The third edition of the US Kids Venice Open is pushing new levels of sustainability action this week, by not only integrating nature, resources and community into the event, but also to engage the participating children and their families.

The event is being played over three days on three sustainably managed venues:

• Golf della Montecchia – fully GEO Certified®, IAGTO Sustainability Award Winner 2017 (community engagement); Biogolf research site; Italian Golf Federation Impegnati nel Verdi (INV) Award winner for water management.
• Frassanelle Golf Club – OnCourse® for GEO Certified®; twice awarded INV Award for cultural heritage and landscape management.
• Galzignano Golf Club – OnCourse® for GEO Certified®

In addition, the organisers have commissioned a sustainability specialist to work through the OnCourse® Tournaments programme, bringing ideas and supervising the initiative. This is leading to an array of further environmental and community actions, including:

• Promoting group bus transportation
• Promoting recycling and reduction in plastics
• Provision of green energy to the golf clubs
• Use of local and sustainable suppliers of services and materials, including catering, printing and signage
• All participants are given tickets to visit the local natural science museum
• Tracking resource use, at venues and hotels
• Selection of hotels with credible sustainability policies and programmes
• Information for players and families, including two ‘green questionnaires’
• Engagement of local schools, for volunteering and learning
• Raising funds for official local charities such as ONLUS, which provides support for children with cancer and which helps them engage in sporting activities.
• Promoting healthy lifestyles with discounted physical education and coaching, and healthy menus.

The event is applying to become a GEO Certified® Tournament.

Dan van Horn, CEO of the US Kids Foundation – “We established a partnership last year with the GEO Foundation to help bring sustainability into events like the Venice Open, and we are delighted to see how this is progressing and the way it is connecting with the players and their families. Our thanks to all those who have worked to turn the commitment into action, and we are excited about how we can help further pioneer sustainability and children’s golf in the future”.

Ian Randell, Chief Executive of the Confederation of Professional Golf – “This is a great addition to an already fantastic event, and one that does so much to promote the positive things that golf gives to individuals and communities. We fully support this important initiative and congratulate US Kids Golf and the venues for bringing it forward”.

Paolo Casati, President of Golf della Montecchia – “We are very proud to host this tournament, and it is fundamental for us to send the young players and families the message of the importance of respect the environment. We started last year the process to improve the environmental and community aspects of the event, and this year we hope to be ready to reach the official GEO Certified® Tournament standard”.

Jonathan Smith – “It is a pleasure to work with the organising team of the Venice Open, including the venue managers. They are all so committed and enthusiastic towards the added value that this brings to the entire event, and the important message it sends to the next generation of golfers. We are proud to support and recognise such inspiring leadership in and through golf”.

Find Out More at VeniceOpen.it

The team, comprising one under-16 boy, five under-18 boys and six under-18 girls, will attempt to regain the trophy from the United States after a 15½ – 8½ defeat at Interlachan Golf Club in 2016.

The Junior Ryder Cup was formally introduced in 1997 – with stars such as Sergio Garcia, Rory McIlroy and Suzann Pettersen all having taken part in the event since – and, once again, it will serve as a curtain-raiser for the main event at Le Golf National, from September 28-30.

Leading the way for the European team is Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard. The 17 year old became the third Danish player to win the European Amateur Championship in June, and after making the cut in the Porsche European Open, he would go on to reach the quarter-final stage of the British Boys Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush.

Also making the team is Rasmus Hojgaard who pipped his twin brother to the Toyota Junior World Cup title earlier this year in Japan. The brothers will become the first set of male twins to represent Europe in the Junior Ryder Cup – Irish twin sisters Lisa and Leona Maguire played in the event in 2008.

England’s Conor Gough will also represent Europe for the first time in the biennial contest after the 15 year old won the British Boys Amateur Championship.

A selection committee comprising European Captain Maïtena Alsuguren and representatives from the European Golf Association and Ryder Cup Europe also chose England’s Robin Williams and Spaniards David Puig and Eduard Rousaud Sabate as the three other boys who will compete in Paris.

The committee was present at a number of key junior events and also took into account performances in national championships plus standings in national and European Amateur Golf Rankings.

The girls’ representation is headed up by Emma Spitz of Austria, who will play in the event for a second time after winning this year’s Girls British Open Amateur Championship.

Italian Emilie Alba Paltrinieri will also make her second appearance in the event having competed in 2016, while her fellow Italian Alessia Nobilio, England’s Annabell Fuller and Swedes Amanda Linner and Ingrid Lindblad will make their Junior Ryder Cup debuts in Paris.

The Junior Ryder Cup celebrates the progress and hard work taking place at the grass roots level of golf, which helps talented young players develop into national team amateurs and some even to The Ryder Cup itself.

It has been the platform from which successful professional careers have been launched for numerous players.

Masters Tournament winner Garcia played in the 1995 exhibition match and four years later was part of the full European Team at The Country Club in Brookline, while Pettersen played in the Junior Ryder Cup in 1997 and 1999 before becoming one of Europe’s greatest female golfers and taking part in eight Solheim Cups.

Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy was in the victorious 2004 Junior Ryder Cup team, and since then he has won four Major Championships and three Ryder Cups.

Americans Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth have made the transition from Junior Ryder Cup players to Major Champions – Spieth was part of a record-breaking US team in 2008 while the pair both played together in the 2010 edition of the event.

Hunter Mahan, having been in the 1999 junior team, also went on to form part of the 2008, 2010 and 2014 US Ryder Cup sides.

Other notable past Junior Ryder Cup players are Europe’s Nicolas Colsaerts and Rafa Cabrera Bello, who both played in 1999 and have gone on to become European Tour winners and Ryder Cup players, along with American Lexi Thompson, who played in 2008 and has gone on to win one Major Championship and two Solheim Cups.

Team:

Boys:

• Nicolai Hojgaard, 17, Denmark
• Rasmus Hojgaard, 17, Denmark
• David Puig, 17, Spain
• Eduard Rousaud Sabate, 18, Spain
• Conor Gough, 15, England
• Robin Williams, 16, England

Girls:

• Emma Spitz, 18, Austria
• Emilie Alba Paltrinieri, 16, Italy
• Alessia Nobilio, 17, Italy
• Annabell Fuller, 16, England
• Amanda Linner, 17, Sweden
• Ingrid Lindblad, 18, Sweden

For more information on the Junior Ryder Cup visit www.rydercup.com

From the 31st October to the 3rd November, Quinta do Lago’s North, South and Laranjal Courses will stage the prestigious tournament, organised by private member’s club Eligo and sanctioned by the Confederation of Professional Golf.

Professionals will compete for the Individual Invitational Championship title and a total prize fund of €50,000 based on 60 teams competing, whilst amateurs will receive exclusive gift packs worth over £1,000.

The team entry fee of £3750 [equiv. €4175**] (£3250 per amateur [equiv. €3615**]) will earn them a place in the field limited to 60 teams and will include:

• A practice round on the North Course or the Laranjal Course
• Three tournament rounds on Quinta do Lago’s North, South and Laranjal Courses
• An evening drinks reception at The Conrad Hotel
• Dinner at Casa do Lago
• Gala charity dinner at Bovinos
• Buggies for all three days;
• On-course refreshments each day
• Exclusive use of the practice facilities at each course

The event also plays its part in the support of the Anderson Foundation and Shooting Star Chase charities, raising money through off-course events and activities that take place throughout the tournament week.

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Last year’s tournament was won by The PGA of Great Britain & Ireland’s Matthew Cort who took The Invitational Pro-Am 2017 honours and the winner’s cheque of €8,125 after holding the lead in all three rounds and finishing with an overall score of 10 under par.

For More Information & To Enter Visit http://eur.pe/2018Invitational

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For more information about The Invitational Pro-Am 2018, visit the Tournament Hub Page, follow @PGAsofEurope and search ‘#TheInvitationalProAm‘ on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

More information on The Invitational Pro-Am 2018 is available at www.TheInvitational.eu.

Justin Thomas

Thursday

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Saturday

Lux Jersey Polo – Bandana Toss, Performance Chino Pant – White

Sunday

Stripe Performance Lisle – White/Cobalt Heather, Performance Chino Golf Pant – Celadon

Billy Horschel

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For more information visit www.RalphLauren.com