mediterranean from the Mar Menor Sea, just 20 minutes from Murcia airport and an hour from Alicante.

 Set out over an area of some 560 hectares (approx. 1,400 acres), it enjoys a mild year-round Mediterranean climate and offers visitors a prestigious five-star hotel, luxury vacation apartments and extensive sports facilities, including three championship golf courses, a 28-court tennis centre and eight grass sports pitches. The resort is also home to innumerable leisure facilities, such as the 2,000m² Spa La Manga Club with its 13 luxurious treatment rooms, comprehensive fitness centre and 25m indoor swimming pool; meeting, banqueting and incentive facilities, and more than 20 restaurants and bars.

As well as hosting both Davis and Fed Cup tennis matches, La Manga Club has signed a long-term deal to be the overseas training resort of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) until 2016. It has also staged the Spanish Open golf championship and regularly attracts professional and international football teams to the first-class year-round training facilities which are also used by rugby and cricket sides.

 As a result of more than 40 years of continued investment, innovation and commitment to excellence, La Manga Club is widely recognised as Spain’s flagship resort and as one of the finest sports and lifestyle destinations in the world. Evidence of this is provided by its numerous awards and accolades.

 La Manga Club was the proud recipient of a 2013 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel website, for the facilities and service on offer at its five-star Hotel Principe Felipe. The resort has long been a staunch supporter of women’s golf, being the official overseas resort partner of the English Women’s Golf Association for three years as well as hosting the Ladies European Tour (LET) Qualifying School from 2009-12. La Manga Club is also the venue for the Ladies Murcia Open, an LET Access Series event, and regularly hosts top women’s amateur events and teams. [www.lamangaclub.com]

Steenkamer’s [pictured left alongside amateurs Chris Steenkamer, Marc Van Overbeek, Hans de Roos] round was once again up and down with four bogeys and two birdies on the front nine, but managed his back nine much better with only one bogey and two birdies.

But hot on the Dutchman’s heels is Spain’s Carlos Rodiles whose advance on the tournament was solid throughout his second round until the 17th hole when a double bogey seven halted the charge. But an instant birdie response on the 18th hole helped to ease the pain of 17 and leaving Rodiles on even-par for the tournament (145).

Round 1 leader, Mikael Lundberg (PGA of Sweden), wasn’t able to emulate his first round at the South Course with a string of bogeys in both nines for a second round of ten-over par. But yesterday’s round ensured he didn’t end up too far off of the pace, sitting at two-over par for the tournament.

In the Team Pro-Am event, PGA of Spain Professional, James Ferraby, and his team of Pavel Shestopalov, Vitaly Samsonov, and Alfonso Grijalva, lead after a consistent eleven-under, 83-point total, matched with their first round of 84 points, leave them one ahead with 167 points (-23).

Whilst Lundberg’s individual score for the day was not as hot as Round 1’s, his team score was enough to hold second place at 166 points, followed by Brendan McGovern’s team on 163 points.

For full Round 2 scores visit http://eur.pe/1cdjmcX.  The Final Round’s play returns to La Manga’s South Course and gets underway at 08:30 CET.

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For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page, follow @PGAsofEurope and search #LaMangaClubProAm on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

Perfect spring conditions leant themselves to good scoring and an eagle on the 4th hole to kick things off, followed by three birdies before the turn on the South Course at La Manga was a dream start for Lundberg.

Three birdies and six regulation pars through the back nine secured the 65 and no less than a five-shot lead heading into Round 2 at La Manga’s West course.

The PGA of Spain’s Carlos Rodiles kept things simple in Round 1 with three birdies at holes four, six and eight, and pars for the remaining holes for a three-under par 70.

In a tie for third place sits the PGA of Holland’s Joost Steenkamer and PGA of France Professional, Julian Gressier. Both Professionals had much more up-and-down rounds than the two Professionals ahead of them – seven birdies, three bogeys and a double for Steenkamer, and six birdies, one bogey, and a triple for Gressier, left them both with two-under 71s.

PGA of Ireland Professional, Brendan McGovern, and PGA of Norway Professional, Audunn Einarsson, both carded two-over par 75s making it 6 players within 10 shots of the lead.

Lundberg and his team of Mike Norris, Chris Webb, and Fraser Phillips also lead the Team Pro-Am competition with a 16-under par 88 points, ahead of Team McGovern on 14-under (86 points).

The third place team of Gressier was helped to their 13-under 85-point total by amateur Raphael Gayraud who made a hole-in-one on the 17th hole of the South course.

For full Round 1 scores visit http://eur.pe/1cdjmcX. Round 2 play gets underway on the La Manga Club’s West Course at 08:30 CET.

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For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page, follow @PGAsofEurope and search #LaMangaClubProAm on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

 Perfect spring conditions leant themselves to good scoring and an eagle on the 4^th hole to kick things off, followed by three birdies before the turn on the South Course at La Manga was a dream start for Lundberg.

 Three birdies and six regulation pars through the back nine secured the 65 and no less than a five-shot lead heading into Round 2 at La Manga’s West course.

 The PGA of Spain’s Carlos Rodiles kept things simple in Round 1 with three birdies at holes four, six and eight, and pars for the remaining holes for a three-under par 70.

 In a tie for third place sits the PGA of Holland’s Joost Steenkamer and PGA of France Professional, Julian Gressier. Both Professionals had much more up-and-down rounds than the two Professionals ahead of them – seven birdies, three bogeys and a double for Steenkamer, and six birdies, one bogey, and a triple for Gressier, left them both with two-under 71s.

 PGA of Ireland Professional, Brendan McGovern, and PGA of Norway Professional, Audunn Einarsson, both carded two-over par 75s making it 6 players within 10 shots of the lead.

 Lundberg and his team of Mike Norris, Chris Webb, and Fraser Phillips also lead the Team Pro-Am competition with a 16-under par 88 points, ahead of Team McGovern on 14-under (86 points).

 The third place team of Gressier was helped to their 13-under 85-point total by amateur Raphael Gayraud who made a hole-in-one on the 17^th hole of the South course.

 For full Round 1 scores visit http://eur.pe/1cdjmcX. Round 2 play gets underway on the La Manga Club’s West Course at 08:30 CET.

 ———————–

 For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/1cdjmcX), follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter (http://bit.ly/Pojrwy) and search the hashtag ‘#LaMangaClubProAm’ (http://eur.pe/17KzVMu), or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page (http://on.fb.me/RnDfEc).

 To find out more about the La Manga Club visit www.lamangaclub.com.

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 IMAGE CAPTION: 2014 La Manga Club International Pro-Am Round 1 Leader, Mikael Lundberg (Image courtesy of Action Images – www.actionimages.com)

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 Notes to Editors:

 An Association of 36 National PGAs (31 European and 5 international) with a collective membership in excess of 21,000 golf professionals, the Confederation of Professional Golf is committed to the advancement of golf, golfers and the golf profession across Europe.

 The Association is also a partner in Ryder Cup Europe as the sole member of the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, and is widely acknowledged as a lead body in the delivery of golf development expertise on a global basis through its collaboration with The R&A in its “Working for Golf” programme.

 La Manga Club

 La Manga Club is an unrivalled sports and leisure paradise which sits between the low hills that separate the Mediterranean from the Mar Menor Sea, just 20 minutes from Murcia airport and an hour from Alicante.

 Set out over an area of some 560 hectares (approx. 1,400 acres), it enjoys a mild year-round Mediterranean climate and offers visitors a prestigious five-star hotel, luxury vacation apartments and extensive sports facilities, including three championship golf courses, a 28-court tennis centre and eight grass sports pitches. The resort is also home to innumerable leisure facilities, such as the 2,000m² Spa La Manga Club with its 13 luxurious treatment rooms, comprehensive fitness centre and 25m indoor swimming pool; meeting, banqueting and incentive facilities, and more than 20 restaurants and bars.

 As well as hosting both Davis and Fed Cup tennis matches, La Manga Club has signed a long-term deal to be the overseas training resort of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) until 2016. It has also staged the Spanish Open golf championship and regularly attracts professional and international football teams to the first-class year-round training facilities which are also used by rugby and cricket sides.

 As a result of more than 40 years of continued investment, innovation and commitment to excellence, La Manga Club is widely recognised as Spain’s flagship resort and as one of the finest sports and lifestyle destinations in the world. Evidence of this is provided by its numerous awards and accolades.

 La Manga Club was the proud recipient of a 2013 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel website, for the facilities and service on offer at its five-star Hotel Principe Felipe. The resort has long been a staunch supporter of women’s golf, being the official overseas resort partner of the English Women’s Golf Association for three years as well as hosting the Ladies European Tour (LET) Qualifying School from 2009-12. La Manga Club is also the venue for the Ladies Murcia Open, an LET Access Series event, and regularly hosts top women’s amateur events and teams. [www.lamangaclub.com]

The Championship sees leading qualifiers from each of the 36 Confederation of Professional Golf Member Countries compete across four days of strokeplay golf for an prize fund of €60,000.

However, the Championship will this year come with the added boost that the ‘Passport to Pravets’ banner provides. Not only will each of the champions and top finishers in the national PGA Championships receive invitations to compete, but each of the eligible winners from the nine other Confederation of Professional Golf events on the calendar will also qualify to compete.

The first of these invitations have been sent to the 2013 International Team Championship’s victorious PGA of Holland team consisting of Nicolas Nube, Ralph Miller, and Robin Swane, after their long-awaited winning performance in December.

The eligible winners of the Mercedes-Benz International Pro-Am, Fourball Championship, and Kempinski “The Dome” Pro-Ams that have taken place so far this year will also be invited to the event, along with each of the Champions throughout the Confederation of Professional Golf season.

“Pravets Golf & Spa has proved itself to be an ideal venue for our flagship Championship,” stated Ian Randell, Chief Executive of the PGAs of Europe. “The golf course is always in superb condition and provides an excellent test of golf. The facilities at the club and hotel are first-class and the warm welcome that is extended to players and officials makes it a hugely popular event. In addition they operate a very welcoming ‘Everyone can play’ policy and have invested in golf development in the area particularly for local children. We are extremely happy to be extending our hugely successful partnership into the future.”

CEO of Terra Tour Service Ltd., Mr. Lachezar Todorov, stated, ‘’Terra Tour Service and Pravets Golf Club are delighted to extend our sponsorship of the UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe for a further three years and to reaffirm our partnership with the Confederation of Professional Golf. We look forward to an excellent tournament in 2014 with a top-class field once again assembled.”

The 2013 Championship was won by the PGA of Italy’s Federico Elli by six shots from his nearest rivals, and Elli will receive a defending Champion’s invitation to try to emulate the previous double-Champion Hugo Santos, who captured the 2010 and 2011 championships.

Each of the Association’s 36 national PGAs will nominate their qualifying tournament in the coming months and the qualifying competitors will each receive their ‘Passport to Pravets’ and the opportunity to be crowned the Champion PGA Professional of Europe.

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For more information on the 2013 UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe visit the Tournament Hub Page, follow @PGAsofEurope and search #PassportToPravets on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

Paul McGinley, the European Captain for The 2014 Ryder Cup, has named Ireland’s Des Smyth and Sam Torrance of Scotland as his first two Vice Captains for the contest against the United States at Gleneagles this September.

The duo wil bring vital Ryder Cup experience to the European team room; Torrance having played in eight consecutive matches from 1981 to 1995, memorably holing the winning putt at The Belfry in 1985, one of three winning teams he was a part of. It is a venue which continued to have particular resonance for the Scot when, 17 years later, he assumed the role of European Captain there and led his charges to an emotional 15 ½ – 12 ½ triumph.

Smyth, meanwhile, played in the biennial contest in 1979 and 1981, as well as being Vice Captain to Ian Woosnam at The K Club in 2006 where Europe recorded their record home victory of 18 ½ – 9 ½.

As well as being confirmed as a Vice Captain for The 2014 Ryder Cup, Smyth was today also confirmed as the Vice Captain to Miguel Angel Jiménez for the upcoming inaugural staging of the EurAsia Cup between Europe and Asia, which will be played at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club in Malaysia later this month.

The move continues the consistency of selection favoured by McGinley, begun when he named Torrance as one of the captains for last year’s Seve Trophy contest in France. It will also allow Smyth the opportunity of working once again with not only experienced Ryder Cup campaigners, but also the exciting young European talent at the disposal of Jiménez in Kuala Lumpur.

McGinley said: “I am delighted to officially unveil Des and Sam as two of my Vice Captains for The Ryder Cup. As well as being good friends, they are two guys that I greatly admire both personally and professionally and I know they will be vital assets to me in Scotland in September.

“They were the first two people I had in mind for this role when I was appointed captain and, since then, I have talked to a lot of the experienced European players about having them as part of the team and, to a man, they have been very supportive of the idea.

“Des took me under his wing when I was a young rookie on Tour and he gave me tremendous advice which was not only valuable then but has continued to ring true for me throughout my professional career. His views and ideas about The Ryder Cup particularly have consistently proved to be spot on and I really enjoyed working with him as a Vice Captain in 2006 when I was a player.

“Sam is a man who has probably had the most influence on me in terms of playing team golf in my career. Being my first captain in The Ryder Cup in 2002, I learned a huge amount from him and have continued to do so over the years. Since those early days, our relationship has grown to see us become firm friends and, living not far apart, we see a lot of each other socially as well.”

As a player, Torrance’s European Tour trophy haul stands at 21 in the 22 years between 1976 and 1998 and he still holds the record of the most appearances in history on The European Tour at 706.

He finished second in the Order of Merit on two occasions – behind Bernhard Langer in 1984 and Colin Montgomerie in 1995 – but put that statistic right when he joined the European Senior Tour, winning the John Jacobs Trophy for topping the Money List three times; 2005, 2006 and 2009, achievements helped by 11 Senior Tour victories.

Torrance said: “Everyone knows how much The Ryder Cup has meant to me over my career so I am absolutely delighted to be involved once again. Paul was a special part of my team at The Belfry in 2002 and he knows I will do everything possible to help him and the team at Gleneagles in September.”

Smyth captured eight titles on The European Tour including the 2001 Madeira Island Open which, at the time, made him the oldest winner in Tour history at the age of 48 years and 34 days, a record which stood for 11 years until it was eventually overtaken by Miguel Angel Jiménez’s victory in the 2012 Hong Kong Open.

The Irishman’s thirst for silverware continued in the ranks of the European Senior Tour where, to date, he has captured five titles, the last of these being at the 2012 Travis Perkins Senior Masters at Woburn, a venue where he also claimed the title in 2010.

Smyth said: “I was thrilled when Paul contacted me and asked me to be one of his Vice Captains at Gleneagles – there was no hesitation for me in saying ‘yes’. I relished the opportunity to be a Vice Captain at The K Club in 2006 and I look forward to playing a positive role once again in supporting Paul and the team.”

Both Ryder Cup teams now have two Vice Captains in place, United States captain Tom Watson having selected Ray Floyd last month in addition to Andy North who was named last year. However, Captain McGinley revealed that he will be making no further announcements in that respect until after Tuesday September 2 when the full European Team for The 2014 Ryder Cup is known.

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For more information on the Ryder Cup visit www.RyderCup.com/europe.

 The hugely popular Pro-Am which is now an established favourite on the Confederation of Professional Golf calendar will see a limited number of 60 Professionals and their teams will compete across 54 holes of golf on the Navarino Dunes & Bay courses at the fabulous Greek resort. The Pro-Am will again be competed over the first 36 holes after which Professionals and Amateurs split for the final round where the Professionals battle it out for the individual prize fund of €70,000 and amateurs take part in the Aegean Cup.

 The 2013 Pro-Am team honours went to the PGA of Italy’s Akim Hassan and his team with a 177 point (-33) total for the week, whilst the individual Professional tournament was won by the PGA of Italy’s, Nicolo Gaggero.  The Italian’s four-under par total at Costa Navarino was enough to take the winner’s cheque for €7,000 ahead of the PGA of Great Britain & Ireland’s, Liam Bond, on two-under par.

 Gaggero will be looking to do a Costa Navarino Aegean Airlines Pro-Am treble having also taken the individual Professional honours back in 2011 when the tournament first visited the Bay and Dunes courses at the club.

 Amateur Pro-Am packages begin at €1,350/golfer in a Westin Twin shared room with a team member (€550/non-playing partner sharing a double room with a golfer), or €1,650/golfer in a Westin Single room, and include:

• 5 nights BB accommodation at Westin Resort, Costa Navarino
• 2 Aegean Pro-Am rounds (1 day at The Dunes Course and 1 day at The Bay Course)
• 1 Official practice round (1 day at The Dunes Course or 1 day at The Bay Course)
• Participation in the Aegean Airlines Cup 2014 – 1 round
• Bus transfers (Kalamata airport to/from Hotel-transfers to/from Dunes & Bay)
• Golf balls for practice
• Buggies for all rounds
• On-course refreshments and snacks for 4 tournament rounds
• Welcome pack
• Welcome reception
• Barbeque event
• Gala dinner & Prize giving Ceremony
• Lottery ticket for Gala
• Players liability and bodily injury insurance in the course

 There is no Pro-Am package fee for each participating professional with a team of 3 amateurs.  Complimentary accommodation in a double room (no extras) is offered to each participating professional (and spouse/partner) for 5 nights on BB basis at Westin Resort, Costa Navarino.  [Accompanying person fee applies to spouse/partner of each participating professional.]

 To find out more visit www.aegeanproam.com, or register by downloading the entry form here: http://eur.pe/1ft4EjW (registration closes 04/15/2014).

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 For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/1gEi0X8), follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter (http://bit.ly/Pojrwy) and search the hashtag ‘#AegeanProAm’ (http://bit.ly/156AUEH), or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page (http://on.fb.me/RnDfEc).

 Find out more about the Aegean Airlines Pro-Am and Aegean Airlines by visiting www.aegeanproam.com.

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 IMAGE CAPTION: Costa Navarino’s Dunes and Bay Courses will host the 2014 Aegean Airlines Pro-Am for the fourth time

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 Notes to Editors:

 An Association of 36 National PGAs (31 European and 5 international) with a collective membership in excess of 21,000 golf professionals, the Confederation of Professional Golf is committed to the advancement of golf, golfers and the golf profession across Europe.

 The Association is also a partner in Ryder Cup Europe as the sole member of the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, and is widely acknowledged as a lead body in the delivery of golf development expertise on a global basis through its collaboration with The R&A in its “Working for Golf” programme.

 About Costa Navarino

 Costa Navarino, the new prime destination, is located in the Greek region of Messinia in the southwest Peloponnese, one of the most unspoiled and breath-taking seaside landscapes in the Mediterranean.

Upon completion Costa Navarino will comprise a number of distinct sites featuring 5-star resorts, luxury high-end residences, state-of-the-art conference facilities, world-class thalassotherapy and spa centers, signature golf courses, as well as a wide range of memorable activities and unique experiences for adults and children.

 For more information on this year’s host venue, Costa Navarino, visit www.costanavarinogolf.com.

 About Aegean Airlines

 Aegean Airlines, a member of Star Alliance network, is Greece’s largest full-service airline. The company invests on strengthening its international presence and on supporting the Greek tourism both in Athens and in regional airports. The Aegean fleet consists of 31 Airbus of A320 family aircraft with an average age of 4 years.

 In 2013, Aegean was awarded for the third consecutive year and for the fourth time in total, as the “Best Regional Airline Europe” by the international awards SKYTRAX. In its 13 years history, Aegean has been awarded six times by the European Regions Airline Association (ERA). Furthermore, the company has been repeatedly awarded by the Athens International Airport as the greatest contributor to the airport’s passenger volume increase.

 Following the recent acquisition of Olympic Air by Aegean there will be a series of benefits for the passengers and a great potential for the tourist growth of the country. Recently, Aegean announced a bundle of initiatives that focus on the increased connectivity with destinations abroad, and a new pricing policy for the remote areas network.

 Aegean Airlines has been strongly committed to supporting the development of Golf in Greece and has been successfully organizing, since 2006, the international golf tournament “Aegean Airlines Pro-Am”, which has established itself as one of the most important golf events both in Greece and abroad.

 Furthermore, Aegean Airlines, is officially named as the “Preferred Airline of the Confederation of Professional Golf”, the “Major Sponsor and Official Carrier” of the PGA of Greece and the “Official Air Carrier” of the Hellenic Golf Federation and the Cyprus Golf Federation respectively. In addition, the company favours air travel for all golfers by offering free of charge carriage of golf bag and equipment for every Golfer.

 For more information on Aegean Airlines visit www.aegeanair.com.

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 The Championship sees leading qualifiers from each of the 36 Confederation of Professional Golf Member Countries compete across four days of strokeplay golf for an prize fund of €60,000.

 However, the Championship will this year come with the added boost that the ‘Passport to Pravets’ banner provides. Not only will each of the champions and top finishers in the national PGA Championships receive invitations to compete, but each of the eligible winners from the nine other Confederation of Professional Golf events on the calendar will also qualify to compete.

 The first of these invitations have been sent to the 2013 International Team Championship’s victorious PGA of Holland team consisting of Nicolas Nube, Ralph Miller, and Robin Swane, after their long-awaited winning performance in December.

 The eligible winners of the Mercedes-Benz International Pro-Am, Fourball Championship, and Kempinski “The Dome” Pro-Ams that have taken place so far this year will also be invited to the event, along with each of the Champions throughout the Confederation of Professional Golf season.

 “Pravets Golf & Spa has proved itself to be an ideal venue for our flagship Championship,” stated Ian Randell, Chief Executive of the Confederation of Professional Golf. “The golf course is always in superb condition and provides an excellent test of golf. The facilities at the club and hotel are first-class and the warm welcome that is extended to players and officials makes it a hugely popular event. In addition they operate a very welcoming ‘Everyone can play’ policy and have invested in golf development in the area particularly for local children. We are extremely happy to be extending our hugely successful partnership into the future.”

 CEO of Terra Tour Service Ltd., Mr. Lachezar Todorov, stated, ‘’Terra Tour Service and Pravets Golf Club are delighted to extend our sponsorship of the UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe for a further three years and to reaffirm our partnership with the Confederation of Professional Golf. We look forward to an excellent tournament in 2014 with a top-class field once again assembled.”

 The 2013 Championship was won by the PGA of Italy’s Federico Elli by six shots from his nearest rivals, and Elli will receive a defending Champion’s invitation to try to emulate the previous double-Champion Hugo Santos, who captured the 2010 and 2011 championships.

 Each of the Association’s 36 national PGAs will nominate their qualifying tournament in the coming months and the qualifying competitors will each receive their ‘Passport to Pravets’ and the opportunity to be crowned the Champion PGA Professional of Europe.

 ———————–

 For more information about the Confederation of Professional Golf, visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/17vapHk), follow @PGAsofEurope (http://bit.ly/Pojrwy) and search #PassportToPravets (http://eur.pe/1e6YQex) on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

 ———————————————————————————————-

 Notes to Editors:

 An Association of 36 National PGAs (31 European and 5 international) with a collective membership in excess of 21,000 golf professionals, the Confederation of Professional Golf is committed to the advancement of golf, golfers and the golf profession across Europe.

 The Association is also a partner in Ryder Cup Europe as the sole member of the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, and is widely acknowledged as a lead body in the delivery of golf development expertise on a global basis through its collaboration with The R&A in its “Working for Golf” programme.

 Pravets Golf Club

 Pravets Golf Club, in the magnificent Golf & Spa Resort, easily accessible from Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, hosts the third PGA Professional Championship of Europe in 2013 after a hugely-successful re-launch of the Confederation of Professional Golf’s 72-hole individual strokeplay championship in 2011. The resort features a four-star Riu hotel with restaurants, superb spa and fully equipped fitness centre and all-round sporting facilities including the superbly designed Peter Harradine-designed course, partly lakeside and with the spectacular backdrop of the Stara Planina mountains. [www.pravets-golfclub.com]

 UniCredit

 UniCredit is a leading European commercial bank with an international network spanning 50 markets, with more than 9,200 branches and over 150,000 employees. The Group operates in 20 European countries.

UniCredit benefits from a strong European identity, extensive international presence and broad customer base.

Its strategic position in Western and Eastern Europe gives the group one of the region’s highest market shares. [www.UniCredit.com]

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The Pro-Am event will see up to 40 teams compete over 54 holes at San Domenico Golf Club, a European Golf Design championship golf course in the Brindisi/Puglia region of southern Italy, from 8th – 10th May, 2014, with PGA Professionals competing for a prize fund of €40,000.

San Domenico has played host to the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final on the Challenge Tour for a number of years, which sees the stars of the Tour battle it out in the last event of the season, and is renowned for its reputation as being make or break for those seeking their European Tour cards.

“We are extremely proud to be involved with a growing number of International Pro-Ams that are setting the standards for others to aspire to,” said Ian Randell, Chief Executive of the Confederation of Professional Golf.

“This year we are lucky enough to be adding at least three new events and each one of them offers something a little bit special both on and off the course. We have had strong ties with Italy, its PGA, and its Professionals throughout our Association’s history, so we are delighted to be able to sanction and support this new event at the beautiful San Domenico Golf Club.”

Pro-Am participation fees begin at €1.390/amateur and complimentary entry for Professionals with teams of three amateurs. Packages include 5 nights on a bed & breakfast basis at Borgo Egnazia Hotel, one practice round and 3 tournament rounds, five dinners including a Welcome Reception and Gala Dinner/Prize-giving, on-course refreshments and airport transfers. Packages will also be available for the two other hotels Masseria Cimino and Masseria San Domenico.

Puglia is an ideal golf destination – thanks to the mild climate and temperatures, you can play golf among the olive trees, enjoying the sun and the sea all the year round, even in winter. Three tournament hotels will be on offer for competitors: the Borgo Egnazia, the Masseria Cimino luxury farmhouse, and the 5* Masseria San Domenico.

All of the San Domenico Hotels consolidate fantastic leisure options for Puglia including golf, fine dining, spa and wellbeing, luxury hotels, art and culture with its hidden treasures like trulli, farmhouses and olive groves.

Entries for the Pro-Am will be taken soon with details and entry forms being released on CPG.com.

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For more information on San Domenico visit www.golfpuglia.it/en/index and for more information on the championship hotels visit www.sandomenicohotels.com.

For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/1c8hOT3), follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter (http://bit.ly/Pojrwy) and search the hashtag ‘#SanDomProAm’ (http://eur.pe/1c7ZZU1), or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page (http://on.fb.me/RnDfEc).

The hugely popular Pro-Am which is now an established favourite on the Confederation of Professional Golf calendar will see a limited number of 60 Professionals and their teams will compete across 54 holes of golf on the Navarino Dunes & Bay courses at the fabulous Greek resort. The Pro-Am will again be competed over the first 36 holes after which Professionals and Amateurs split for the final round where the Professionals battle it out for the individual prize fund of €70,000 and amateurs take part in the Aegean Cup.

The 2013 Pro-Am team honours went to the PGA of Italy’s Akim Hassan and his team with a 177 point (-33) total for the week, whilst the individual Professional tournament was won by the PGA of Italy’s, Nicolo Gaggero (pictured third left). The Italian’s four-under par total at Costa Navarino was enough to take the winner’s cheque for €7,000 ahead of the PGA of Great Britain & Ireland’s, Liam Bond, on two-under par.

Gaggero will be looking to do a Costa Navarino Aegean Airlines Pro-Am treble having also taken the individual Professional honours back in 2011 when the tournament first visited the Bay and Dunes courses at the club.

Amateur Pro-Am packages begin at €1,350/golfer in a Westin Twin shared room with a team member (€550/non-playing partner sharing a double room with a golfer), or €1,650/golfer in a Westin Single room, and include:

• 5 nights BB accommodation at Westin Resort, Costa Navarino
• 2 Aegean Pro-Am rounds (1 day at The Dunes Course and 1 day at The Bay Course)
• 1 Official practice round (1 day at The Dunes Course or 1 day at The Bay Course)
• Participation in the Aegean Airlines Cup 2014 – 1 round
• Bus transfers (Kalamata airport to/from Hotel-transfers to/from Dunes & Bay)
• Golf balls for practice
• Buggies for all rounds
• On-course refreshments and snacks for 4 tournament rounds
• Welcome pack
• Welcome reception
• Barbeque event
• Gala dinner & Prize giving Ceremony
• Lottery ticket for Gala
• Players liability and bodily injury insurance in the course

There is no Pro-Am package fee for each participating professional with a team of 3 amateurs. Complimentary accommodation in a double room (no extras) is offered to each participating professional (and spouse/partner) for 5 nights on BB basis at Westin Resort, Costa Navarino. [Accompanying person fee applies to spouse/partner of each participating professional.]

To find out more visit www.aegeanproam.com, or register by downloading the entry form here: http://eur.pe/1ft4EjW(registration closes 04/15/2014).

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For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/1gEi0X8), follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter (http://bit.ly/Pojrwy) and search the hashtag ‘#AegeanProAm’ (http://bit.ly/156AUEH), or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page (http://on.fb.me/RnDfEc).

Club Inc. offer an un-matched career coaching service in the golf sector, and Shaun is just one example of the great work they have done, and are capable of doing.  The Confederation of Professional Golf are delighted to be partners of Club Inc. and it’s evident why.  Club Inc. fully support professionals within the industry, and are actively sourcing placements for those who wish to fulfill their potential at the world’s finest golfing venues.

“I wanted to further my career, set myself new challenges and make the most of my knowledge,” says Shaun.  “I knew that in order to do this I would need some help from experts such as Niall Flanagan, who has the contacts to help, so it was natural for me to turn to Club Inc.  After sitting down with the Club Inc. team and discussing my strengths, goals and aspirations, I felt confident in applying to Castiglion del Bosco and now, I’m living out my dream in one of the most spectacular estates in Europe.”

Shaun is working under English head professional Alex Douglas.  Together they are responsible for offering a high quality service to members and guests, as well as running a professional retail operation and giving their guidance through tuition.

Emanuela Setterberg, General Manager of Castiglion del Bosco said “We are absolutely delighted to have Shaun at CdB.  His passion for golf, and in helping people to improve is the perfect fit for the work we are trying to do here.  Shaun and Alex are becoming a formidable team who are paramount to the success of CdB.”

Club Inc. are also working with Castiglion del Bosco to develop their brand within golf in order to encourage more international players to visit the venue, and join the aspirational membership.

The estate is hidden within the Val d’Orcia, a renowned landscape of great beauty and universal appeal within the Tuscany region.  It plays host to the stunning Tom Weiskopf designed 18-hole golf course, spa and winery, and also boasts 23 luxury hotel suites and 9 villas.  Quite possibly, Italy’s best kept secret.