The new name and brand maintain elements of the previous identity to remain true to the traditions and progress of the past 30 years, whilst embracing a new strategic focus and intent steered through new guiding principles of Togetherness, Collaboration and Development.

Whilst the organisation at its heart is the same entity, the CPG will work more closely than ever with its Member PGAs, utilising the strength of the collective to increase their national and international influence through collaboration and unity, and benefitting from economies of scale to maximise the commercial and developmental opportunities to them and the game of golf.

“This is a hugely exciting time in the history of the organisation,” said CPG Chairman, Frank Kirsten. “Operating under license for the PGA brand presented a number of restrictions on our ability to develop our business and provide the full service that we wish to for our Member PGAs and the game. The Board of Directors, with the unanimous support of the membership, took the decision that this change to our name and visual identity enables us to be in control of our own destiny and build for a positive future in collaboration with our membership.”

CPG Chief Executive, Ian Randell, added: “This important announcement signals the start of an exciting new era of Togetherness, Collaboration and Development for our Association. The strength of our organisation is through the collective influence and expertise of our national PGAs and their memberships who provide a skilled and educated workforce for the game and its players.

“We will enhance our commitment to unite, promote and support our Member Countries to provide a strong collective voice and representation both nationally and globally, provide collective business and development opportunities, and by continuing to provide international golf development expertise – not least as the sole member of the development arm of Ryder Cup Europe, the Ryder Cup European Development Trust – the CPG will increasingly support and offer value to its Members and the game.”

In embodying this vision, the CPG will not only be relocating its headquarters to the Centurion Club on the outskirts of London, but will also utilise the offices of Member PGAs to have meeting and working space in major European cities including Amsterdam, Madrid, Malmö, Milan and Paris.

Beginning with the development of the Collaboration & Digitalisation Project in mid-2018, the CPG has taken steps to engage with its Member PGAs more than ever before, creating even closer and more collaborative relationships, largely facilitated by a digital platform, all whilst ensuring Members maintain their autonomy and control within the collective.

This Project activity has acted as a pre-cursor to the exciting new future for the CPG, with a variety of education, golf development and event initiatives and collaborations being announced over the coming days.

The rollout of the new CPG visual identity and related digital and physical assets is well underway, allowing the organisation’s Member Country PGAs, Corporate Partners, Suppliers, Media Partners and various other stakeholders to embrace their association with the CPG.

FIND OUT MORE AT CPG.GOLF

For more information on the CPG visit cpg.golf, or find the CPG on Twitter (@cpg_golf), Facebook (@cpg.golf), LinkedIn, Instagram (@cpg_golf) and Anchor.fm.

On a day that failed to follow the script, with unexpected downpours and a three-way battle that failed to materialise, Tadini kept to the storyline in the final round as overnight leader by shooting a faultless 69 (two-under-par) and expand his winning margin to six shots for the tournament (200 total):

“I played very solid for three days – my long game was fantastic and after practicing hard at my putting I began to hole some this week. It’s never easy leading a tournament, but I drew on my experience from previous wins and competitions to calm these nerves and seal victory”

Compatriot Federico Elli and round one leader Steve Parry also battled admirably in the difficult conditions to share runners-up spot on six-under-par for the week (206 total). This also capped off a fine summer for Elli, who has now finished 1^st, 2^nd, 2^nd in his last three events on the Pro-Am schedule.

In what was the final round of the team event on day 2, Team Burrows (pictured below with amateurs Dorin Mateiu, Anca Mateiu and Ionut Georgescu) took the title with a second-round score of 91 points (-19), totalling 187 points (-43) over the two days and pipping Team Heraty by three points.

The event has also attracted an array of well-known celebrities in the past from across the sports, events, entertainment industries, with singers Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden attending last year. This years Pro-Am played host to French footballing legends Christian Karembeu, Antoine Kombouare and Laurent Blanc, who showed transferable sporting talent by finishing runners-up in the team event as part of Team Heraty!

Aegean Airlines Team Champions Team Burrows, with Katia Avramidou President of the Organising Committee Aegean Pro-Am & Legal Counsel, Aegean Airlines S.A. and Ioannis Paraschis, CEO Athens International Airport

The Aegean Pro-Am has been a mainstay on the Pro-Am schedule since its inauguration and this year’s edition proved to be the most successful yet, with 62 Professionals competing for an overall prize fund of €70,000, during a week full of entertainment, celebration and golf, in Messinia in the southwest Peloponnese, amidst one of the most unspoiled and breathtaking seaside landscapes in the Mediterranean.

A weather-disrupted start due to early-morning thunderstorms threatened to take second day headlines but nonetheless, the skies cleared, the breeze picked up and Tadini eventually shone through, quite literally, as he birdied two of the last three holes in virtual darkness:

“It was a great day. I kept my long game in great shape and my putting was great. I started slow but I made lots of birdies on the back nine, which was great”.

Behind him in second and third are Pro-Am veterans Nicoló Gaggero (PGA of Italy) and Henrik Engdahl (PGA of Greece) after rounds of 65 (133 total) and 71 (135 total) respectively. This sets up an enticing, closely-fought narrative heading into the final day on the Dunes Course of Costa Navarino, where the Professionals separate from their amateurs to battle it out for the honours.

In what was the final round of the team event, Team Burrows (with amateurs Dorin Mateiu, Anca Mateiu and Ionut Georgescu) took the title with a second-round score of 91 points (-19), totalling 187 points (-43) over the two days and pipping Team Heraty by three points.

British Professional, Parry, set the early target with a 65 (5-under-par), only to be joined later in the day by Engdahl, continuing a fine run of form for the Greek PGA Professional who claimed the honours last year.

“I am striking the ball really well, I putted well and hit all my numbers that I needed to,” said Engdahl.  “If it stays nice out there [tomorrow] and not too breezy then two or three under will be a good round for me”.

The Dunes Course at Costa Navarino was particularly challenging and showed its teeth to the other half of the field, with scoring considerably more difficult in blustery conditions. That was until Jack Eckardt (PGA of Austria) shot an impressive 68 (-3), nicely placing him to attack the lead heading into tomorrow.

In the team event, Team Burrows, with amateurs Dorin Mateiu, Anca Mateiu and Ionut Georgescu, stormed the early lead with a commanding 96 points (24-under-par) and will look to extend this further in tomorrow’s second round.

The group, all participants of women’s coaching initiative love.golf, travelled in from all corners of the country to be part of event. For the majority of them, The Solheim Cup represents their first experience of a professional golf tournament.

Among the attendees is Karen Harkins, a love.golfer from West Kilbride. Karen, who is 39 and married with two children, has been part of the programme for over two years. Commenting on her Solheim experience, Karen said: “When I first walked into Gleneagles, I could feel the atmosphere, the excitement building and the energy coming from all the fans.

“I’m fortunate to have attended other golf events too, but none of them are like this. In my mind, this is how golf events should be.”

Also attending was Dawn, part of an avid group of over 50 love.golfers based in Fraserburgh, who said: “Today has been a truly memorable experience. It feels genuinely special to be a part of this love.golf community from all over Scotland.

“Everyone has fully immersed themselves in the Solheim experience and have cheered Team Europe on at every turn.”

Accompanying the group are love.golf coaches from each of the Scottish venues, along with Head Coach and Founder, Alastair Spink, who commented: “The Solheim Cup is a real showcase of the women’s game, full of excitement and drama from start to finish.

“We are fortunate to have recruited an enthusiastic and committed group of love.golfers, particularly in Scotland, and I think this opportunity and experience at Gleneagles will take their enthusiasm to the next level.”

love.golf attendees were supplied tickets to the event by PING, who have also supported the initiative by sending over 80 starter sets to love.golf venues UK-wide for newcomers to the game to use during their sessions.

Host venue of The Solheim Cup, Gleneagles, recently announced its support of love.golf, hosting a launch event in August, and soon to be followed up by a series of continuing sessions.

love.golf is currently inviting new coaches to take on the programme at their club or venue. Interested parties should contact Head Coach Alastair Spink (alastair@love.golf) for more information.

For more information on love.golf visit: www.love.golf

At the TOUR Championship, the winner captured the tournament and the FedEx Cup title using Golf Pride’s swing grips and putter grip.  Since the FedEx Cup started 13 years ago, Golf Pride has been the trusted grip in players hands for 11 titles.

The thrilling victory at East Lake Golf Club gives Golf Pride 39 wins out of the official 46-events played during the PGA TOUR’s 2018-19 season.  Below is a rundown of some of Golf Pride’s most noteworthy achievements during the brand’s banner year on the PGA TOUR.

• “Golf Pride Slam” – wins at all four Majors this season.
• 13x more PGA TOUR victories than its nearest competitor.
• 7 unique Golf Pride swing grips won this season, including the brand’s latest innovations in ALIGN Technology & PLUS4 Technology.
• 43 of 50 players (86%) who earned their 2019-20 PGA TOUR cards through the Korn Ferry Playoffs or by virtue of being Top 25 money earners on the Korn Ferry Tour relied on Golf Pride grips.

“2018-19 has been an incredible season for Golf Pride,” said Brandon Sowell, global sales and marketing director for Golf Pride.

“We continued our run of success in the game’s biggest events with some of our most trusted grips, and we saw several of our newest and most innovative technologies gain traction on TOUR garnering marquee wins.

“This season has been a tremendous showcase of how the best players in the world grip confidence each week with Golf Pride.”

Each week, Golf Pride is the leading grip played from tee-to-green on the PGA TOUR with an average of 80% of pros choosing Golf Pride swing grips in each event, without any paid endorsements.

Eaton’sGolf Pride Grips Division is the world’s largest manufacturer of golf grips, with manufacturing, sales and distribution facilities on six continents.  The division’s Golf Pride brand is recognized globally as the number one choice in grips among TOUR and recreational players, competitive amateur golfers, club manufacturers and club repairmen.

For more information on Golf Pride’s entire 2019 product offering, visit golfpride.com.