Ciaran Boggan a 23-year-old from County Meath shot a five-under par 67 at the Finca Cortesin Club to earn one a shot lead over Spaniard Gabriel Canizares.

 And that constituted the halfway lead in the chase for the 10,000 Euro first prize in the new tournament which had been reduced to a 36-hole event after the opening two rounds were washed out by heavy rain at the nearby San Roque and La Reserva courses.

 Boggan, a member of the County Meath Club, only turned professional six weeks ago have spent two years travelling in Australia.

 And he played down the extra stress of playing the Finca Cortesin layout, twice used to host the World Matchplay Championship, in sodden conditions after two early morning thunderstorms.

 “The course was playing long, but I have good length off the tee,” he said.  ”So I chose to keep the driver in the bag and used my three wood or two iron for accuracy.

 “Avoiding the trouble I was then able to attack the greens and that paid off.  It’s exciting to find myself at the top of the leaderboard in my first pro event.”

 By way of contrast Canizares, the 40-year-old elder brother of European Tour Professional, Alejandro Canizares, knew exactly what he was letting himself in for when he entered The Invitational, which is being staged by the Confederation of Professional Golf.

 “I only live five minutes drive from the course,” he said . “And I have played here often.  But never under such wet conditions as we had today.”

 Robert Moss, the Confederation of Professional Golf Tournament Director, added, “Things did not look too good with the early morning thunderstorms, but once the rain stopped the course drained fantastically.

“Preferred lies were in operation but the course just went from strength to strength as the day went on.”

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 For more information about the Confederation of Professional Golf, visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/1rF6u54), follow @PGAsofEurope (http://bit.ly/Pojrwy) and search #TheInvitationalProAm (http://eur.pe/1ljutW8) on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

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The inaugural tournament took place at the award-winning venue in Murcia, south-east Spain, in March and was hailed as a huge success for the club resort, which has enjoyed significant growth during 2014 including the opening of a new Leadbetter Golf Academy as part of a €1m renovation of its practice facilities, with the first phase of the redevelopment taking place at the same time as the competition.

Set in an area three times the size of Monaco, La Manga Club boasts a proud sporting history including featuring South African star Gary Player as its first director of golf and European Tour legend Severiano Ballesteros as the complex’s touring professional between 1980-85, while the resort is also the official overseas training base of the Lawn Tennis Association.

The 2014 edition of the tournament was won by PGA of Holland professional Joost Steenkamer after completing a stunning comeback on the back nine of his final round to finish level par for the tournament, three shots ahead of PGA of Sweden professional Mikael Lundberg.

“La Manga Club is somewhere we have great pleasure in returning to due to the key role it has played throughout the Association’s history,” explained Confederation of Professional Golf chief executive, Ian Randell. “We are very pleased that the first event in 2014 was a great success and we’re sure that the pro-am will continue to grow into the future.”

José Asenjo, general manager at La Manga Club, said: “La Manga Club is delighted to be partnering with the Confederation of Professional Golf again after the overwhelming success of the inaugural event earlier this year.

“As one of the world’s top sports and leisure destination, it is important that the resort continues to host events like this to showcase the extensive golf and practice facilities that we have to a discerning international audience including our new Leadbetter Golf Academy – one of the leading new teaching and practice areas to be found anywhere in Europe.”

Pro-am packages for teams of one professional and three amateurs are available priced at €950 per amateur (free for professionals), but golfers can take advantage of an early booking offer of €899 when booking before 15th December.  The Pro-Am participation fee for amateurs includes:

• 4 nights’ twin-share accommodation at 5* Hotel La Manga Club Príncipe Felipe (16th – 19th February 2015 inclusive)
• Buffet breakfast
• 3 Pro-Am rounds (2 rounds on South Course, 1 round on West Course. 17th, 18th & 19th February 2015)
• 1 official practice round (1 round on South Course. 16th February 2015)
• Practice balls
• Welcome reception (16th February 2015)
• Light lunch on 4 tournament days
• Gala dinner & prize-giving ceremony (19th February)
• Daily temporary licence from the Murcian Golf Federation

Professionals:

• There is no Pro-Am participation fee for each participating professional with a team of 3 amateurs. Complimentary accommodation in a twin-share room (no extras) is offered to each participating professional for 4 nights on a bed & breakfast basis at Hotel La Manga Club Príncipe Felipe.
• Accompanying person fee applies to spouse/partner of each participating professional.
• Professional Prize Fund of €30,000 (based on 30 teams entering)

Download the Entry Form at the tournament hub 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.

For more information on La Manga Club visit www.lamangaclub.com.

In what has potentially been the most hotly contested edition of the tournament since its relaunch in 2011, the top-five players jostled for position throughout the day, but it was Santos who managed to advance forward one shot for his ten-under par 278 total and cheque for €10,000, a record third win in the event.

“It is great, it’s difficult to explain with words,” explained Santos. “To win this tournament for the third time it’s special. It’s giving me a lot of confidence for the next tournaments coming up. It’s also a huge effort for the sponsors of the tournament…otherwise it wouldn’t be possible to come and play, so it’s good if we can keep these kinds of sponsors.”

Santos began the day one behind leader, Alec Roberts (PGA of Switzerland), and after a solid start dropped one shot at the third to move back but stayed in contention as Roberts’ lead reduced. A quick response birdie-bogey-birdie run at holes five, six and seven evened things out making the turn at level-par for the day.

With the back nine being touted as the ‘scoring-nine’ all week, it was open for the chasers to make their move, however, high winds and soft under-foot conditions made this a more difficult task. Santos’ move into lead position early in the back nine came as a result of solid play, and a single birdie at hole 14 gave him the edge to nudge one shot ahead of the field.

“On the second nine I had a bad shot on 16 because I was in a wet area so I hit in thin, so I had a very difficult putt back, but did it in two. On 17 I was quite nervous…my shot was not the best but I made a par with a bit of luck…[and] on 18 I was trying to focus on the shot I had in front of me and then the same on the second shot.”

Just one shot behind Santos was round one leader, Ralph Miller (PGA of Holland, pictured right), who once again played things steady with a single bogey at 12 and two birdies at 16 and 18 for a one-under par 71 and a four round total of 279 (-9).

“Coming second is great,” said Miller. “Obviously you want to win but after the first nine I was kind of struggling but kept it together. Eventually I made a very silly bogey on the 12th hole…that was a bit unfortunate… you do look at the leaderboard and I saw that nine-under was leading at the time and I dropped back to seven-under. From there it was just trying to keep it together because it was very windy out there.

“I had a great finish at the end of the day…on 18 I hit a good second shot in and it rolled all the way to the back of the green and I holed the putt which was unbelievable because all I was trying to do was get it close…so that was fantastic.”

In third place, carding a level-par 72 for a total of 280 (-8), was Russ Berry (PGA of Great Britain & Ireland – England, pictured left). Berry started his final round in tie-third position with Miller and that was where he stayed as his two birdies and two bogeys kept him just out of reach of a move up the leaderboard.

“It was a lot tougher today – I played really well on the front nine, really solid, had loads of chances but didn’t’ quite take them,” said Berry. “I was a bit disappointed to make a bogey early into the back nine but I bounced back pretty well and made a couple of birdies in the next four holes and had a go…it was all I could do really…there were only two guys that beat me this week so that’s pretty nice.

“The other guys from England are quality players as well…so to be leading English player this week was great and to feature high up was really good…to know that I was here for England is quite an honour.”

With 24 different nationalities competing, of which there were nine different nationalities in the top-ten, the Championship continues to grow in stature and reputation as European golf, and specifically the profile of golf in host country, Bulgaria, flourish.

The 2014 edition of the Championship marks the first of another three-year agreement to host the tournament at Pravets Golf & Spa Resort and includes the huge support of the event sponsors UniCredit Bullbank, KIA, Glenfiddich, Domaine Boyar, RIU Pravets and Braemar Golf. The Confederation of Professional Golf’s thanks go to all of these event sponsors for helping to make the event a huge success.

For full results of the 2014 UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe at Pravets Golf & Spa Resort, along with news and round reports, visit http://eur.pe/1t2FsIz.

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For more information on the 2014 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.

Founded in 2001, the Peter Millar line of fine clothing and accessories has become the standard bearer for discerning and demanding individuals on and off the golf course. As the brand continues its global growth, the partnership with the Confederation of Professional Golf will allow them to further progress onto the continent:

“It’s a really important relationship for us because of this expansion into Europe,” explained Peter Millar’s Managing Director, International, Brian Dillman. “We’ve always been a grass roots-based company as well so working with the Confederation of Professional Golf and the local golf pros is really going to help us expand.

“The challenge is brand awareness and very simply the business was developed in the US and UK & Ireland through great product, great people, great delivery and great relationships with PGA golf professionals. We’re going to follow the same model in continental Europe…so the Confederation of Professional Golf is a great place to start.”

For the Confederation of Professional Golf, the partnership with Peter Millar is just one of the new additions to the Association’s Corporate Partner roster that reflect the renewed strategy moving forward and the brand’s positioning:

“The timing could not be better to be joining forces with Peter Millar as they continue their success story into continental Europe,” said Confederation of Professional Golf Chief Executive, Ian Randell.

“Peter Millar is one of the fastest growing lifestyle brands worldwide producing classic on- and off-course clothing with a modern approach. This very much mirrors our philosophy of promoting the traditions and etiquette of golf whilst ensuring that we are modern, forward-thinking and engaging to today’s society. I am sure that our Member PGAs and their PGA Professionals will enjoy the benefits of this exciting new partnership.”

The partnership not only coincides with refreshed strategic elements from the Confederation of Professional Golf but also with Peter Millar’s strategic movement into Europe, introducing a new European fit for what is a different market to their norm.

“We’re really quite excited about it, with the new Contemporary Fit we feel it fits into the European mould on sizing,” said Bob Smith, Peter Millar’s Senior Managing Director. “The partnership with the Confederation of Professional Golf will be very important for the Contemporary Fit as we respect their organisation and members enormously.”

Peter Millar were also on site at the 2014 Ryder Cup Matches as an Official Clothing Licensee, having provided clothing for match officials and staff members, whilst also being present in the Spectator’s Village Merchandise Tent:

“Being at the Ryder Cup has been just phenomenal,” said Dillman. “People can touch and see our product, feel the quality, and see why there’s a difference…which is why we’ve supplied some officials’ and some of the Board members’ clothing to make sure people can try our products to really get a feel for who we are and what we are all about.”

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

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Wright’s play has been exemplary across all four rounds, battling the elements as Ireland saw some of the worst weather this year. But his final round 73 took his total to four-over par for the tournament (290), a mammoth 23 shots clear of the field behind.

The Scot’s final round was perhaps not as steady as he might have liked – an opening birdie at the second hole was a step in the right direction, however an immediate bogey at the third, followed by two more at the seventh and eighth, took him through the turn at two–over par.

Confederation of Professional Golf – Gareth Wright – Gerry CarrBut Wright’s (pictured alongside Carr Golf Travel’s Gerry Carr) form has been consistent all week and the former Glenmuir PGA Professional Champion’s two birdies and two bogeys on the back nine were plenty to keep him ahead, taking home the $1,500 winner’s cheque.

In second place was the PGA of America’s Jim Deiters with a final round 78 (+7) that, added to his previous 71, 77 and 69, gave a 27-over total of 313. The Midland Country Club Professional started on a slightly shakier path in Round 4 but not even a double-bogey on the 18th hole could mar a critical birdie on the 12th hole that was enough to take second place by just one shot.

Pipped to the post by that single shot was third place Ryan George (PGA of America) whose opening level par front nine was sadly canceled out by a triple-bogey at 10 and a double-bogey at 14.

A triple-bogey eight at the 18th then proved to be decisive as the Rockaway Hunting Club Head Professional’s round ended at seven-over par (+7) for an overall total of 314 (+28).

Confederation of Professional Golf – New Albany Country ClubThe Team Pro-Am competition was a closer run event as only nine points separated the top-five, but it was Paul Hollenbaugh’s New Albany Country Club team of Ken Weixel, Barry Holmes, Brad Weixel (pictured left), that finished on top with a final round 82 points (-10) and an overall total of 290 points (-2).

Capturing another second place in the event was Jim Deiters’ Midland Country Club team with amateurs Dave Dittenber, Dan Lee, and Jim Bicknell. Their final round 66 points, together with the other round totals of 75, 67 and 80 points, culminated in 288 points, even par for the tournament, just two points behind the eventual winners.

Individual Professional winner, Gareth Wright, also took third place alongside his team of amateurs Austin Carey, Brian Chamley, and Brian Maxwell from West Linton Golf Club with their four-round point total of 284 (+4).

For full final results and individual round reports visit http://eur.pe/V1yeEv.

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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 ‘#CarrGolfProAm’, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

To find out more about Carr Golf Travel visit www.carrgolf.com.

The former Glenmuir PGA Professional Champion has put himself in pole position after posting the only sub-par round of the day with a three-under par 69 at former Senior Open Championship venue, Royal Portrush Golf Club.

Two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine left things even for the day, and as the Scot said himself, his play was “solid” and involved “nothing spectacular”, but a birdie at 15 and an eagle at 17 were perhaps to the contrary and allowed Wright to finish at two-over par (217) through three rounds, no less than 18 shots ahead of the chasing pack.

PGA of America Professional, Jim Deiters, returned back to the form of Round 1 with a four-over par 76, and a total of 235 (+20), and whilst first position is perhaps out of reach with a single round remaining, the battle for second is hotting up.

Ryan George (PGA of America) is just one behind Deiters after the second lowest round of the day of one-over par got him to 21-over par (236). Meanwhile, the PGA of America’s Paul Griffin is just another four back on 240 (+25) after Round 3’s four-over par 76.

In the Team Pro-Am Deiters’ team, Midland Country Club, sit atop the leaderboard with a total of 222 points (-6) after their eight-under 80 points for Round 3. Second place is again Wright’s West Linton GC team with 214 points (+2), whilst John Nowosatka’s Midland Country Club team are in third place with 209 points (+7).

For live scores as they come in and more news and updates visit http://eur.pe/V1yeEv.

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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 ‘#CarrGolfProAm’, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

To find out more about Carr Golf Travel visit www.carrgolf.com.

As the remnants of Hurricane Gonzalo have swept across Ireland, bringing with them gale force winds and rain showers, the Professionals and their teams of amateurs have battled their way to complete the second round of the tournament, but as Chris Wilson (PGA of Canada) said it “…was the toughest course in the toughest conditions I have ever played, in 33 years as a golfer.”

The Scottish Region PGA of Great Britain & Ireland Member, kept things as steady as possible considering the 40mph winds that were battering the Northern Irish coastline, with two bogeys on the front nine and three bogeys, one double-bogey and a birdie on the back.

Eleven shots behind in tie-second place are Sean McTernan and Jim Deiters (PGA of America), both of whom are 16-over par (159). Both Professionals managed their way around as best they could, as did the two Pros in tied-fourth position on 20-over par (163), Ryan George (PGA of America) and John Nowosatka (PGA of America).

Leading the Team Pro-Am charge is the Midland Country Club team of amateurs, Dave Dittenber, Dan Lee, and Jim Bicknell, led by Jim Deiters who, with their second round 67 points total, lie seven shots ahead of the chasers on 142 points (+2).

Holding second place at 135 points (+9) is the team of the individual Professional leader, West Linton GC, along with amateurs Austin Carey, Brian Chamley, and Brian Maxwell.

With conditions set to improve slightly as the competitors make their way to Royal Portrush Golf Club for Round 3, the scoring should reflect that and make things hot up on the leaderboard as well.

For live scores as they come in and more news and updates visit http://eur.pe/V1yeEv.

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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 ‘#CarrGolfProAm’, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

To find out more about Carr Golf Travel visit www.carrgolf.com.

Wright takes the lead through Round 1 of the Confederation of Professional Golf-Sanctioned Pro-Am that visits a roster of some of the finest links golf courses in the world – Portmarnock, Royal Portrush, and Royal County Down.

A steady opening five pars in a row for Wright was a great start, but then a birdie at the par-five sixth hole took him below par for the front nine. Another early birdie on the back nine at 11 was closely followed with a bogey at 12, after which a further six regulations pars finished the round as smoothly as it started.

But for Wright a good score could have been on the cards throughout the round mentioning how it was “the worst the score could have been” and that he missed “half a dozen from six-feet,” indicating he could still have a strong charge within him.

Fellow GB&I PGA Member, Sean McTernan, sits just two shots behind Wright at one-over par total having mirrored Wright’s one-under front nine, but had a more tumultuous back nine with two birdies and four bogeys for a 73 total. Should the top-two remain close for the week then it could end up being a replay of the battles the pair had as amateur rivals ten years ago.

Sharing tie-third place are PGA of America Professionals, Jim Deiters and Ryan George who each carded two-over par 74s.

In the Team Pro-Am half of the competition, scoring was clearly tough as the teams battled the worsening weather conditions but two teams share the lead with 75 points a piece: New Albany CC (1) made up of amateurs Ken Weixel, Barry Holme, Brad Weixel, along with Professional, Paul Hollenbaugh, and Midland Country Club (1) consisting of Professional, Deiters, and amateurs Dave Dittenber, Dan Lee, and Jim Bicknell.

Midland Country Club (2) with amateurs Dave Basque, Gary Carter, and Tom Webber led by Profesisonal John Nowosatka, are one back on 74 points, but with no less than nine teams within five shots of the lead things could change up quickly as the teams make their way into Round 2.

Weather conditions are set to worsen further as the remnants of Hurricane Gonzalo moves across the country bringing high winds, and will certainly make Round 2 at Royal County Down Golf Club more interesting for all concerned.

For live scores as they come in and more news and updates visit http://eur.pe/V1yeEv.

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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 ‘#CarrGolfProAm’, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

To find out more about Carr Golf Travel visit www.carrgolf.com.

 In what has potentially been the most hotly contested edition of the tournament since its relaunch in 2011, the top-five players jostled for position throughout the day, but it was Santos who managed to advance forward one shot for his ten-under par 278 total and cheque for €10,000, a record third win in the event.

 “It is great, it’s difficult to explain with words,” explained Santos. “To win this tournament for the third time it’s special. It’s giving me a lot of confidence for the next tournaments coming up. It’s also a huge effort for the sponsors of the tournament…otherwise it wouldn’t be possible to come and play, so it’s good if we can keep these kinds of sponsors.”

 Santos began the day one behind leader, Alec Roberts (PGA of Switzerland), and after a solid start dropped one shot at the third to move back but stayed in contention as Roberts’ lead reduced. A quick response birdie-bogey-birdie run at holes five, six and seven evened things out making the turn at level-par for the day.

 With the back nine being touted as the ‘scoring-nine’ all week, it was open for the chasers to make their move, however, high winds and soft under-foot conditions made this a more difficult task. Santos’ move into lead position early in the back nine came as a result of solid play, and a single birdie at hole 14 gave him the edge to nudge one shot ahead of the field.

 “On the second nine I had a bad shot on 16 because I was in a wet area so I hit in thin, so I had a very difficult putt back, but did it in two. On 17 I was quite nervous…my shot was not the best but I made a par with a bit of luck…[and] on 18 I was trying to focus on the shot I had in front of me and then the same on the second shot.”

 Just one shot behind Santos was round one leader, Ralph Miller (PGA of Holland), who once again played things steady with a single bogey at 12 and two birdies at 16 and 18 for a one-under par 71 and a four round total of 279 (-9).

 “Coming second is great,” said Miller. “Obviously you want to win but after the first nine I was kind of struggling but kept it together. Eventually I made a very silly bogey on the 12^th hole…that was a bit unfortunate… you do look at the leaderboard and I saw that nine-under was leading at the time and I dropped back to seven-under. From there it was just trying to keep it together because it was very windy out there.

 “I had a great finish at the end of the day…on 18 I hit a good second shot in and it rolled all the way to the back of the green and I holed the putt which was unbelievable because all I was trying to do was get it close…so that was fantastic.”

 In third place, carding a level-par 72 for a total of 280 (-8), was Russ Berry (PGA of Great Britain & Ireland – England). Berry started his final round in tie-third position with Miller and that was where he stayed as his two birdies and two bogeys kept him just out of reach of a move up the leaderboard.

 “It was a lot tougher today – I played really well on the front nine, really solid, had loads of chances but didn’t’ quite take them,” said Berry. “I was a bit disappointed to make a bogey early into the back nine but I bounced back pretty well and made a couple of birdies in the next four holes and had a go…it was all I could do really…there were only two guys that beat me this week so that’s pretty nice.

 “The other guys from England are quality players as well…so to be leading English player this week was great and to feature high up was really good…to know that I was here for England is quite an honour.”

 With 24 different nationalities competing, of which there were nine different nationalities in the top-ten, the Championship continues to grow in stature and reputation as European golf, and specifically the profile of golf in host country, Bulgaria, flourish.

 The 2014 edition of the Championship marks the first of another three-year agreement to host the tournament at Pravets Golf & Spa Resort and includes the huge support of the event sponsors UniCredit Bullbank, KIA, Glenfiddich, Domaine Boyar, RIU Pravets and Braemar Golf. The Confederation of Professional Golf’s thanks go to all of these event sponsors for helping to make the event a huge success.

 For full results of the 2014 UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe at Pravets Golf & Spa Resort, along with news and round reports, visit http://eur.pe/1t2FsIz.

 ————————

 For more information about the Confederation of Professional Golf, visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/1t2FsIz), follow @PGAsofEurope (http://bit.ly/Pojrwy) and search #PassportToPravets (http://eur.pe/1e6YQex) on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

 Roberts finished alongside fellow countryman, Corsin Caviezel, six shots behind eventual winner Federico Elli (PGA of Italy) in 2013, but has showed more dominance this year sitting one ahead of the chasing pack.

 “It would be fantastic [to win],” said Roberts. “It was well received back home last year – I had so many messages…and even today on Facebook and Twitter. They’re proud that a Swiss guy is doing something successful and I hope I can make them Proud.

 “There’s a few key shots on the front nine – the tee-shots on two, three, five and six – if you get those away and get round the turn in around level then the back nine is a scoring-fest.”

 Roberts started the day tied for the lead with the PGA of Holland’s Ralph Miller, and his solid two-under 70 kept him just ahead of Hugo Santos (PGA of Portugal). Santos, the tournament’s 2011 and 2012 champion, took 69 shots (-3) to make it around for his nine-under par total (207), and has his sights set on making it a hat-trick:

 “It’s different [this year], in my opinion the field is a bit stronger, but I just want to be focused on my game and we will see at the end. If I have a chance and feel comfortable to do it [play more aggressively], I will.”

 Whilst weather conditions were better than Round 2, the wind continued to blow across Pravets Golf Club, Bulgaria, making scoring a real challenge for all the Professionals. The leading pack jostled for position continuously throughout the day, which included Holland’s Miller and the PGA of Great Britain & Ireland’s (England), Russ Berry, who share third place at eight-under par (208), each within touching distance of the lead.

 “I played solid again, I just didn’t hole as many putts as I did yesterday,” said Miller. “I finished on a bogey which is not good for the humour…but if I can get some putts going tomorrow then maybe I can…at least try and get them nervous. I don’t think a Dutchman has ever won here so for that reason it would be really good [to win].”

 Berry added, “I’m looking forward to tomorrow…it’s not a position I’ve found myself in too often so it’ll be interesting to see how I handle it tomorrow, but I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve played really good every day to be fair and there haven’t been too many mistakes…so long may it continue.”

 With the top-ten players all within six shots of the lead, the final round is set to be a close-run affair as they each vie for the title of 2014 UniCredit PGA Professional Champion of Europe.

 The Final Round of the 2014 UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe at Pravets Golf & Spa Resort begins tomorrow at 0900am (EEST). For full Round 3 scores and updates visit http://eur.pe/1t2FsIz.

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 For more information about the Confederation of Professional Golf, visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/1t2FsIz), follow @PGAsofEurope (http://bit.ly/Pojrwy) and search #PassportToPravets (http://eur.pe/1e6YQex) on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

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Roberts finished alongside fellow countryman, Corsin Caviezel, six shots behind eventual winner Federico Elli (PGA of Italy) in 2013, but has showed more dominance this year sitting one ahead of the chasing pack.

“It would be fantastic [to win],” said Roberts. “It was well received back home last year – I had so many messages…and even today on Facebook and Twitter. They’re proud that a Swiss guy is doing something successful and I hope I can make them Proud.

“There’s a few key shots on the front nine – the tee-shots on two, three, five and six – if you get those away and get round the turn in around level then the back nine is a scoring-fest.”

Roberts started the day tied for the lead with the PGA of Holland’s Ralph Miller, and his solid two-under 70 kept him just ahead of Hugo Santos (PGA of Portugal). Santos (pictured right), the tournament’s 2011 and 2012 champion, took 69 shots (-3) to make it around for his nine-under par total (207), and has his sights set on making it a hat-trick:

“It’s different [this year], in my opinion the field is a bit stronger, but I just want to be focused on my game and we will see at the end. If I have a chance and feel comfortable to do it [play more aggressively], I will.”

Whilst weather conditions were better than Round 2, the wind continued to blow across Pravets Golf Club, Bulgaria, making scoring a real challenge for all the Professionals. The leading pack jostled for position continuously throughout the day, which included Holland’s Miller and the PGA of Great Britain & Ireland’s (England), Russ Berry, who share third place at eight-under par (208), each within touching distance of the lead.

“I played solid again, I just didn’t hole as many putts as I did yesterday,” said Miller. “I finished on a bogey which is not good for the humour…but if I can get some putts going tomorrow then maybe I can…at least try and get them nervous. I don’t think a Dutchman has ever won here so for that reason it would be really good [to win].”

Berry added, “I’m looking forward to tomorrow…it’s not a position I’ve found myself in too often so it’ll be interesting to see how I handle it tomorrow, but I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve played really good every day to be fair and there haven’t been too many mistakes…so long may it continue.”

With the top-ten players all within six shots of the lead, the final round is set to be a close-run affair as they each vie for the title of 2014 UniCredit PGA Professional Champion of Europe.

The Final Round of the 2014 UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe at Pravets Golf & Spa Resort begins tomorrow at 0900am (EEST). For full Round 3 scores and updates visit http://eur.pe/1t2FsIz.

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For more information on the 2014 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.

 Roberts’ three-under par 69 was a steady round for the Swiss PGA Pro, who is looking to advance on his second place finish in 2013, but it could have been even lower – “I felt like I left a lot of shots out there. I’m going to be really happy when I forget about the shots I left out there – it was a frustrating round but I’m going to be happy at the end of the day…eight-under par, I can’t grumble with that.”

 A wedge-shot just before the thunder and lightning suspension was called placed Roberts in an un-nerving position with a downhill chip remaining but a cool chip and a holed six-footer when play resumed was enough to save par and keep momentum for the remaining few holes.

 “The rain delay didn’t put me off but the shot I hit just before they stopped play was right in the middle of the shower,” said Roberts. “I totally topped my wedge over the green…but I managed to hole a six-footer and that got me going again.”

 Miller, who continues his run at the top of the leaderboard, had a more up-and-down round than Round 1 with five birdies and three bogeys making up his two-under 70 – “The weather conditions were a lot more difficult today…half-way through our round the wind picked up and the rain came down and it was really tough playing, and I was quite glad that they sounded the horn [for the suspension]. I made a few more bogeys than yesterday but again solid playing and I’ve just got to keep it together with the same gameplan as yesterday.”

 Just one shot back on seven-under (137), is the PGA of Poland’s Jakub Ossowski, who started the day in the middle of the pack at one-under par. But after seven birdies and one bogey for a six-under par 66 and tied low round of the day, Ossowski has played his way back into contention heading into Round 3.

 ”It was a really good day – I felt good after yesterday and my one-under…the putter was really hot today and I just made the putts I had. I was a little bit worried [about the rain delay] with three holes left to finish after the break but I started with two straight birdies and it put me on a good track.”

 The PGA of Germany’s, Paul Archbold, continued with steady play and a second three-under par 69 for a six-under total (138), along with overnight leader Hugo Santos (PGA of Portugal) who had two bogeys and a double-bogey to drop back to a level-par 72.

 Round 3 of the 2014 UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe at Pravets Golf & Spa Resort begins tomorrow at 0900am (EEST). For full Round 2 scores and updates visit http://eur.pe/1t2FsIz.

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For more information about the Confederation of Professional Golf, visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/1t2FsIz), follow @PGAsofEurope (http://bit.ly/Pojrwy) and search #PassportToPravets (http://eur.pe/1e6YQex) on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

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Birdie was the word of the day as no less than 141 were carded at Pravets Golf Club with Miller and Santos making 12 between them. Miller’s round was perhaps marginally cleaner than Santos’ with a solid six birdies and 12 pars for his 66, whilst Santos also had six, along with a bogey cancelling eagle on the 7^th hole.

“It felt great, I played solid all day,” said Miller. “Six birdies and no bogeys is always great – I got off to a good start with a great birdie on the first, it’s a tough hole to start here, and that got me going really.

“Last time I played here was 2011 when I finished third and I was one shot off the playoff…it’s a good start this time but there are four days so hopefully I can keep it going for the next three.”

It was co-leader Santos’ opening few holes that laid the groundwork for his opening round – “I was playing fairway to green and then made these two birdies, so I was just letting the game go and happen without pressing too much. I made the eagle but then had an accident on nine, but it’s golf, it happens.”

Lying just one shot behind is 2013 second place PGA of Switzerland Professional, Alec Roberts, who got off to an early head start with birdies at the 12^th and 13^th holes (his third and fourth) along with a two further birdies at holes 15 and 17. A single bogey at 18 halted that run until two last gasp birdies at Roberts’ 17^th and 18^th (eighth and ninth) took him to five under par (67).

“I started on the back nine which is the scoring nine…and I knew I had to get off to a fast start,” said Roberts. “I played the first eight holes really solid and was four-under par…I was really happy with my game at that point. I made a bad bogey on the 18^th, but was pretty happy in the end with three-under par for the nine. Then on holes six, seven, eight and nine I played really solid again…and ended with a birdie-birdie finish…so all in all really happy.

PGA of France Professional, Laurent Poncelet, sits one shot back from Roberts at four-under par (68), whilst the PGA of Holland’s Edwin Derksen and the PGA of Germany’s Paul Archbold both carded three-under rounds of 69 for a tie of fifth place.

Round 2 of the 2014 UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe at Pravets Golf & Spa Resort begins tomorrow at 10am (EEST). For full Round 1 scores and updates visit http://eur.pe/1t2FsIz.

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 For more information about the Confederation of Professional Golf, visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/1t2FsIz), follow @PGAsofEurope (http://bit.ly/Pojrwy) and search #PassportToPravets (http://eur.pe/1e6YQex) on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

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 IMAGE CAPTION: PGA of Holland Professional, Ralph Miller (left), and PGA of Portugal Professional, Hugo Santos (right)

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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. [cpg.golf]

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 Bulbank

UniCredit Bulbank is the biggest Bulgarian bank in terms of assets, exceeding BGN 12.7 billion as of March 2014. The Bank is servicing over one million individual clients and households, high profile private customers, small and mid sized businesses, larger domestic and multinational corporates, municipalities and budget enterprises. [www.UniCreditBulbank.bg]

 A first round one-better of 88 points from the quartet at Pravets Golf Club that included an 8-pointer on the 10^th and six six-point holes got them off to a fantastic start. A second round filled with much of the same including a seven-point total at the 13^th hole ensured they kept their lead to secure the Pro-Am title.

 “I was lucky enough to play with my team for two days in a row which some of the other teams weren’t able to,” explained Martinez. “But thanks to ‘Lubo’ who is a great player and really helped our team, Andon who is a really solid player, and Ilia who is also very good, it was a great victory and everyone’s pretty happy that we won.”

 Solid play from the Italian who has played regularly on the European Seniors Tour in the past few years should stand him in good stead for the upcoming 72-holes of the Professional Championship, and he’s got one thing on his mind – “I think there’s only one place I can go from here – first right!”

 The second place team of Tiberius Popa, Bogdan Jigman, Nicolae Kovacs, who played with Professionals Damjan Murgelj (PGA of Slovenia) and Ronny Schinnerl (PGA of Austria), carded rounds of 86 and 81 points for a total of 167 (-23).

 Just one point behind in third place were amateurs Todor Chakov, Pam Jones, and Wayne Fulton who, with the help of PGA of Spain Professionals, Jose Manuel Mancebo and Miguel Fajardo, scored two rounds of 83 points to end on 166 points (-22).

 The first round of the 2014 UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe at Pravets Golf & Spa Resort gets underway tomorrow at 10am (EEST). For live scores and updates visit http://eur.pe/1t2FsIz.

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 For more information about the Confederation of Professional Golf, visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/1t2FsIz), follow @PGAsofEurope (http://bit.ly/Pojrwy) and search #PassportToPravets (http://eur.pe/1e6YQex) on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

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 IMAGE CAPTION: 2014 UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe Official Pro-Am Winners, [L-R] Ilia El Feleki, Zeke Martinez, Lubomir Tushev, Andon Tushev

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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. [cpg.golf]

 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 Bulbank

 UniCredit Bulbank is the biggest Bulgarian bank in terms of assets, exceeding BGN 12.7 billion as of March 2014. The Bank is servicing over one million individual clients and households, high profile private customers, small and mid sized businesses, larger domestic and multinational corporates, municipalities and budget enterprises. [www.UniCreditBulbank.bg]

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“It’s easy to put a plan in place, but it’s hard to execute…but that’s what these players did,” said Captain Paul McGinley. “We relished the chance and did it with a smile.”

“We had pressure on us…we were favourites and it was important that we embraced being viewed that way.”

The final round began with Team Europe as comfortable as perhaps they could be at that point with a four-point lead over the visitors, meaning only four more points were required to retain and an extra half point for the win.

Rory McIlroy showed why he is world number 1 by bulldozing his way through Team USA’s Rickie Fowler carding seven birdies and an eagle for a substantial 5&4 win and getting the first point on the board early on.

Once all 12 groups were underway there was a distinct red glow to the leaderboards but it didn’t take long for the colours to equal out as the comebacks came. Graeme McDowell started the trend having been down for 11 holes but ground out solid play through holes 9 to 15 to end up with a well-fought 2&1 win.

G-Mac’s efforts can’t have gone unnoticed as the rest of the European contingent followed suit upping their games and slowly chipping away at the USA’s early leads.

Kaymer’s match against American giant, Bubba Watson, was with the German for most of the round and an incredible bump-and-run approach third shot on the 16th fell away into the side of the cup to take a 4&2 victory:

“I wanted to take the win before we got to the par-5s because I knew he would be going into them with irons…but to chip in to win was just unbelievable.”

Meanwhile with the Europeans close to victory at 13 points it was Englishman, Justin Rose, who stepped up to make a birdie and win the last hole bringing his match against Hunter Mahan back to all square gaining a half point.

It fell to Jamie Donaldson to push Team Europe across the line and whilst he missed an opportunity to put the nail in the coffin against the USA’s Keegan Bradley at 14, a half at 15 finished the match off 4&3 taking the total to 14.5 points, enough to secure the trophy once again.

Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter took their games to 18 but each took a point for Team Europe, whilst Westwood and Bjorn each lost their matches to Jimmy Walker and Matt Kuchar respectively. Victor Dubuisson was last to finish with a half point, remaining unbeaten for the week.

The tournament will see up to 40 teams fill the PGA Sultan and Pasha courses with Professionals competing for a prize fund of up to €40,000 across 54-holes at Antalya GC, showing fantastic growth of the event in its ten-year history.

“We are really excited to be able to put on the tenth Kempinski “The Dome” Pro-Am here at Antalya Golf Club,” explained John Dent, Director of Golf at Antalya Golf Club. “The longevity of the event has come from having great sponsors and partners throughout its history and we are thankful to them all. We’re looking forward to making the tenth year the best one yet by far.”

The 2014 edition of the tournament saw PGA of Germany Professional, Marcel Haremza, complete a one-under par 70 on the PGA Sultan Course, to be crowned 2014 champion with a three round total of five-under par (209), two shots ahead of second place Max Saluda (PGA of Poland).

2015 tournament packages for amateurs begin at €1,380pp (shared twin room), €1,540 (single), or €750 for non-playing partner in double room, whilst Professionals’ accommodation (sharing a room) in the Kempinski ‘The Dome’ Hotel is free.

Competitors will have five rounds of golf – three on the PGA Sultan, two on the Pasha – with Professionals and amateurs dividing on the final day as they bid for a share of the professional prize fund or one of the excellent amateur prizes on offer daily, sponsored by Lyle and Scott, Ecco, One Golf and Cleveland.

For more information and to download the Entry Form visit the Tournament Hub Page and email entries to jdent@agc.com.tr, or fax to: 0090242 7255971.

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For more information on Antalya Golf Club visit www.agc.com.tr, and for the Kempinski “The Dome” Hotel visit www.kempinski.com/en/belek.

For more information on the 2015 Kempinski “The Dome” Pro-Am visit the Tournament Hub Page, follow @PGAsofEurope and search #KempinskiDome on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

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The Annual Congress will celebrate its 25th Anniversary this year and has traditionally been hosted in Spain and Portugal. A new three-year agreement with Gloria Hotels & Resorts means the Annual Congress and ITC have a new home in one of the fastest growing golfing regions on the planet.

“We are very excited to be entering into a three-year partnership with Gloria Hotels & Resorts as ‘Home of the Confederation of Professional Golf Annual Congress and International Team Championship’, as well as a ‘Preferred Venue of the Confederation of Professional Golf’,” explained Confederation of Professional Golf Chief Executive, Ian Randell.

“The hosting of the Annual Congress and ITC further cement the relationship we have built up with them over the years and we are sure the comprehensive facilities at Gloria Hotels & Resorts will make for a great week for both Congress delegates and ITC competitors.”

Gloria Golf Resort has also played host to the Confederation of Professional Golf-Sanctioned Beko Classic multiple times and the 2014 edition of the event will also take place the week before the Congress (4th – 6th December).

“On behalf of Gloria Hotels and Resorts I would like to state that it is a great pleasure to enter into a partnership with the Confederation of Professional Golf, where we will be the host for the Confederation of Professional Golf Annual Congress and International Team Championship,” explained Öznur Özdemir Özaltin, CEO of Gloria Hotels & Resorts.

“Over the years the Gloria brand has hosted several international events, thus, this partnership will further enhance our position as one of the leading hotels and golf complexes in Europe. “Over the coming years, we look forward to hosting the Confederation of Professional Golf’s members and guests and working together with the Confederation of Professional Golf in helping to promote golf in Turkey and in Europe in general”.

The Annual Congress is the yearly opportunity for presidents and CEOs of national PGAs, along with leaders from Federations and other significant golfing bodies from across the continent, to meet and discuss the state of play within their respective territories, as well as learn and share ideas with each other alongside fantastic speakers from not only the world of golf but wider industries as well.

The ITC will see teams from across the Confederation of Professional Golf 36 member countries play a 72-hole strokeplay competition across Gloria Golf Resort’s New Course with the best two individual scores each day from the team of three counting towards the overall team score. Competitors will be looking to emulate the 2013 winners, the PGA of Holland, who took the title in last year’s event.

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For updates, information and news visit the Annual Congress Hub Page (http://eur.pe/11EGYgM), follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the Hashtag #AnnualCongress, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

For more information on the 2014 International Team Championship, visit the ITC Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/11EBSkF).

The 2014 Annual Congress & ITC are supported by Gloria Golf Resort and the Ryder Cup European Development Trust. For more information on our partners, visit http://eur.pe/1aaFFgx.

Of the 21 players relying on Golf Pride grips during golf’s most esteemed team event, 13 will trust their games to the Tour Velvet family. The second most popular Golf Pride grip family represented at the Ryder Cup is the New Decade MultiCompound, with a total of 5 players using it to negotiate the forecasted challenging weather this weekend in Scotland. In addition to the full swing grip counts, Golf Pride is also the leading putter grip manufacturer in players’ bags at Gleneagles this week.

“Arguably, the Ryder Cup is the most exciting event in golf,” said Brandon Sowell, global sales and marketing director for Golf Pride. “Because of the international pride on the line, many players consider their performance in the Ryder Cup as defining moments of their career. We are pleased to know that when the pressure of a nation or a continent falls on these players’ shoulders, overwhelmingly, they choose Golf Pride.”

To view Golf Pride’s entire 2014 product line, visit www.golfpride.com.

With a first prize of €10,000 and a total purse of €60,000 up for grabs, Europe’s finest PGA Professionals will make their way to Pravets with determination in their eyes as they prepare to battle it out in the Association’s flagship 72-hole strokeplay event.

The field of players from across the Confederation of Professional Golf’s Member Countries features stalwarts of the tournament that have continued to qualify through their national championship qualifier events such as the PGA of France’s Benjamin Nicolay (2013 7^th place) and Frederic Cupillard (2013 T-13^th), both of whom represented France at the International Team Championship (ITC) in 2013. Also joining this French pair is 2014 French PGA Grand Prix Champion Laurent Poncelet, who will be looking to open his Championship account with a strong result.

So too returns PGA of Holland Professional, Ben Collier, who has contested the event a number of times and gained a solid T-10^th place in the 2013 edition of the event.

But Collier will not be travelling alone from The Netherlands as no less than five Professionals make up the Dutch contingent, made up of other qualifiers from the Benelux Trophy in July, Ricardo Van de Vinn and Edwin Derkson, and two-thirds of the International Team Championship team that landed a historic win at the 2013 event, Ralph Miller (also 2014 National Champion) and Robin Swane.

The 2013 Championship was won by the PGA of Italy’s Federico Elli by six shots from his nearest rivals from the PGA of Switzerland, Alec Roberts and Corsin Cavaziel, who will both be returning this year.

Elli, who is also the 2012 & 2013 Italian Teachers Champion, will be seeking to emulate the returning two-time champion and three-time National Order of Merit winner from Portugal, Hugo Santos who first carded a win in the tournament at its revival in 2011 and then successfully defended the following year in 2012.

But it’s not just the international visitors looking to make their assault on the tournament with local representation from Pravets Golf Club’s very own Director of Instruction William Dow, along with Head Professional at St. Sofia Golf Club and Chairman of the PGA of Bulgaria, Richard Lane.

The Welsh contingent of Jon Bevan and Andrew Barnett are two players who have each represented their country on multiple occasions, including in the PGA of Great Britain & Ireland’s PGA Cup, where GB&I’s Professionals battle it out against the PGA of America’s Professionals in a Ryder Cup-like format.

The Norwegian representation matches up exactly to that of last year as John Drummond and Knut-Alexander Schiager return to see if they can improve upon their 36^th and T-19^th places respectively.

The Scandinavian influences also continue with Swedish players, both of whom are past Swedish Club Pro Champions, Mark Dewdney (1995 Polish Open winner) and Magnus Persson Atlevi (previous member of the European Tour for 10 seasons).

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For more information about the Confederation of Professional Golf, visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/1t2FsIz), follow @PGAsofEurope (http://bit.ly/Pojrwy) and search #PassportToPravets (http://eur.pe/1e6YQex) on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

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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. [cpg.golf]

 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 Bulbank

UniCredit Bulbank is the biggest Bulgarian bank in terms of assets, exceeding BGN 12.7 billion as of March 2014. The Bank is servicing over one million individual clients and households, high profile private customers, small and mid sized businesses, larger domestic and multinational corporates, municipalities and budget enterprises. [www.UniCreditBulbank.bg]

 The 2013 Championship was won by the PGA of Italy’s Federico Elli by six shots from his nearest rivals from Switzerland, Corsin Cavaziel (who will also make a return to try to land the championship at his second attempt) and Alec Roberts.

 Elli will be seeking to emulate the double-win of Portugal’s Hugo Santos who first carded a win in the tournament at its revival in 2011 and then successfully defended the following year in 2012.

 Elli’s Confederation of Professional Golf-tournament season has included a T-25^th place at the 2014 Golfbreaks.com Fourball Championship at LUMINE Mediterránea Beach & Golf Community, in Spain, followed up with a solid 8^th place at the 2014 Aegean Airlines Pro-Am at Costa Navarino in Greece.

 Santos also competed in the Fourball Championship sadly not making the cut but with record form at Pravets Golf Club and in the Championship, he will no doubt be chasing to make it a hat-trick of wins.

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 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.

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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.

 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 seminar is aimed at all golf professionals, coaches, teachers, experts on sport science, physiotherapist.

The seminar will be across two days; the first day will take place in classrooms and looks at theory, and then the second day will be practical sessions at the range, gym and the biomechanics lab.

Date: November 10 – 11 2014

Place: School of the physical activity and sport science (INEF) Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. Calle Martín Fierro, s/n, 28040 Madrid

Speakers:

• Chuck Cook. Golf Coach PGA Tour USA
• Andy Plummer. Golf Coach PGA Tour USA
• Young-Hoo Kwon. Biomechanics teacher. Texas Woman’s University, USA
• Alvaro Zerolo. Physiotherapist Europea Tour RFEG
• Enrique Navarro. Profesor Biomecánica UPM
• Jose Manuel Mancebo. Master in Sports Science. Professional Golfer

Registration: To register for the seminar complete the sign-up sheet and send by email to Noelia@pgagaspain.com or by fax to 915970170 before November 5, 2014.

Price: 280 Euros (PGA members) 600 Euros (Non PGA members)

The registration fee is to be paid by bank transfer to this account number: ‘ES77 0128 0011 3701 0050 5556 de BANKINTER’.

N.B. The name of the person that registers has to be put in the transfer. Last day of payment is November 5, 2014

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For more information download the Seminar Programme here – http://eur.pe/Z8PhGJ

To register download the Registration Form here – http://eur.pe/1vGsP2v

Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, venue of the MENA Tour Championship finale for 2011, 2012 and 2013, will once again open its doors to professionals and amateurs from around the globe for the 4 day event consisting of a practice round on the Monday and then 3 days of tournament golf.

Teams will compete in a stableford competition with Professionals also competing in an individual strokeplay tournament for a prize fund of €32,000 and a first prize of €3,200.

“Having the Mercedes-Benz International Pro-Am on our tournament schedule for the second time is a great marker for the success of the event,” said Confederation of Professional Golf Chief Executive Ian Randell. “The staging by Gavin Chappell and his team at AESGC, along with the incredibly valuable support of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and other partners of the event, has very quickly made this a ‘must-attend’ tournament.

“The warmer climate in the United Arab Emirates at that time of year compared to the cooler temperatures experienced across Europe means it is perfectly placed to kick-start the year for PGA Professionals and their amateur team mates.”

Mr. Nassim Mourani, General Manager of Eastern Motors said, “After a successful tournament last year built on solid partnerships with the Confederation of Professional Golf and the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, Eastern Motors is truly proud to be the main supporter, once again, to this elite sports tournament.

“The prestigious Mercedes-Benz brand identity resembles the exclusive sport of golf in perfection, precision and sporting prowess; hence, our devoted commitment toward encouraging and inspiring talented athletes to emerge in Al Ain.”

The inaugural Pro-Am earlier this year saw PGA of Czech Republic Professional, Filip Mruzek, cap off a stunning performance with a four-under par 67, to finish top of the leaderboard just one shot ahead of the PGA of Austria’s Georg Schultes.

Mercedes-Benz Pro-Am Packages are free for professionals (based on 3 paying amateurs) with amateur prices starting at AED4,495 (Approximate exchange rate, €1 = AED 4.9) and include:

• 5 night’s accommodation in the Rotana Al Ain including breakfast and taxes
• Transport to and from the hotel for practice day and 3 tournament rounds
• Complimentary use of all Academy facilities including the par 3 course throughout the event
• Shared golf carts for all 4 rounds of golf (N.B. Professionals will be allowed to ride in golf carts)
• Half way food & drinks and buffet lunch for tournament rounds on Tuesday 20th, Wednesday 21st, and Thursday 22nd
• Cocktail reception with drinks and Gala dinner and awards ceremony with drinks at the Rotana Al Ain
• €32,000 professional prize fund (Based on 32 teams – Prize fund will decrease pro-rata by €1,000 for each team
less than 32 competing)

There are also options for those wishing to arrive early and watch the 2015 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship with event Partner Hala Abu Dhabi offering a number of all-inclusive hotel and ticket packages, including the Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort, the on-site hotel of the golf championship.

For more details and to enter download the entry form here: http://eur.pe/1vEVsiz, or contact AESGC Golf Manager, Gavin Chappell, at gavin@aesgc.ae.

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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 ‘#MercIntProAm’, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

To find out more about Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club visit www.aesgc.ae.

An Impressive Business Showcase For the Golf industry

Gerhard Reiter, Managing Director of host venue, Messe Augsburg, is ambitious in terms of the future development of GOLF EUROPE: “With our team and associates we feel that we are really well set up. The positive response with regard to how the trade fair has been organised, the location here in Augsburg and the exceptionally good atmosphere at this year’s event proves this again. Of course we make no secret of the fact either that it would be very important for us to be able to offer a showcase for the entire industry if at all possible – in any case we are on the right road to doing so.”

High-Powered Lectures For the Benefit of PGA Professionals

This year the support programme for GOLF EUROPE included the “Pro Shop Forum” and the “PGA Learn & Earn Zone”. Light was shed in the talks given in the “Pro Shop Forum” targeting businesses from the textile and functional clothing sector, on the topics of planning and management accounting aiming to make these companies more profitable with independent management consultant, Uwe Duchardt. “How to display clothing and footwear correctly and how to use sales aids effectively” with adidas & Ashworth Golf’s Axel Beland was also a popular topic of discussion.

There were informative and very interesting lectures given again in the “Learn & Earn Zone”, amongst other things there was a talk given by Dr David McGhie, the Research and Development Manager at Swing Catalyst which focussed on research into biomechanics and the topic of “ground reaction forces and driving” as well as from Michael Arndt and Christian Sude from Golf-Osteopathie Deutschland, about “The impact of the upper cervical spine being blocked on the Golf swing from the osteopath’s perspective.”

On the Monday of GOLF EUROPE the Golf Management Verband Deutschland organised the “The conflict between golf management and golf schools” workshop.

With 83 products, there are more entries than ever before for the PRODUCT AWARD

The PRODUCT AWARD is presented for innovative entrepreneurial spirit in the golfing industry. The winning products were exhibited throughout the entire trade fair in the GOLF EUROPE PRODUCT AWARD display area and the winners now have the option of using the  PRODUCT AWARD Logo when advertising their products. 83 products were entered for the GOLF EUROPE PRODUCT AWARD 2014, that is more than ever before. An international jury of experts subjected the innovative products to close scrutiny and assessed them.

The winners in the Clothing category are the SUNICE Collection from SUNICE and XFORE GOLFWEAR.
In the Accessories category the winners were Para’Kito Mückenschutz from Green-Grass-Golf Europe GmbH & Co KG and Lite Golf Balls from Nassau Europe.
The Training Aids + Customer Fitting category was won by The Swing Catalyst App from Swing Catalyst and PUTTERWHEEL from BB GOLFSTYLE DISTRIBUTION.
The BENNINGTON “QO-14 WATERPROOF” entered by the HAAS Handelsagentur was victorious in the Golfbags category.
The trolleys selected by the jury come from GolfQuant as well as Motocaddy M 3 Pro entered by Motocaddy.
Last not least, the award-winning clubs were: Lightspeed Irons from Komperdell plus Tight Lies Hybrid from Adams Golf.

Augsburg goes down really well

There was praise from all sides for Augsburg as the venue for the trade fair.  Its ease of accessibility, availability of all grades of hotel and the exceptional charm of the second-oldest town in Germany are valued by exhibitors and visitors alike.

Exhibitor’s voices

“The live screening of the Final Day of the Ryder Cup made for a great atmosphere right at the beginning of the trade in which to conduct discussions.  As expected, Monday was very busy, and all in all laid the foundations enabling the trade fair to achieve its former glory again. Our expectations have in any case been fulfilled,” is what Karsten Klische, Business Manager of Wilson Golf Deutschland has to say.

“An outstanding trade fair with many customers from Germany and Austria, and this time from Switzerland in particular.  GOLF EUROPE is a very important showcase event for us. The event gets better from year to year!”
Josef Kerschbaumer, Managing Director of KOMPERDELL

“A very good trade fair and all the major and important key accounts and buyers were there.  I am very satisfied with the orders we took in there. The atmosphere generated by the Ryder Cup was great, almost as good as seeing it live.”
Markus Heessel, Managing Director of Green Grass Golf

“With Ben Sayers we represent one of the oldest brands which has existed since 1873 and we offer a great product selection. The trade fair went very well for us and we really did get a great deal out of it with a large number of orders, including some very large orders too. We are more than happy and we shall continue to use and support the showcase in future.”
Gareth Hickin, Sales Manager of Ben Sayers

“A great trade fair with many international exhibitors.  We had a large number of very interesting contacts, and everything went very well too with regard to how the trade fair was organised.”
Thore Bakker, Partner at PGO

“The way the trade fair went was great for us. As winners of this year’s PRODUCT AWARDS we would like to see the trade fair continue to be expanded – we have some more new ideas for the coming years.”
Udo Hübner, Jens Winternheimer from Golf Quant

“Super, really as good as it could be! We made some really good contacts with just the target group we wanted to reach. We are very satisfied and we shall definitely be coming again next year!”
Patrick Klemm from K2H-Golf Equipment

For more information on GOLF EUROPE visit www.GOLF-EUROPE.com, follow @golfeuropemesse on Twitter, like the GOLF EUROPE’s Facebook Page, and follow Golf Europe on Google+.