By shooting a 69 to reach ten-under par in the third and final round over the South Course at Quinta do Lago, La Reserva de Sotogrande’s Victor Garcia became the second Spaniard to win the title, following in the footsteps of his fellow countryman Gabriel Canizares in 2014.

Garcia admitted that having been part of a three-way tie for the second round overnight meant he felt nervous when walking to the first tee.

“But I steadied down when I made a birdie at the third hole,” he said after receiving the winners’ cheque for €10,000.  “And then I really gained some confidence at the par-five fifth hole when I holed a lovely chip for an eagle three.

“I feel so happy, I think it’s one of the most important days of my life because I’ve never won a tournament as a Professional before.  I want to say thanks to everybody including Eligo, Quinta do Lago, the Confederation of Professional Golf and even my partner today, it was awesome to play with him.”

Garcia was, however, chased all the way to the wire and only clinched his one-shot win by holing a putt of around two feet on the 18th green.

Local Professional, Hugo Santos [pictured below, right], finished in a three-way tie for second place.  Shooting a closing 66, he finished alongside Englishmen, Mark Mouland, who shot a 68, and David Griffiths who signed for a 70.

Garcia and his Pro-Am partner Uday Jani also closely contested the Pro-Am event having reached a betterball score of 27-under across Quinta’s Laranjal, North and South courses, but they lost on a countback to Santos and his partner Rogario Bradao [pictured below, left].

Third place in the Pro-Am went to Wales’ Bradley Dredge, a two-time European Tour winner, and his partner Daphne Fagan.

After the prize giving Warren Pike, the Group Managing Director of one of The Invitational Pro-Am’s sponsors, Eligo, said: “It was a great few days down here on The Algarve with a lot of competitive golf not only played by the professionals but also the amateurs, and we look forward to staging The Invitational Pro-Am again next year.”

For full final scores from The Invitational Pro-Am 2015 visit: http://eur.pe/2015Invitational

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For more information about The Invitational Pro-Am 2015, visit the Tournament Hub Page, follow @PGAsofEurope and search ‘#TheInvitationalProAm‘ on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

Adding 67s to their opening 70s Britons Bradley Neil and David Griffiths were joined at seven-under par by Spain’s Victor Garcia after he shot a 68.

However the story of the second round played at The North Course in Quinta de Lago was best illustrated by the fate of Sweden’s Mattias Bohlin who had led on the first day.

He had shot a seven under par 65 on the first day at Laranjal but moving to The North Course he needed ten shots more around The North layout that was recently toughened and redesigned by victorious Gleneagles Ryder Cup Captain, Paul McGinley.

The change was summed up by the West Herts Club Teaching Professional Griffiths who said “I had not played the course and found it really tough compared to Larajal.

“The greens were much bigger with lots of slopes on them and the key was to put the approach shots in the right places. And I did well to hole two putts of around 25-feet in length on two successive greens.

Former European Tour regular, Emanuele Canonica, and his fellow Italian playing partner, Roberto Mangifesta, shot a betterball 64 to earn a one shot lead at 20-under par in The Invitational’s Pro-Am competition.

For full Round 02 scores from the Invitational Pro-Am 2015 visit: http://eur.pe/2015Invitational

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For more information about The Invitational Pro-Am 2015, visit the Tournament Hub Page, follow @PGAsofEurope and search ‘#TheInvitationalProAm‘ on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

Standing on the 18th tee, the 44-year old former European Tour regular from Wrexham, Houston, had eight birdies on his card.

However, his final drive on a beautiful sunlit day finished in a bunker and then, having chipped out, his foot slipped as he tried to hit the green with his three wood.

“I had never played the course before,” said Garry. “But it was in a beautiful condition and I played some really good golf.

“I had a couple birdies early on but I really got going when I hit a three wood into 12 feet at the long par-three seventh. It was just a pity then to end the round with a double-bogey.”

Andre Bossart was only two shots behind Garry and there was a name to watch out for in the future in third place.

Bradley Neil, a 19-year-old from Blairgowrie in Scotland, only turned professional four months ago but played consistent golf for a 70 that had included three birdies and just one bogey.

And because he hit so many greens Bradley could not recall having to sink a long putt to save pars. “I had three testers of around six feet, but I holed them all,” he said.

However, as early evening darkness began to set in a new leader emerged in the shape of Sweden’s Matthias Bohlin.

His card of 65 included three eagles. Not unusually two of them were recorded on par fives but he also chipped in for a two at the par-four second.

The early pro-am leaders on a day when the first round was left incomplete by the light were Pro John henry and his partner John French whose shot a betterball 61.

But they too had left the course when two late finishing pairs handed in 12 under par 60s. They were Roberto Mangifesta and Professional, Emmanuele Canonica, and Round 01 Professional leader, Bohlin, and his partner Mark Anderson.

But just three shots adrift of them were European Tour regular Bradley Dredge and his partner Daphne Fagan. And their 63 was more reflective of the golf played by the amateur because Bradley’s score in the professional tournament was a two over par 74.

But the day’s amateur glory belonged to 43-year-old Italian amateur, Roberto Mangifesta. The 14-handicapper sank his rescue three iron for a hole in one at the 191-yard par three 15th.

For full Round 01 scores from the Invitational Pro-Am 2015 visit: http://eur.pe/2015Invitational

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For more information about The Invitational Pro-Am 2015, visit the Tournament Hub Page, follow @PGAsofEurope and search ‘#TheInvitationalProAm‘ on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

Guests will experience John Daly up close and learn what he is all about with one of the most naturally gifted golfers of the modern era. The Golf Clinics with John Daly will be held on the driving range of the Gloria Golf Club. For hotel guests of Gloria the participation is free of charge (times will be announced shortly).

The American John Daly is well acquainted with the Gloria Hotels & Resorts in Belek. As here in the Gloria Golf Club, the largest golf course of Turkey, he has participated in numerous international golf events. These included for example the Beko Classic of the Confederation of Professional Golf in 2014 as the longest European challenge for professional and amateur golfers. John Daly also likes to spend his holiday in the beautiful premises of the modern Turkish hotel group, which belongs to Özaltin Holding. Thus, this time he will be staying in the Gloria Serenity Resort from 26th October until the 2th December 2015.

As he willingly shares his passion for golf, he offers the proven Golf Clinics during his staying period, open to beginners and professionals around the region. On the driving range of the Gloria Golf Club all golf enthusiasts learn the most important golf techniques, but also will be astonished by the special shows of the US-professional. For the Gloria hotel guests the participation for the Golf Clinics is free of charge. John Daly won two majors until now, among the PGA Championship in 1991 in Crooked Stick and the Open Championship in 1995 at St Andrews in Scotland. At his 1st major event he drank beer out of a paper cup and kept chain smoking. Since then he is regarded as the Enfant terrible of golf sports. He is known for his exceptionally long strikes and thus is also called “Long John”.

Since becoming a Corporate Partner of the Confederation of Professional Golf back in 2010, Golfbidder and the Association have worked to build an enduring relationship that helps PGA Professionals and retailers in Europe in the same way that has been so successful in the United Kingdom.

The continuation of the partnership ensures that Golfbidder can continue to leverage the Association’s communications platforms as well as make direct links to the 36 Member PGAs that make up the Confederation of Professional Golf’s membership.

“Golfbidder provide a unique service to PGA Professionals throughout Europe and we are very pleased to be continuing our relationship with them,” said Confederation of Professional Golf Chief Executive, Ian Randell.

“Their success in territories such as Scandinavia has shown that the Golfbidder model is truly beneficial for PGA Professionals in helping with stock control and reducing the risk of stocking their Pro Shops and facilities. We are looking forward to continuing our work with them to share their message to other territories where this service will also undoubtedly be valuable.”

“The Confederation of Professional Golf’s position as the hub of communication and learning between PGA Professionals across Europe will help us spread our message further beyond the UK and we are delighted to continue our long and successful partnership,” said Golfbidder’s Managing Director, Liam Robb.

To find out more about how Golfbidder works with PGA Professionals, pro shops and retailers, visit http://eur.pe/Golfbidder.

Withdrawal of Rule on Ball Moving After Address

Implementation of Previously Announced Anchoring Rule

The R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced the publication of the 2016 edition of the Rules of Golf that takes effect on 1 January 2016. The new Rule book is the culmination of the normal four-year review cycle and is a collaborative work by The R&A and the USGA that applies worldwide to all golfers.

Among the most significant of the changes in the 2016 edition of the Rules are the following:

Withdrawal of Rule on Ball Moving After Address – Rule 18-2b (Ball Moving After Address) has been withdrawn. This means that if a ball at rest moves after the player addresses it, the player is no longer automatically deemed to have caused the ball to move. A one-stroke penalty under Rule 18-2 will be applied only when the facts show that the player has caused the ball to move.

Limited Exception to Disqualification Penalty for Submission of Incorrect Score Card – A new exception has been introduced to Rule 6-6d (Wrong Score for Hole) to provide that a player is not disqualified for returning a lower score for a hole than actually taken as a result of failing to include penalty strokes that the player did not know were incurred before returning the score card. Instead, the player incurs the penalty under the Rule that was breached and must add an additional penalty of two strokes for the score card error. In all other cases in which a player returns a score for any hole lower than actually taken, the penalty will continue to be disqualification.

Modification of Penalty for a Single Impermissible Use of Artificial Devices or Equipment – The penalty for a player’s first breach of Rule 14-3 (Artificial Devices, Unusual Equipment and Abnormal Use of Equipment) during the round has been reduced from disqualification to loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play. The penalty for any subsequent breach of Rule 14-3 will continue to be disqualification.

Prohibition on Anchoring the Club While Making a Stroke – As announced in May 2013, the new Rule 14-1b (Anchoring the Club) prohibits anchoring the club either “directly” or by use of an “anchor point” in making a stroke. The penalty is loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play.
David Rickman, Executive Director – Rules and Equipment Standards at The R&A said, “We continually look at ways we can improve and clarify the Rules of Golf. The R&A and the USGA collaborate closely and we consult with our respective national and international advisory members to produce a code of Rules that is relevant to all golfers around the world.”

Thomas Pagel, Senior Director of Rules of Golf at the USGA, said, “The objective with each four year cycle of the Rules is to monitor developments in the game and, when appropriate, to respond with changes that keep the best interests of the game in mind. The amendments for 2016 preserve and enhance the essential principles of the Rules, while at the same time ensuring that they reflect the evolution of the game.”

Additional Comments on the Principal Changes

Under Rule 18-2b, a player whose ball moved after address was automatically presumed to have caused the ball to move. In 2012, an Exception to Rule 18-2b was introduced to cover situations where it was known or virtually certain that the player had not caused the ball to move, but the application of that standard was not always clear. The withdrawal of Rule 18-2b means that there no longer will be any presumption and that the same overall test in Rule 18-2 will apply to all actions by the player: if the facts show that the player’s addressing of the ball or other actions caused the ball to move, the player will incur a one-stroke penalty.

The introduction of the new Exception under Rule 6-6d will maintain the importance of returning an accurate score card by penalising the player two strokes for the score card error in addition to the penalty for the original underlying breach of the Rules. In all other cases where a player returns a score card with a score lower than actually taken on a hole, the player will continue to be disqualified.

In addition to the revised penalty for a player’s first breach of Rule 14-3 during a round,  a statement has been introduced at the beginning of Rule 14-3 to explain that the governing bodies are guided by the principle that “success should depend on the judgment, skills and abilities of the player” in determining whether use of any artificial device or item of equipment is in breach of the Rule.

The R&A and the USGA announced in 2013 that new Rule 14-1b prohibiting anchoring the club in making a stroke would take effect in the 2016 edition of the Rules. The Rule was adopted following an extensive review by both organizations. For an explanation of the reasons for adopting Rule 14-1b and for guidance on applying the Rule, see RandA.org/Anchoring.

Printed copies of the Rules of Golf, which are supported by Rolex, are now available from The R&A and the USGA.  More detailed information on recent changes and the complete Rules of Golf can also be found at RandA.org and usga.org.

Rules of Golf 2016

• The R&A will publish in English a total of 2.3 million copies of the Rules of Golf 2016, with 1.7 million printed in the UK and 600,000 in Australia. The UK print run will cover Great Britain & Ireland and all international deliveries, excluding Australia and New Zealand. The book will be delivered to 96 worldwide destinations as far away as the Falkland Islands. Approximately 900,000 copies will be distributed among 3,630 clubs and societies in Great Britain & Ireland in late October/early November.
• Copies of the Rules of Golf are reproduced under licence in 36 languages, in addition to English: Burmese, Cambodian, Chinese (Mandarin), Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, Georgian, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lao, Latvian, Lithuanian, Mongolian, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Tamil, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese.
• Rolex’s relationship with The R&A dates back to 1978 when the company first began to support The Open Championship. In addition to the Rules of Golf, Rolex also support the Amateur Championship, the Walker Cup and the Junior Open. Rolex also sponsors the British Golf Museum and is the presenting patron of the Senior Open Championship.
• Companion publications to the Rules of Golf, Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2016 and Golf Rules Illustrated 2016 are published next month (November 2015) by Hamlyn and are available from The R&A, high street and online bookstores.
• In addition to the printed copy, the Rules of Golf, and the Decisions on the Rules of Golf, are also available as an App for most smartphones and tablets. The Rules of Golf and Decisions Book Apps are free of charge.
• Foreign language versions of the Rules of Golf App (reproduced under licence) are available in Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese and Spanish.

With the top four Professionals being separated by just four points it was going to be a closely fought contest for the individual Professional title and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

First out was overnight leader, Robbie Gilmore (PGA of America) who battled the stern conditions to record a six-over par 78 (30 points) to set the clubhouse lead of 127 points (+17).

Next into the clubhouse was early Round 01 leader, John Reeves (PGA of America), who shot a great three-over par 75 (33 Points) to join Gilmore on 127 Points.

An excellent two-over par from the PGA of America’s Paul Hollenbaugh saw him join the leaders on 127 points, as did the PGA of Canada’s Bob Beauchemin after a final round 77 (31 Points).

This resulted in a four-way tie for the lead, which was settled by the best score from a Professional from the whole tournament – John Reeves took home the title after his superb level par round (36 Points) at Portmarnock in Round 01.

For the amateur prizes there were two categories with eight teams competing for the Pro-Am title and six teams competing for the Am-Am title.

Both of these categories turned out to be equally as close as the Professional Tournament with the Pro-Am Team being decided on countback on the final round’s scores.

Just pipping last year’s Pro-Am winning team from New Albany Country Club by one point on count back to the title, after securing 81 Points (-9) in their final round, was the team from Oakdale Golf and Country Club, led by the PGA of Canada’s (Ontario section) Bob Beauchemin with amateurs Jason Berns, Jason Crystal and Rick Trudel.

“Awesome – it was a great day an awesome event, with great golf courses…. we really enjoyed it,” said Beauchemin.  “The courses this week well… Portmarnock was just awesome, Royal County Down was probably one of the most dramatic courses I have ever seen and you can see why the Open Championship is going to be held here [Royal Portrush].  All of them were beautiful and the weather has been great for the whole week, this is beyond what I expected, way beyond.”

In the Am-Am competition three teams from Canada and the Carr Golf Travel team were fighting for pole position and it came down to the final group that ensured a close and exciting finish.

Coming out victorious were early Round 01 leaders, Team Adidas, made up of amateurs Louis Ferraris, Dwayne Boecker, Todd Fraser and Lyndon Kappel, after their final round seven-under par (79 Points) saw them take home the title with a total of 325 Points (-37).

“The weather was unbelievable,” said Ferraris.  “To come over here at the end of October with no rain and we didn’t get wind until the second last day…the guys were just excited to play Portrush obviously with the 2019 Open Championship coming here and…it was a great experience for everyone.”

For full final results from the 2015 Carr Golf Links Pro-Am visit http://eur.pe/2015CarrGolf

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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.

Visit the Tournament Hub Page – http://eur.pe/2015CarrGolf

IMAGE CAPTION: Carr Golf Links Pro-Am Professional Winner, John Reeves (PGA of America) [Credit: www.thephotoproject.ie]

Gymnastics and Golf are to join the prestigious line up of leading sports who will stage their European Championships together in 2018 for the first time in their history, it was announced today.

The two new additions complete the roster alongside Athletics, Aquatics, Cycling, Rowing and Triathlon, who have decided to come together for the first time for the European Sports Championships which will be staged in the Host Cities of Glasgow and Berlin.

The dates of the inaugural Championships were confirmed today as the 1st to 12th August 2018.

Berlin will host the 2018 European Athletics Championships from the 7th to 12th August, with Glasgow hosting the six other European Championships over the 12 days.

The Presidents of European Athletics (EA), Aquatics (LEN), Cycling (UEC), Rowing (FISA) and Triathlon (ETU) welcomed European Gymnastics (UEG) and Golf Europe into a sporting partnership which will create a strong new multi-sport event on the world stage, attracting a projected television audience of around 850 million and an even wider audience via multiple digital platforms.

Following the decision of the European Sports Championships 2018 Board, the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships will be staged in Glasgow at the SSE Hydro while the brand new European Golf team championships, will take place at Scotland’s prestigious Gleneagles course.

The newly-formed 2018 Board also made the important step of ratifying the organisational rules and decision-making processes, ensuring strong governance going forward.

This innovative new approach by the governing bodies, who announced their plans earlier this year, brings the existing European Championships together from seven sports in a sustainable format once every four years in order to continue building their prestige, profile and media exposure.

Around 1500 athletes will compete in Berlin as part of the European Athletics Championships while approximately 3025 athletes will visit Scotland for the other six events. All seven Championships will be staged within the agreed date window.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the consortium for the continent’s public service free-to- air broadcasters, will be the broadcast partner for the combined championships, which are expected to generate more than 2750 hours of programming across Europe’s biggest broadcasters.

The Golf event will be staged over 5 days and include men’s team, women’s team and mixed team competition. Two male and female athletes per nation will participate, with the top 16 European nations included.

The Gymnastics event will include both the Men’s and Women’s Artistic Championships, with around 600 athletes competing in Glasgow over six days. Adaptations around scheduling and timetabling will be agreed at future meetings.

European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen said: “As one of the key sports, European Athletics has been happy to lead the process in the creation of the principles of good governance for the inaugural European Sports Championships, and we are pleased to move forward with this strong framework in place.

“We are looking forward to a fantastic European Athletics Championships in Berlin in 2018 as part of this exciting multi-sport concept. We are sure the European Sports Championships will bring additional values and benefits to athletics in Europe and to the Berlin championships.”

Paolo Barelli, President of the Ligue Européenne de Natation (European Aquatics), said: “One of the challenges this project had to face was to create a programme that could offer the best conditions for athletes to express themselves while also creating interest for the main TV networks in Europe. The result of very fruitful discussions allow me to express my satisfaction that Glasgow and Berlin will showcase one of the best events of all time.

“Each individual European Federation will create a fantastic programme that will maximise interest and LEN is proud to be a pioneering partner of such an ambitious project that will contribute significantly to the development of sport.”

Keith Waters, The European Tour’s Chief Operating Officer and Director of International Policy, said: “It is very exciting for Golf Europe to be invited to join some of Europe’s leading sports in the inaugural European Sports Championships, with three new European Golf Team Championships for female, male and mixed teams. This is part of our vision of encouraging all European nations to participate in golf, and it is fitting that Gleneagles will host the first staging of this event, having been the venue for last year’s Ryder Cup, when Europe memorably united through team golf.”

Ivan Khodabakhsh, Chief Executive of the Ladies European Tour, said: “We welcome this opportunity to join other premium Olympic sports at the European Sports Championships and are excited about the innovative golf events which will feature matches between national teams of women and men for the glory of being crowned European Champions. The coming together of these great sports and golf’s creative approach in two exciting weeks in August 2018 will truly be a treat for all sport fans.”

Georges Guelzec, President of European Gymnastics, said: “We are really excited to be included in the 2018 European Sports Championships as it represents a huge opportunity for Gymnastics to further raise its profile right across Europe. We can also think of no better city than Glasgow to host our 600 competitors who will compete in the men’s and women’s European Artistic Championships.”

Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Sport for the Scottish Government, said: “The European Sports Championships is shaping up to be a tremendous event for Scotland and Scottish sport. There is no better place than Scotland to play and watch golf. If last year’s Ryder Cup is anything to go by, it promises to be a fantastic event and a great showcase for what Scotland has to offer. I’m also delighted to be able to welcome another major gymnastics event to Scotland. This is a growing sport, and hosting major competitions like this will only help to build interest in gymnastics in this country.”

Councillor Frank McAveety, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “With all the sports now confirmed for 2018 Glasgow is again ready to show the excellence and innovation with which it can stage world class events on the global stage. Major events have become a crucial part of our city’s economy and we can now look forward with tremendous excitement and focus to partnering with this fantastic group of sports to continue to create opportunity and help improve health and wellbeing outcomes for our citizens.”

EBU President Jean-Paul Philippot, said: “With seven sports now part of the first edition, the European Sports Championships will be the centrepiece of the sports season in Europe and public service media is proud to participate in the promotion of European sports and its athletes through extensive free-to air coverage across television, digital and radio.”

Find out more at www.EuropeanSportsChampionships.com

@ESChamps2018

The shield will look to ensure the small and emerging Member PGAs (signified by a membership size of 100 PGA Professionals or less) of the Association can compete alongside the larger PGAs in the ITC, whilst also enjoying their own competition and prize fund.

The ITC is the longest-running Confederation of Professional Golf Championship event and since 1990 has brought together teams of three PGA Professionals from each of the Association’s Member Countries to compete in a 72-hole team strokeplay format.

“The inclusion of the International Team Shield within the Championship will help ensure the entire membership of the Association can be competitive within the event,” said Confederation of Professional Golf Chief Executive, Ian Randell.

“After studying the previous results of the ITC we knew we needed to do something to ensure that the Championship was meaningful for all nations.  We think the Shield element will really encourage all of our PGAs, no matter how big or small, to get involved and send a team to represent their National PGA.”

The ITC returns once again to Turkey’s Gloria Hotels & Resorts from December 8th to 11th and will see the 2014 winners, Scotland, look to make it three wins in four years and repeat their 10-shot victory.

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For more information on the Confederation of Professional Golf visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/2015ITC), follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter search the Hashtag ‘#ITC’, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

Visit the Tournament Hub Page – http://eur.pe/2015ITC

IMAGE Credit: Adrian Milledge

Despite an early morning downpour the course was in incredible condition and offered plenty of opportunities for good scoring for both Professionals and Amateurs alike.

Cementing himself at the top of the Individual Professional leaderboard was the PGA of America’s Robbie Gilmore whose two birdies on the front nine saw him secure a four-over par 76 (32 points) and sees him head into the final round one point clear of the chasers at 97 points (+12).

Just one point back is PGA of Canada-Ontario’s Professional, Bob Beauchemin, who remains close in contention after an excellent three-over Par (33 points) moves him onto 96 points.

In third place is early Round 01 leader, John Reeves (PGA of America), whose third round consisted of three birdies and, after signing for a three-over par 75 (33 Points), meant that he is right back in contention for first place.

With the top four Professionals separated by just four points, and a strong wind coming in for the final round, there is very much everything to play for.

Team Taylormade, made up of Jose Gonzalez, Matt Cizmar, Matthew MacKay and Jason Miyasaki, lead the way in the Pro-Am event with a –32 total of 248 points.

For full Round 3 scores from the 2015 Carr Golf Links Pro-Am visit http://eur.pe/2015CarrGolf

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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.

Visit the Tournament Hub Page – http://eur.pe/2015CarrGolf

IMAGE CAPTION: Carr Golf Links Pro-Am Professional Round 03 Leader, Robbie Gilmore (PGA of America) [Credit: www.thephotoproject.ie]

Whilst the weather was unusually calm, the course still bared its teeth and scoring was tough for all competitors. However, there were a fair few birdies along the way from Professionals and amateurs alike.

In the Individual Professional Tournament it was the PGA of America’s Robbie Gilmore who tamed the course, shooting a superb three-over par (33 Points) and taking the overall Professional lead on 65 Points.  In second place is PGA of Canada-Ontario’s Professional, Bob Beauchemin, who followed up his first round 31 points with a second round 32 to remain just two off the lead.

For Round 03 the tournament moves to the recently announced 2019 Open Championship venue, Royal Portrush, for Rounds 03 and 04, where an exciting finish is sure to unfurl with the top-five Professionals being separated by a total of just five points.

The Pro-Am competition is led by ‘Team Adidas’ made up of Dwayne Boecker, Todd Fraser, Lyndon Kappel and Louis Ferraris after a second round 83 points took them to a 163-point total (-19).

For full Round 2 scores from the 2015 Carr Golf Links Pro-Am visit http://eur.pe/2015CarrGolf

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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.

Visit the Tournament Hub Page – http://eur.pe/2015CarrGolf

After a fascinating evening and welcome dinner at Sutton Golf Club the Professionals and Amateurs were ready for the opening round, which was to be held at past Walker Cup host venue, Portmarnock Golf Club.

Perfect weather conditions awaited the competitors and it was PGA of America’s Metropolitan Section Professional, John Reeves, who matched his solitary one bogey with a birdie to record an excellent score of level par (36 Points) to take the early initiative.

Closely behind him it’s a three-way tie between Robbie Gilmore (PGA of America), Adam Hemeon (PGA of America, New England Section) and last year’s winning Pro-Am Team Professional, Paul Hollenbaugh (PGA of America, Southern Ohio Section), who are four points off the pace.

Round 02 of the Pro-Am is to be held at this years Irish Open Host venue, Royal County Down, where a stern test of links golf is sure to be on the cards.

For full Round 1 scores from the 2015 Carr Golf Links Pro-Am visit http://eur.pe/2015CarrGolf

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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.

Visit the Tournament Hub Page – http://eur.pe/2015CarrGolf

Cort’s championship-winning final round at Pravets Golf & Spa Resort in Bulgaria was an excellent show of smooth and controlled golf as he maintained his overnight lead despite the aggressive movement of the field behind him.

“I’m thrilled to have come through and won it…it’s been a great week,” said Cort.  “It got a bit tight out there on the back-nine, and Ralph [Miller] came through with a great score today, so that put the pressure on… It’s a great boost really…I’ve got stage two of Tour School soon so I’d love to get through and get my card back and have another crack at that.”

A consistent start with three pars and a birdie at the par-three fourth hole was a great start to the final round for Cort, but a bogey on eight kept him at -16 through the turn.

The back nine became tenser as Cort had opportunities to make birdies at 10, 11 and 12, repeatedly setting up birdie chances but missing each of them.  But things kicked into gear on 13, 14 and 15 as he birdied each of them to make it to -19 (269) and pull away from the chasers.

“I had a two-shot lead after nine holes and good chances on 10, 11, 12 – it’s sometimes hard to lead from the front because [with] a three-shot lead you can’t be too aggressive but then you can’t just sit back and let them come at you.

“Coming down the last few holes it could of not worked out but thankfully it did for me today so if I’m in that position again I can look back on finishing the job and it gives you a bit of confidence…I may need that thought in a months’ time…!”

A final round surge of four birdies in six holes from the PGA of Holland’s Ralph Miller [pictured left] moved him in to contention, and gave him the opportunity to pile the pressure onto Cort.  But it wasn’t to be as three pars to close didn’t boost him enough, but did earn him the €6,800 second prize.

“I was five shots back starting today and in the back of my head I thought if could get a seven or eight-under in then I could put some pressure on,” explained Miller.  “It’s good fun to represent my country…it’s still a growing game in Holland, there’s a few youngsters coming through… so it’s obviously great to represent the country and hopefully we can get some more guys out here in the coming years.”

Tied for third place was Spain’s José Luis Adarraga [pictured right] and Wales’ Garry Houston [pictured second-right], each at -15 (273).  Adarraga posted a two-under par 70, whilst Houston matched Miller’s low-round of the day with a storming 66 to shoot up the leaderboard, each taking home €3,450 in prize money.

For full final scores from the 2015 UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe visit http://eur.pe/2015PGAProChamps.

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For more information on the 2015 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.

Image: 2015 UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe Winner, Matthew Cort (PGA in England) [Imaging equipment courtesy of Camera Jungle – www.camerajungle.co.uk]

Moving day at the 2015 Championship did not disappoint at Pravets Golf & Spa Resort in Bulgaria, as the PGA Professional competitors jostled for position throughout the day.

There was no better example than that of Portugal’s Santos who began Round 3 in tied-17th position but managed to advance all the way to third after his record ten-under par 62.

Cort however managed to keep the top spot after another bogey-less round with two birdies on his front nine and four on the back for a six-under round score and a -16 (200) tournament total.

“Steady again, no drop shots, which is important,” said Cort.  “I managed to make six birdies and space them out…[I] drove it well, hit most of the greens…just a kind of stress-free golf.

“[A win] would cap a great year off – I’ve still got a few tournaments to come so I’m just trying to build some momentum going into those events and this would be a massive win for me, no question.”

Still in with every chance is PGA of Spain Professional, José Luis Adarraga.  A four-under 68 takes the Spaniard to -13 (203), just three shots off the pace and very much in with a shout in the final round.

Santos sits four shots off the pace at -12 (204) in a position the three-time Championship winner is very accustomed to, and his record-breaking round gives him plenty of positivity toward his campaign to make it four wins.

“I feel great, [62] is my best score ever, so I feel fantastic,” said Santos.  “The difference [today] was the putter because I holed some good ones.  It didn’t happen on the first two days but I kept my patience and today it happened.”

The Final Round of the 2015 UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe at Pravets Golf & Spa Resort gets underway at 09:30 (EEST), 17th October. For live scores and updates visit http://eur.pe/2015PGAProChamps.

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For more information on the 2015 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.

Image: 2015 UniCredit PGA Professional Championship Round 3 Leader, Matthew Cort (PGA in England) [Imaging equipment courtesy of Camera Jungle – www.camerajungle.co.uk]

Beginning on hole 10, Cort got his round off to a fiery start with no less than six birdies in a row.  12 regulation pars followed to conclude his round but there were many positives to be taken from the second 18 of the four-round Championship:

“It was a funny round, I birdied the first six and then parred the last 12,” explained Cort.  “I don’t think I’ve ever done that, birdied six in a row, especially when starting out.

“It’s the kind of course that if it’s nice and still like it was today, anybody in the field could shoot five, six or seven-under, so you can’t play for pars because you’re not going to move forward.  I just need to continue to hit greens and try to set up some chances.”

Round 1 leader, José Luis Adarraga (PGA of Spain), lies just one shot behind Cort after a three-under 69 helped him to keep up with the pace at nine-under (135).

“I played really very good,” Asarraga said.  “I went through the front-nine at three-under with good drives and putts…just perfect. The second nine I played very well, but I had many putts and I finished badly.  I will not change anything – I will continue my line [plan].”

Two shots further back from the Spaniard is PGA of Holland Professional and last year’s runner-up, Ralph Miller.  A bogey-free 67 positions Miller at seven-under for the tournament and in a good position to make an advance during the second half of the event.

“I’m going to stick to my gameplan – play the same shots,” said Miller.  I holed a lot more putts than yesterday – I hit 18 greens in regulation yesterday and hit 17 today as well but I holed a lot more putts.  It’s all to play for over the next few days.”

Special mention should also go to Wales’ Adam Constable who carded a hole-in-one at the par-three 12th hole.

Round 3 of the 2015 UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe at Pravets Golf & Spa Resort gets underway at 09:30 (EEST), 16th October. For live scores and updates visit http://eur.pe/2015PGAProChamps.

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For more information on the 2015 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.

Image: 2015 UniCredit PGA Professional Championship Round 2 Leader, Matthew Cort (PGA in England) [Imaging equipment courtesy of Camera Jungle – www.camerajungle.co.uk]

“I played very well, starting with birdies on one and two…it was very good for me” said the Spaniard.  “Making the first nine at six-under was very good.  I made good drives, good iron shots, perfect putts…I think it’s possible to be a good tournament for me.”

The first of four championship rounds began with noticeably better weather conditions than the PGA Professionals had prepared in, and Adarraga got his campaign underway in style with an opening birdie 4 on the par-5 10th hole.  That birdie immediately opened the floodgates as he made the turn at six-under.

A further birdie at the 2nd hole, his 11th, was cancelled out by a single bogey on the penultimate hole for his 66-shot total.

Only one shot behind is PGA of Sweden Professional, Christoffer Wahlgren.  Again beginning on the back nine, Wahlgren moved quickly with a run of birdies to make it to six-under through 10 holes.  Bogeys at his 14th and 17th holes, and a birdie at 16 got him home in level for the back-nine and a five-under 67.

“I played very well on the front-nine but the back nine was harder, I struggled a bit but still made it,” said Wahlgren.  “I want to try to make it easy, not do anything that demands a lot and just play safe – we’ve still got 54-holes so time will tell.”

One further shot behind are four Professionals – Matthew Cort (PGA in England), Graeme Brown (PGA in Scotland), Joao Ramos (PGA of Portugal), and Craig Shave (PGA in England) – each carding four-under par 68s, well and truly in the mix.

The second round of the 2015 UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe at Pravets Golf & Spa Resort gets underway at 09:30 (EEST), 15th October. For live scores and updates visit http://eur.pe/2015PGAProChamps.

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For more information on the 2015 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.

Image: 2015 UniCredit PGA Professional Championship Leader, José Luis Adarraga (PGA of Spain) [Equipment courtesy of Camera Jungle – www.camerajungle.co.uk]

Two days of Pro-Am golf got the Championship week started for the fifth edition of the Confederation of Professional Golf’s flagship event since it was reintroduced in 2011, and whilst conditions were often wet and cold, the competitors did not disappoint with the quality of golf.

The Demirev-Ganchev-Sinapov team were paired with Johnson in Round 1 where the Fourball carded 90 points (-18), giving them a four-point lead over the chasers.  Then, alongside Ramos in Round 2, an 87-point total (-15) took them to 177 points overall and a three-point advantage over their rivals.

“It feels great to win, everything was perfect,” said Georgi Demirev.  “Even with the bad weather we had the first day everything was fine – we played well thanks to these guys, the Pros, they helped us a lot and we won it together.”

“It was a good practice round Pro-Am,” added Johnson.  “A win is always a good thing and we saw a lot of good golf – it’s a great start to the week.”

Second place in the Pro-Am fell to Nikolay Dimitrov, Valentin Krystev and Hranislav Kodjahristov who scored a combined total of 174 points (–30) with their Professionals Corsin Caviezel (PGA of Switzerland) and James McGhee (PGA in Scotland).

The first round of the 2015 UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe at Pravets Golf & Spa Resort gets underway at 09:30 (EEST), 14th October.  For live scores and updates visit http://eur.pe/2015PGAProChamps.

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For more information on the 2015 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.

Image: 2015 UniCredit PGA Professional Championship Pro-Am Team Winners [L-R], Georgi Demirev, Galin Ganchev, Joao Ramos (PGA of Portugal), Kostadin Sinapov, and James Johnson (PGA of Switzerland)

PGA Professionals from 24 countries will travel to Bulgaria this week for the fifth iteration of the Championship since it was brought back to the Association’s calendar in 2011, competing across 72-holes of strokeplay golf.

Competitors have qualified through the many local qualification events specified by each of the Confederation of Professional Golf’s Member Country PGAs, as well as through their successes in the Association’s Sanctioned Events and other Championships across the past 12 months.

The lineup comprises of many former European Tour and Challenge Tour members along with Professionals that have been long time representatives of their PGAs at past Championships including the International Team Championship and the Golfbreaks.com Fourball Championship.

Defending Champion Hugo Santos (Portugal) also returns seeking a record fourth win in the event, but 2014 second place, Ralph Miller (Holland), and third place, Russ Berry (England), will be in hot pursuit looking to go a few places better, with a total of seven of last year’s top-10 returning.

The field also includes a representative from one the Association’s International Member Countries, Canada.  Danny King secured his spot in the field after winning the 2015 PGA of Canada Championship, his third win in that event moving him into the top-five in the PGA of Canada’s player rankings.

Two PGA Professionals in the form of Paul Hendriksen and Michael Watson will represent England in the event hot off their historic first US-based win in the PGA Cup, the biennial GB&I versus USA match at CordeValle Golf Club, USA.  Hendriksen is also coming off the back of the British PGA Professional Championship win that secured that PGA Cup place.

Full coverage of the Championship can be found at http://eur.pe/2015PGAProChamps

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For more information on the 2015 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.