Despite the obvious and well-documented challenges this has posed to industries, in particular golf, PGA Professionals have adapted to an incredibly difficult situation admirably. You only have to spend a few minutes on social media to see their drive and determination across the world to maintain both their golf games and enthusiasm, conducted under a cloud of doubt and uncertainty as to when they will return to work and the course.

Your clients and customers will no doubt also be itching to get back onto the course, back to playing in weekly club competitions, back to hitting balls on the range and back to having lessons with you. So how, despite having limited ability to interact directly with them, can you continue to build and maintain a rapport? How can you use this time to increase your relevance and prepare your business for when the play button on society is hit?

Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool and something you or your employers will have been possibly engaging with or utilising in some form already. Established mainstream channels such as Facebook and Twitter provide solid bases to create exposure and generate valuable conversations with your existing clients and potential customers, providing it is done in the right way for you and your business.

Don’t stick to just Facebook and Twitter however. LinkedIn provides a professional platform to collaborate with other businesses. Instagram is a fantastic channel for golf clubs to visually present their business – clubs are utilising closed courses to generate fantastic on-the-ground and aerial drone footage, undisturbed, that can be uploaded across instagram, websites and for future content purposes.

There is no doubt other channels such as TikTok [a video streaming site that’s use has surged very recently] will continue to be popularised as tastes and trends change. Keeping an eye on these, learning how to use them and applying them correctly might help you to digitally converse with new audiences and develop your social reach.

Vlogging

At face value, vlogging [creating video content around topics and instructional areas] seems complex. This previous article helps to simplify and break down first of all what video blogging is, how to actually create a great vlog, and then how to effectively deliver it to your audience.

In essence, it requires a small space to be able to explain and demonstrate a shot [if it is a coaching vlog], a camera or smartphone to record yourself and ultimately, oodles of energy and enthusiasm. For sure, it can be daunting to even the most confident of people to film themselves talking but remember that it is you and your knowledge that customers come for week-in, week-out. The only difference is that you are creating that conversation with them through a screen now instead.

Email Marketing and Weekly Check-ups

Remaining relevant is a constant battle we as PGA Professionals face in even more certain trading conditions. Ever-growing competition from clubs, teaching academies and driving ranges keep each and every one of us on our toes to ensure we innovate and improve, so that our clients continue to demand the products and services we offer.

Therefore, in the absence of clubs, teaching academies and facilities, and in fact any form of consumer demand during this crisis, relevancy is ironically, almost irrelevant to a degree.

Front page headlines, news articles and press conferences around the world thoroughly document the challenges and threats of COVID-19, and are obsessively occupying the front of everybody’s minds right now – for good and obvious reasons. So how do you replace, or at the very least, remind people that there is light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to their golf games, their golf club and their favourite past time?

First, you need a client database to be able to activate and engage with.

Second, you need an hour or two each week to set aside and create some engaging forms of online communication. This can be as basic as a generic text message such as the one below, or a multispread newsletter that covers what you, a PGA Professional who is eager to maintain their own golf games has been up to, simple step-by-step coaching tips or generic thoughts on the game’s current trends, and why you are looking forward to making this summer the best yet for everyone. You will find people have more time on their hands right now, so engaging them with longer pieces of content should be really useful and effective!

…”Hi [first name]!

How are you? Have you managed to get any form of golf practice in on the garden? 

If you are limited for space and time, try setting up some simple putting drills in your front living room, or a chipping net with some foam balls to keep the your game ticking over. It won’t be long before we are through these current difficulties and back out onto the golf course and I am really looking forward to seeing you back!

If you would like some more tips and drills to practice at home, or anything else, I am here to help.

[Your name]”…

Thirdly, you need to deliver the content. If you have a large database of text messages to send, you could generalise the message to apply to a large group. You could then create a themed WhatsApp group that includes various sections of your client base, such as parents of respective golf classes to send info through and maintain their engagement.

However you do it and whatever you write, if you maintain the thought of ‘I am here and available for when we return to normal life’ at the front of your mind, your message will remain relevant, be well received and at the very least, replace a negative with a positive for your clients.

Final Thoughts

We are all involved in a current national and international effort to defeat this virus, and I first and foremost wish you all and your loved ones good health throughout this challenging period.

Right now we have a duty to follow and enact upon the strict social measures delivered by our respective governing authorities. The quicker we do this, the quicker we get through it and the quicker we can walk back out onto the golf course.

However, I urge you to use this enforced downtime to engage and re-engage with your customers and clients as much as possible. The optimist in me believes a booming feel-good factor of festivities and consumer spending is an inevitability once our lives and liberties are re-instilled. By using this time effectively, you can position yourselves effectively to take advantage of expected surges in demand and make up for any bump your business is currently experiencing.

But this is set to become the new norm for many – short-term for most but may even become more of a long-term solution for others as well considering the current Coronavirus [COVID-19] circumstances we all face (especially as working from home may enable better working than ever in some cases).

The CPG network is a wide one across 31 countries with over 12,500 PGA Professionals. Of those 31 PGAs then a number already work remotely, or at least are able to relatively normally under the current circumstances, whilst others are working out how to be effective given their new situation.

For the vast majority of the 12.5k+ PGA Professionals, and all PGA Professionals in those countries where the virus restriction measures have taken hold, then this is will be a different and possibly unnerving experience.

The following are just a few useful links and resources that can hopefully a) help you to work and be productive at home, and b) utilise the time proactively to develop yourself and your business/organisation. None of this situation is ideal, but, as we are often told in golf, we must focus on the positives.

WORKING FROM HOME PRODUCTIVELY:

Communicating From a Distance: How to Ensure Remote Working Works Best For Your Organisation | Thomas International

The great team at Thomas International explain how “…a greater understanding of how you, your managers, colleagues and teams prefer to communicate can help with the transition to a greater degree of remote working than your business may currently be comfortable supporting…”

Read More – https://cp.golf/33SUzto

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Three Secrets to Effective Remote Working For Your Employees | Thomas International

The Thomas International folk follow up with a 3-point plan to ensure working remotely is as effective for the people in your organisation as possible.

Read More – https://cp.golf/2UMKUjN

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Coronavirus and Remote Working – A Practical Guide | Medium.com

iubenda have had remote workers since 2011 – here Andrea Giannangelo explains how to organise teams, use software tools, provide clear guidelines, and keep workers healthy and engaged.

Read More – https://cp.golf/3dy3GnA

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Online Business Tools to Work From Home | JotForm.com

JotForm, an online form building tool, give examples of tools for project management, remote document access, video conferencing, internal communications, and online payments, along with how JotForm itself is useful when working from home.

Read More – https://cp.golf/2UJQvHO

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Why Working From Home is Good For Business | Ted.com

Matt Mullenweg uses just 4.5 minutes to explain how useful working from home can be and how he does it effectively.

Read More – https://cp.golf/2ykPdvh

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New to Working from Home? Here Are Some Tips to Help You Meet Like a Pro | Zoom.us

Using Zoom for video calls, meetings, etc. is a must – engagement is key to keep workers up to speed and involved (although Skype, WhatsApp, FaceTime, etc. of course have their uses too). This guide from Zoom shows how to get set-up and then use Zoom effectively in your organisation.

Read More – https://cp.golf/3atTVoF

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USING YOUR TIME TO DEVELOP YOURSELF AND YOUR BUSINESS:

ed.TED.com – Online Lesson Building

TEDed offers a fantastic service [FOR FREE] where you can build an online lesson around any TED or YouTube video. You can add notes and questions to help guide a student through the lesson and all you have to do is share a link/URL with the student for them to take part (no registration necessary). A great way of engaging students no matter where you are.

Read More – https://cp.golf/2xvLlai

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TED.com – Ideas Worth Sharing

TED’s main video service contains hundreds if not thousands of TED Talk videos of 18 minutes or less that allow people to get their ideas across. Whatever subject you can think of then it’s likely there is a video on there about it. Great for developing your own thoughts and ideas.

Read More – https://cp.golf/2vZ0bpj

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How to Stay Active While You’re Home – SportEngland.org

Developing yourself is not just about being mentaller active – when working from home (especially in cases where social distancing/self-isolation is in place) then you need to stay as physically active as possible. Sport England have brought together useful tops and advice on staying as healthy as possible when at home both for adults and for kids.

Read More – https://cp.golf/2Uq4L9A

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Work Smarter Playlist – TED.com

This playlist brings together a series of TED Talk videos that offers unconventional advice on working more effectively.

Read More – https://cp.golf/3bCie40

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Work Happier Playlist – TED.com

This TED Talk playlist looks at how being happier at work actually comes from focusing on the happiness part rather than the work part.

Read More – https://cp.golf/2JoyhGj

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LinkedIn Learning – LinkedIn.com/learning

LinkedIn’s Learning service offers a huge number of online courses that can help develop your skills in a variety of areas. You can enrol in various courses and then once complete add certifications to your LinkedIn profile.

Read More – https://cp.golf/3asCmoN

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Working From Home Learning Path – LinkedIn Learning

During this time when more and more people are having to work from home then LinkedIn Learning have opened up their ‘Remote Working: Setting Yourself and Your Teams Up for Success‘ course, including time management, productivity tips, video conferencing, and more.

Read More – https://cp.golf/39q1n2F

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p.s. The real working from hero tip is to make sure you choose the right snacks. Shoutout to gingerbread men and blueberries.

Graphic Designed by macrovector / Freepik

Further to the recent developments regarding the pandemic Covid-19 and the restrictive orders and measures for travel, sport events and social life enforced by the European Union and the Greek State to contain the spread of the virus, it is our utmost duty to you and our communities to act responsibly and protect those at high risk.

As a result, with much regret and given that the safety of our participants, staff and colleagues is of utmost importance, we are compelled to reschedule the 15th Aegean Airlines Pro-Am for 2021.

We will review the circumstances later this year and we shall be providing you with further details.

Our thoughts are with the people who have been affected by this unprecedented event and we appreciate the healthcare workers, local communities, and governments around the world who are on the front line working to contain this coronavirus.

With kind regards,

Katia Avramidou
President of the Organizing Committee of the 15th Aegean Airlines Pro-Am
& Legal Counsel Aegean Airlines

Any players with any symptoms of COVID-19, should not play.

Any players from a household with someone with any symptoms of COVID-19 should not play,

Any players without symptoms of COVID-19 is currently free to play following these measures, in order to reduce the risk of transferring the virus to others:

• Book online, so reducing contacts in and around the Clubhouse
• Change shoes in the car park and avoid the Clubhouse, or changing areas, whenever possible
• Use social distancing (2metre rule) on the putting green
• Meet on the first tee with modified greetings at a distance
• Insist on social distancing (2 metres rule) on tees, greens and throughout the rounds
• Golf buggies should only be used by single individuals and cleaned afterwards
• Golfers should only pick their own ball up
• Handle your own scorecard only
• Do not use public drinking fonts and ball cleaners, bring own refreshments, towels and ball cleaners if needed.
• Leave the flag in place while putting
• Sort out the sand in the bunker with a club (or your own rake!)
• Do not use airlines for cleaning shoes or equipment following the round
• Players should use hand sanitiser on the way round and at the end
• No handshakes on 18th green (do not hand over money either??)
• Avoid the Clubhouse, whenever possible
• Finish and go home!

Of course, for all those who are self-isolating as a result of contact with an infected person or in families who are self-isolating, it would not be appropriate to visit a club and play golf at this time.

Nevertheless, playing shots in your own garden and putting in the living room will encourage people to reduce the sitting time which we know is an independent risk factor and needs addressing.

Message to Golf Clubs and Management

• Organise online booking to reduce congregation around the Clubhouse
• Allow shoes to be changed in the car park
• Follow general hygiene advice and e.g. make hand sanitisers available in the clubhouse
• Golf buggies should be used by single individuals and cleaned afterwards
• Take drinking fonts and ball cleaners out of play.
• Close air pressure cleaners for cleaning shoes following the round

Message to Players

• Book online so less congregation around the Clubhouse
• Change shoes in the car park and avoid the Clubhouse, whenever possible
• Meet on the first tee with modified greetings at a distance
• Insist on social distancing (2 metres rule) on tees, greens and throughout the rounds
• Golf buggies should be used by single individuals and cleaned afterwards
• Golfers should only pick their own ball up
• Handle your own scorecard only
• Leave the flag in place while putting
• Sort out the sand in the bunker with clubs or own rake
• Do not use air pressure cleaners for cleaning shoes following the round
• Hand sanitise on the way round and at the end
• Avoid the Clubhouse, whenever possible
• Finish and go home!

Message to Policy Makers

• Golf is a health enhancing physical activity, especially in the older population
• Golf facilities can provide a safe environment for players and staff
• Clubhouse use can be avoided

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Up to date information can be received from:

World Health Organization, Rolling updates on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) – who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/events-as-they-happen

EU ADVICE:

• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control National information resources for the public by EU Country – ecdc.europa.eu/en/novel-coronavirus-china/sources-updated

UK ADVICE:

• NHS advice – nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
• Guidance for employers and businesses – gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19

US ADVICE:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

For more information in countries not listed above then more information will be available on your government’s own Coronavirus COVID-19 guideline websites.

Thank you to the Senior Public Health Advisors in the UK and Golf & Health Project Director, Dr Roger Hawkes, for their assistance in preparing this guidance.

Established: 1988

Headquarters: Brussels

Members: 223

Chief Executive: Bernard de Bruyckere

As a long standing CPG member Country PGA, the PGA of Belgium continues to be the leading focal point for golf development and Professional golf in Belgium. The CPG took time to speak to its Chief Executive, Bernard de Bruyckere about the association, its work and goals for the future…

2019 CPG International Team Championship, Runners Up: Nicolas Vanhootegem, Guillaume Watremez and Didier Dykmans

The Association

The PGA of Belgium is run by a Board of Directors, supported by a Board of Governors, acting as an advisory board.

The Board of Directors is lead by Chairman Tom Blanckaert, who himself works as a PGA Professional at Ternesse GCC near Antwerp, and the President, Vincent Vroninks.  The day-to-day management of the association is operated by Chief Executive Bernard De Bruyckere, supported by Director of Education Anthony Otterström.

Founded in 1988 with an original 47 members, it is a relatively small PGA compared to most but continues to grow and develop its membership base, with just over 200 members currently. This is through industry-leading education programmes, a continuously developing and attractive competitive schedule and various other initiatives to supplement.

One such initiative recently started is a sub-division called the PGA Club Belgium, aimed at those people who have graduated through Level 1 of the education programme.  These ‘Initiators’ are able to retain their amateur status whilst continuing to offer support to PGA Professional through group lessons or school projects. The aim is to maximise the support for Professional Golf by offering accessible routes to both current and prospective Professionals alike.

PGA of Belgium Professional Champions 2019: Lara Tadiotto, Kevin Hesbois, Yuri Tadiotto

With over 66,000 golfers, the PGA of Belgium naturally plays the key role in development of the game of golf in the country. Alongside its traditional obligations as a Professional Golf Association in the education and development of PGA Professionals (who can then help develop and coach players to reach their potential), the PGA is also responsible for introducing golf at a grass roots level, making the game accessible to new generations of players.

PGA professionals of the future must take active roles in their golf clubs, offering access to all aspects of the sport, to all levels of players. Therefore, in relation to the former of the two key roles, it is a responsibility of the PGA to offer educational programs and playing opportunities that will enable its members to effectively fulfill this role.

PGA of Belgium Order of Merit Winner: Didier Dykmans

Forming a key element of Belgian golf is the development of Professional Golfers at elite level, achieved through a healthy and developing tournament schedule. The PGA recognises its pivotal role in achieving such a goal, and continues to help develop young, talented professional players through better and improved competitive opportunity and coaching.

All of this can only be achieved through successful coordination of the work of the PGA with the efforts of the golf clubs and Federations, both regional and national. It is these key ambitions that drives the PGA of Belgium and its work.

PGA of Belgium Masters Champion: Alan De Bondt

Objectives of the PGA

To summarise, the work of the PGA of Belgium continues to focus around achieving four key objectives:

1. Achieving the highest possible quality standards of club and teaching professionals by offering top-level educational programs and appropriate playing opportunities.
2. Encouraging the most favourable conditions for further self-development by talented playing professionals.
3. Furthering the public’s interest in the sport of golf, promoting the moral and ethical values of the sport and enhancing the image of the PGA Professional.
4. From 2020, extending its playing programme with specific group events, including a Ladies-only Pro-Am and a Junior InterClub Pro-Am.

The PGA of Belgium views its relationship with the Confederation of Professional Golf [CPG] as crucial to achieving these objectives. Whether it is international development expertise, or through internationally-recognised standards of education, the collaboration between the two organisations is vital to achieving such objectives and contuse the development of golf in Belgium.

VISIT THE PGA OF BELGIUM

The WHS is a joint initiative of golf’s two international governing bodies, The R&A and the United States Golf Association [USGA]. These two bodies have worked together with the world’s major handicapping authorities to develop a single handicap system for the game to enable as many golfers as possible to obtain and maintain a handicap index and use that handicap to compete or play a casual round with players from other regions on a fair basis.

“At the end of January Australia was the first country to go live with WHS outside of the USGA and here more than 400,000 golfers were successfully re-handicapped, data synced and updated on the Golf Australia website,” Says Christian Faergemann, CEO of GolfBox.

Christian Faergemann adds “In Europe we moved forward with the implementation of 6 additional countries, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania during the weekend leading up to the 1st of March. We are really pleased to announce that the implementation has been very successful, and that golfers are now ready to face the 2020 season with their new WHS handicap”

With Australia and the 6 countries in Europe, more than 1,4 million golfers with 20+ million scorecards have now converted successfully into WHS.

GolfBox will be facilitating further implementations of WHS for other European golf federations, including Denmark and Switzerland late in 2020 to prepare for the 2021 golf season.

VISIT GOLFBOX

The new irons are available for custom fitting and pre-order at authorised PING golf shops around the world beginning today.

“The G710 iron is our longest, most forgiving iron to date. It’s engineered for golfers who want to maximise both distance and forgiveness,” Solheim said. “In designing it, we also advanced other important attributes such as consistency, sound and feel, without sacrificing performance. The hydropearl stealth chrome finish gives it a very sleek and attractive look. It’s a beautiful, high-performance design that will have broad appeal for golfers who want to hit the ball longer and straighter.”

Solheim also announced the new G710 irons come standard with Arccos Smart Grips and a free trial of the Arccos Caddie app. “I personally started using Arccos more than a year ago and have seen significant improvement across my entire game,” he said. “It helps me during a round with club selection and I really enjoy analysing all the data after the round to uncover areas to help me play better. The Arccos Caddie app is a tremendous shot-tracking tool to help golfers lower their scores and have more fun on the course.”

Precision Machined, Maraging Steel Face

One of the strongest aerospace-grade alloys in the world, maraging steel provides strength and flexibility for launching shots higher and further. High durability coupled with a machined variable-thickness face make an ideal pairing for distance.

“We’ve continued to employ maraging steel in several products where maximising face flexing is a performance priority,” said Solheim. “Our engineers have optimised the bending of the G710 face to increase ball speeds for more distance and higher trajectories, producing shots that land softer and hold the green. It’s a distance iron that delivers consistent distance, a very rare combination for an iron of this type.”

5% Higher MOI

High-density tungsten toe and heel weights optimally positioned in the 17-4 stainless body increase the MOI by 5% compared to the G700, producing exceptional forgiveness for more distance and accuracy, especially for mid-to-high handicaps and slower swing speeds.

“Forgiveness continues to be at the top of our list when it comes to iron design,” Solheim said. “In a hollow-body design, our goal is to balance a variety of attributes to help golfers hit the ball significantly further while hitting more greens. The G710 iron’s extremely high MOI is a result of strategically positioning weight on the toe and inside the hosel to make it our most forgiving iron. We’ve also greatly enhanced the feel and sound through extensive modal analysis, which helped us eliminate certain undesirable frequencies.”

Hydropearl Stealth Chrome Finish

A hydropearl chrome finish with black PVD coating provides hydrophobicity to repel water and improve performance through the turf and in wet conditions. The two-stage coating process ensures durability and the darker finish creates the perception of a smaller, more compact head.

Alta Distanza Black 40 Graphite Shaft

The proprietary PING shaft is a no-upcharge option in the G710 iron and offers the lightest weight and max trajectory height available in a PING iron shaft. A more active tip in the 42-gram shaft delivers higher trajectories and best matches golfers with slower swing speeds.

Arccos Smart Grip & Caddie app

The Arccos Golf Pride 360 Tour Velvet Smart Grip is standard on every G710 iron in one of three sizes (Aqua -1/64″, White Std., Gold +1/32″). Each iron is custom built with an embedded sensor in the grip to automatically record and analyse every shot taken during a round when paired with the Arccos Caddie app. Golfers receive a 90-day free trial of the app and eight additional screw-in sensors at no charge after the purchase of six or more G710 irons. Fulfillment of the additional free sensors comes directly from PING and requires users to first download the Arccos Caddie app.

VISIT PING GOLF EUROPE

“I think the summary of the week is that we had a lot of fun and that is maybe the reason why we won,” said Oriol. “In my case for example, I think that when you play as a pair it’s great – we are friends and we practice together every day…so it was a great week.

“We were aiming to reach -30 as we thought that could be the number – but we had the same strategy as every day – try to birdie every hole. Fourball is fun and you can play wild and risky and that’s pretty much what we did.”

This strategy enabled them to card one of the lowest rounds ever recorded in the Championship in Round 01 with a -13 58, followed up by an eight-under 64 in Round 02.

This four-shot advantage was the platform for them to make a final surge with a -10 that took their Championship total to an incredible -31 (183) and their winners’ share of the €46,500 total prize fund.

Second place fell to PGA of Belgium Professionals, Christopher Mivis & Nicolas Vanhootegem – a final round 61 (-10), the joint low round of the day, advanced them five places up the leaderboard to take second by one shot on -25 (189).

Three pairs of PGA Professionals finished in tied-third position on -24 (190) – Emilio Cuartero & Ivan Cantero (PGA of Spain), Jordi Panes & Ruben Gonzalez (PGA of Spain) and Alessandro Grammatica & Federico Maccario (PGA of Italy).

For Full Final Scores Visit cp.golf/2020Fourball

For more information visit the http://cp.golf/2020Fourball. 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.

With thanks to LUMINE Mediterránea Beach & Golf Club (www.lumine.com), Costa Daurada (www.costadaurada.info), Cambrils (www.Cambrils-Tourism.com), La Pineda Platja (www.lapinedaplatja.info), Salou (www.visitsalou.eu), and Sol Port Cambrils (https://cp.golf/3729AKr).

The pair were able to maintain their overnight lead with a second round, eight-under par 64 at Lumine’s Lakes Course, that gives them a -21 total (122) having carded 19 birdies and one eagle across the two rounds.

“We got off to a relatively slow start, but managed to finish strong and overall it was a very good round to give us a five shot lead,” said Oriol. “We really like the Lakes Course and we will take an aggressive strategy going in to tomorrow.”

Alessandro Grammatica & Federico Maccario (PGA of Italy) remain in second position after a seven-under 64 on the Lakes Course takes them to -17 (126) and still within touching distance of the leaders.

Four pairs sit in tied-third position with scores of -16 (127): three from the PGA of Spain – Jaime Aguiar Gonzalez-Aller & Antonio Hortal Ochoa, Jordi Panes & Ruben Gonzalez and Emilio Cuartero & Ivan Cantero, along with PGA of Holland Professionals, Ralph Miller & Mark Reynolds after securing the low round of the day with an eleven-under 60 on the Lakes that saw them rise 29 places up the leaderboard.

The Final Round sees the 45 PGA Professionals that made the cut battle it out over the Lakes Course for their share of the €46,500.

For Full Round 02 Scores Visit cp.golf/2020Fourball

For more information visit the http://cp.golf/2020Fourball. 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.

With thanks to LUMINE Mediterránea Beach & Golf Club (www.lumine.com), Costa Daurada (www.costadaurada.info), Cambrils (www.Cambrils-Tourism.com), La Pineda Platja (www.lapinedaplatja.info), Salou (www.visitsalou.eu), and Sol Port Cambrils (https://cp.golf/3729AKr).

Continuing the European Tour’s commitment to inclusivity and innovation with its ground-breaking approach to Golfers with Disability, Groves and Lawlor will be paired together in the competitive match play format to form the inaugural ‘EDGA Team’, as one of four exciting wildcard selections on offer.

It also marks the first time golfers from the World Rankings for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) will compete alongside European Tour professionals in a regular season event. The 2020 GolfSixes Cascais will follow the same format as the 2019 edition, with four wildcard teams – featuring stars of male and female golf – joining 12 other two-man teams of European Tour players representing their home nations.

Groves, the current World Rankings for Golfers with Disability Number One, won the inaugural EDGA Dubai finale in November last year. The 36-hole event took place alongside the European Tour’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai and was the second EDGA event taking place in conjunction with a Rolex Series event on the 2019 Race to Dubai.

The Englishman finished second to Lawlor at the EDGA Scottish Open held during the weekend of the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open in July, and now the pair will partner together in Portugal as they prepare to take on 15 other teams competing over six holes in the greensomes format.

“I’m looking forward to competing in the European Tour’s GolfSixes in Cascais,” said Groves. “To be able to tee it up and play against the Tour professionals is exactly what inclusivity is all about. I’m excited to represent all players with a disability alongside Brendan and we hope to do them proud.”

Lawlor, currently number four in the World Rankings for Golfers with Disability, added: “Last year I watched the GolfSixes tournament and now I have the opportunity to represent all golfers with a disability in Cascais, which is absolutely amazing! It will be great to stand on the tee with George and compete alongside the Tour professionals, men and women, knowing that we are showcasing how inclusive our game is for everyone.”

GolfSixes has revolutionised the game with the ability to offer wildcard selections to a variety of golfers from all walks of the game. Previously the event included a ‘Captains Team’ which featured 2018 European Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjørn and 2019 Solheim Cup Captain Catriona Matthew, who were the first male and female professionals to play together in a competitive match play format.

It has also hosted a ‘European Women’s Team’ featuring England’s Mel Reid and Carlota Ciganda of Spain, a ‘German Women’s Team’ of Esther Henseleit and Laura Fuenfstueck, and twice included an ‘England Women’s Team’ comprising of Georgia Hall and Charley Hull in 2018, as well as Meghan MacLaren and Florentyna Parker in 2019.

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “GolfSixes is the perfect opportunity for us to champion new ideas and innovate, not just in terms of a different format, but to bring a different form of entertainment from a golf perspective.

“We are thrilled to have George and Brendan competing against European Tour professionals for the first time and to ultimately showcase their talents on the world stage. As golf’s global Tour, two of our core values are innovation and inclusivity, and GolfSixes fits perfectly into both of those genres.

“The EDGA Scottish Open and the EDGA Dubai Finale were an immense success for all involved and it is fantastic we can reward our inaugural winners in George and Brendan with the opportunity to compete at GolfSixes in Portugal. It’s a natural progression and I think the potential for GolfSixes in terms of the overall brand and format is terrific.”

Lawlor turned professional last year, however with Groves remaining an amateur he is unable to claim winnings from the tournament. The European Tour and the players have agreed to donate the team’s prize money from the event to EDGA and have sought and received approval from The R&A to do so under the Rules of Amateur Status, to help encourage more people with disability to try golf.

EDGA President Tony Bennett, added: “We are thrilled to have George and Brendan representing the inaugural EDGA Team at GolfSixes Cascais this May. It is a natural fit for this event to highlight golfers with a disability considering how inclusive and innovative the previous tournaments have been and we are excited about the possibilities ahead.

“It is an incredible opportunity for our EDGA golfers to compete alongside European Tour professionals for the first time and we can’t wait to see the rest of the field take shape in the coming weeks.”

Thailand defeated England in a nearest the pin play-off to win the 2019 GolfSixes Cascais and make European Tour history at Oitavos Dunes. Phachara Khongwatmai and Thongchai Jaidee were tied at 1-1 after six holes in the final against Tom Lewis and Paul Waring, with another trip up the sixth unable to separate the teams.

That meant the event would go down to nearest the pin in the final for the first time in its three year history, and it was Khongwatmai – 29 years his team-mate’s junior at just 20 years old – who hit his tee shot to concession range out to claim the win.

The tournament returns to Portugal for the second year next door to the Atlantic and only 20 minutes from the capital, Cascais – a 97.4 square kilometres village with approximately 210,000 inhabitants. The city is proud to host GolfSixes, a partnership of the Municipality of Cascais, the European Tour and the Event/Media agency U.COM – which stages the annual Millennium Estoril Open, an ATP Tennis Championship, in the same region.

Oitavos Dunes has hosted the Open de Portugal on four occasions, first in 2005 when Paul Broadhurst emerged victorious, and then in three years in succession in 2007, 2008 and 2009, won by Pablo Martin Benavides, Grégory Bourdy and Michael Hoey respectively.

VISIT EDGA GOLF

With their first round on the Par-71 Lakes Course at Lumine, Salgado and Oriol made seven birdies on the front nine to open with just 28 strokes, followed by four birdies and an eagle on the last hole to score one of the lowest rounds ever recorded in the Championship’s history.

“It was one of those days for both of us where we were holing a lot of putts together and both playing really good,” said Oriol.

“I thought we needed an eagle on the 18th to break 60 but actually it was a birdie – that aggressive mindset meant we both made eagle which was quite funny. Playing fourball is so fun, you can hit much riskier shots and for me this is what makes the CPG Fourball  Championship such a great tournament.”

Four pairs sit in tied second position at ten-under par – Emilio Cuartero & Ivan Cantero (PGA of Spain) and Uli Weinhandl & Martin Wiegele (PGA of Austria) shared 61s on Lumine’s Lakes Course, whilst Federico Maccario & Alessandro Grammatica (PGA of Italy) and Jordi Panes & Ruben Gonzalez (PGA of Spain) made 62s on the Par-72 Hills Course.

For Full Round 01 Scores Visit cp.golf/2020Fourball

For more information visit the http://cp.golf/2020Fourball. 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.

With thanks to LUMINE Mediterránea Beach & Golf Club (www.lumine.com), Costa Daurada (www.costadaurada.info), Cambrils (www.Cambrils-Tourism.com), La Pineda Platja (www.lapinedaplatja.info), Salou (www.visitsalou.eu), and Sol Port Cambrils (https://cp.golf/3729AKr).