CPG VIRTUAL SERIES POWERED BY TRACKMAN
28 FEBRUARY – 27 MARCH 2022

The CPG has launched its first Virtual Series of Professional events that will see PGA Professionals compete virtually around the world utilising TrackMan’s powerhouse Sim Engine, TrackMan 4.

The Series includes 4 rounds, across 4 weeks, at 4 courses – Ryder Cup host venue courses past and upcoming – with entries open to all CPG Member Country individual Members to play social yet competitive golf in the off-season, with prize fund also up for grabs*.

“The CPG Virtual Series provides a great opportunity for PGA Professionals to play social golf, indoors during the off-season months where in many countries playing opportunities are minimal before the season gets into full swing,” said CPG Chief Executive, Ian Randell.

“The Virtual Series provides a great way to complement Member Countries’ event offerings for their Members when they might otherwise not be able to provide playing opportunities. When working in the industry, PGA Members often find that having time and opportunities to play themselves are limited, especially in the off-season when the days are short, and conditions are can be far from ideal.

“Through our partnership with TrackMan, the technology is now there to allow competitors to play against each other no matter the time of day or geographic location and again providing playing and earning opportunities for them just like we do with our Sanctioned Events and Championships.”

“The Professional community has always been at the core of TrackMan, as we strive to help players get better and unleash their potential,” said TrackMan’s VP of Sales, Sebastian Eldrup-Jorgensen. “This initiative is about creating a platform for all PGA Professionals to indulge in the sport they love in a way that is convenient for them.”

4 Rounds, 4 Weeks, 4 Ryder Cup Venues…

The CPG #VirtualSeries Powered By @TrackManGolf is GO! 🏆

Compete on any TrackMan 4 in the world, against PGA Professionals from around the world – all for a share of the prize fund…

Find out more & enter @ https://t.co/kiPirHptvx pic.twitter.com/sUXa9meNOw

— Confederation of Professional Golf [CPG] (@cpg_golf) March 1, 2022

PGA Professionals are able to register at https://cp.golf/3JeeCpC, pay their entry fee and then, on any TrackMan simulator in the world, post up to two scores to count each week towards their Order of Merit points. Week 1 will see competitors battle it out at Le Golf National, France, followed by Medinah Country Club, USA, in week 2, Adare Manor, Ireland, in week 3 and Real Club Valderrama, Spain, in week 4.

TrackMan’s combination of radar and camera tracking has led to a paradigm-shift in the golf simulator experience that emulates down to the last detail some of the best courses in the world. TrackMan’s dedicated team uses drone mapping to render courses in extraordinary detail with incredibly high-definition graphics, providing an excellent opportunity to compete as realistically as possible.

For more information on the CPG Virtual Series visit https://cp.golf/VirtualSeries and for more on TrackMan visit TrackMan.com

* Prize fund will be determined based on number of entries with 90% of entry fees being used for the prize purse.

Presentation of the “Spain Golf Tour 50th Anniversary PGA of Spain” at the Higher Sports Council of Madrid with the presence of the Secretary of State for Sports and president of the CSD, José Manuel Franco, and the president of the PGA of Spain, Ander Martínez.

This year coincides with the fact that the PGA of Spain celebrates 50 years since its creation, the oldest association of professional athletes in Spain.

The Association of Golf Professionals of Spain has presented a new edition of its professional tour, the Spain Golf Tour 50th Anniversary PGA of Spain, which will consist of eight tournaments valid for the national Order of Merit. Ander Martínez, president of the PGA of Spain, was in charge of presenting the new Tour that this year coincides with a very special event: the PGA of Spain celebrates 50 years since its creation, the oldest association of professional athletes in Spain.

Ander Martínez presented the Tour in an important year for the PGA that turns 50, “we are the oldest professional association in Spain, and among our ranks there are great professionals who are very committed to their association.” He thanked the Seve Ballesteros Foundation for its work and support, “which has supported us during very difficult years and has helped the association a lot to consolidate this Tour and keep it alive; tour that we have presented for the fourth time at the CSD. Which shows the solidity of this project”.

José Manuel Franco, Secretary of State for Sports and President of the Higher Sports Council, welcomed the fifty attendees, including journalists and representatives of federations and presidents of golf courses who traveled to Madrid, and had words of praise for the tour. “This is a highly relevant tour, supported by great professionals who support it. I had the idea that golf was an elitist sport and I have found that nothing could be further from the truth. And all thanks to the work that all of you do: the PGA, the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, the territorial federations, town councils, county councils, golf courses… you all bring golf closer to all citizens, and I thank you for choosing this institution, the house of sport in Spain, to present this project”.

“Golf shares with us, the CSD, the global pillars that Seve Ballesteros had of humility, desire to excel and sacrifice; They are the principles of sport, of the CSD and of Spain, and the PGA of Spain has maintained these values ​​since its foundation 50 years ago”, added Franco, who highlighted golf as the axis of tourism and economic recovery. “I congratulate you on this project and I hope we’ll see each other next year,” he added.

Eight events from April to November

Ander revealed the eight events that make up the tour, which will begin at the RCG in El Prat from April 6 to 9 with the PGAe Open in Barcelona hosted by Pablo Larrazábal; Golf Ciudad Real will host the II Spanish PGA Match-Play Championship from May 12 to 15. The tour will travel to the neighboring country with the Portuguese Championship that will be played at Riba Golfe Lakes in Lisbon from July 21 to 24. The Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, venue for the Spanish Open on the European Tour, will host the Madrid Championship for Professionals-PGAe from July 26 to 29. The great event of the association, the XXXIV Spanish PGA Championship, will be played at La Faisanera in Segovia, from September 1-4. The Castilla y León Professionals Championship will be played at CG Entrepinos, in Simancas, from October 16 to 19 and the Grand Final will be at the Hato Verde field in Seville from November 21 to 27. The RFEG Professional Championship is also included, a valid tournament for the Order of Merit, which date and field have yet to be defined.

Thanks to attendees

The presentation of this new edition of the PGA tour of Spain in the Higher Sports Council has created much expectation and has brought together almost fifty attendees, including the press and institutions. Accompanying Ander Martínez, president of the PGA of Spain, were Pablo Bernárdez, Director of the RFEG Professional Committee; Ignacio Guerras, President of the Madrid Golf Federation; Francisco Lagarto, Representative of the Castilla y León Federation: Osorio Pinilla and María Adánez, President and Manager of Entrepinos Golf; Carlos Yebra, Director of Hato Verde Golf; Juan José Poblete, President of the Ciudad Real Golf Club; Manuel Tello, representing the AFE and former soccer player Fernando Zambrano. Alicia Garrido, CEO of Sports & Business; Fernando Meroño, creator of FERGGOLF

July 2022 will see the return of Professional and Amateur teams to BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas in Bulgaria for the 14th Boutique edition of the BlackSeaRama Vivacom Pro-Am.

Professionals will compete for a prize fund of €30,000* in what has become one of the most significant and emblematic events in the BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas calendar, and the Confederation of Professional Golf [CPG] sanctioned event calendar.

Once again competitors will have the opportunity to play the three outstanding courses of the Cape Kaliakra – BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas, Lighthouse Golf Resort and Thracian Cliffs Golf Resort – as well as enjoing fantastic off-course activities and events.

There is no Pro-Am package fee for each participating professional bringing a team of three amateurs, and amateur packages start at €1,020 and include:

• 5 night accommodation
• Airport transfers Varna -BlackSeaRama-Varna
• Every day lavish Buffet Breakfast; Coffee, tea and limited Mini-bar in the villa; 3 Halfways
• 1 practice round @ BlackSeaRama
• 3 tournament rounds @ BlackSeaRama, Lighthouse and Thracian Cliffs (transfers included)
• Off-course events – Opening Cocktail, 2 Thematic Dinners & Gala Dinner
• Free use of Fitness Center, Infrared and Finnish Sauna, Billiard, Table Tennis, Pools, Steam Bath and Relax zone, Wi-Fi Internet
• Access to all functions and activities during the Pro-Am week

For more information on the 14th BlackSeaRama Vivacom Pro-Am visit https://cp.golf/2022blacksearama, and for more information on BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas visit BlackSeaRama.com.

VISIT TOURNAMENT HUB PAGE

REGISTER INTEREST & ENTER HERE

Within their familiar Golf Genius TM experience, golf professionals at private clubs, public courses, and resorts will be able to instantly create a promotional landing page (a “Golf Hub Page”) for any event, league, or clinic, optionally enable online registration and payments as needed on each Golf Hub Page, and automatically create aggregated pages (“Hubs”) to showcase the playing and learning opportunities at their facility. Golf professionals can then embed these Hubs into their club website, email campaigns, and social media posts to amplify promotional efforts and drive increased participation.

“Last year, over 750,000 events such as golf leagues, outings, and tournaments were managed by the Golf Genius TM user community,” stated Chris Kallmeyer, Co-CEO of Golf Genius. “We realized that in the vast majority of cases Golf Genius TM users were spending additional time to create promotional marketing materials and collect registrations by paper or phone. We’re always looking for ways to save time for golf professionals while helping them deliver a superior golfer experience. Golf Hub achieves this by automating the creation of highly professional digital marketing materials and streamlining the promotion, registration, and payment process.”

While sophisticated player registration and online payments have been important features of Golf Genius TM Club Premium and Golf Genius TM Association for several years, Golf Hub combines the concept of registration and payments with automated marketing pages and hubs to provide powerful marketing services to the entire Golf Genius TM community, which includes over 10,500 private clubs, public courses, and resorts in more than 60 countries. Golf Hub will be especially useful in promoting leagues, clinics, and outings.

“We are particularly excited about helping public golf facilities market leagues and clinics to their current and potential customers. Leagues are a key source of revenue for public facilities, and clinics are a perfect way to introduce new golfers to the game and convert them to golfers for life,” added Golf Genius Co-CEO Mike Zisman. “Today, Golf Genius services over 12,000 golf leagues around the globe, and Golf Hub will be a tool of great value to every one of these league managers by saving time and automatically generating high quality digital marketing materials.”

“What’s most satisfying in the i525 iron from an engineering standpoint is how our team has been able to maximise the flexing of the metal-wood-style face structure while creating a pleasing sound and feel,” said Solheim. “As golfers know who’ve played this type of iron design, they often sacrificed some of the feel for more distance. That’s not the case in the i525 as we’re able to provide golfers a solid-feeling iron with the increased ball speed they need to hit longer, higher shots that hit and hold the green. We’re seeing some incredible results as a lot of golfers are a club stronger or more, including Tour pros who are attracted to the compact look and increased ball speed of the longer irons.”

Forged, Maraging-Steel Face

The strength of the variable-thickness, maraging steel allows for a thinner, more dynamic face structure with an internal sole undercut in the 17-4 stainless steel body to increase flexing for more ball speed and shots that launch faster and higher with distance control.

“As we advance all of our iron technologies through our continuous research and knowledge development, it’s important for golfers to understand the different attributes engineered into each model,” said Solheim. “The i525 is clearly for the golfer in search of more distance. But it offers so much more performance, including exceptional forgiveness concealed in a players- style head. Its size and shape are beautifully crafted, and it’s packed with tremendous technology on the inside, which makes it very appealing to a wide range of golfers.”

Sound Engineering

A polymer is precisely injected onto the inside of the face to improve feel and sound without interfering with face deflection, the source of its increased ball speed.

“One of the biggest challenges we face in designing all clubs is tuning the feel and sound,” said Solheim. “Because of the i525’s metal-wood-style face design, we knew sound would require additional attention to ensure the gains in distance didn’t come at the expense of the feel. We couldn’t sacrifice one attribute just to improve another. The solution was to inject the polymer in precise amounts to the same area behind the face. The result is a significant improvement in distance, sound and feel.”

Extreme Weighting

Tungsten toe and shaft tip weights combine with a tiered, dynamic face structure and cavity to expand the perimeter weighting while preserving ball speed through greater face deflection for added distance and improved accuracy. The moment of inertia has increased in the vertical and horizontal axes to provide tighter dispersion and increased forgiveness.

“The structure of the face and cavity is a significant mechanical-engineering accomplishment,” Solheim said. “They function as one to ensure golfers benefit from the forgiveness PING irons are famous for while maintaining consistent bending across the face to deliver the added ball speed and higher launch that golfers expect in a distance-focused iron.”

Friction Face with MicroMax™ Milled Grooves

Introduced last year in the i59 iron, the i525’s precision-machined face has MicroMax grooves for tighter spacing and a geometry that results in an average of four extra grooves on each club to reduce fliers in the short irons and preserve spin in the long irons for greater control and consistency.

i525 Specifications

Multi-material construction: 17-4 stainless steel body; forged, maraging-steel face; tungsten toe/shaft tip weights; hydropearl 2.0 finish

Available 3-9, PW, UW in 10 color codes (lie angle), RH & LH. Black colour code is standard.

Loft options: Standard, Power Spec and Retro Spec

STOCK SHAFTS: Project X IO (5.5, 6.0, 6.5), PING AWT 2.0 (R, S, X), PING Alta CB Slate (SR, R, S), Alta Distanza Black 40, UST Recoil 760 ES SMAC (A), 780 (R, S)

OPTIONAL STOCK SHAFTS: Dynamic Gold (S300, X100), Dynamic Gold 105 (R300, S300), Dynamic Gold 120 (S300, X100), KBS Tour (R, S, X), Nippon Pro Modus Tour 105 (R, S, X), Elevate 95 (R, S)

STOCK GRIP: Golf Pride 360 Tour Velvet (six sizes)

RRP: RRP €219 per club with stock steel shaft; RRP €231 per club with stock graphite shaft

FIND OUT MORE AT PING.COM

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – The PGA TOUR and TrackMan announced on the 2nd Feb they are expanding golf’s most advanced club and ball tracking and tracing solution. By combining TrackMan’s cutting-edge Doppler Radar and club and ball tracking technology, TOUR events will have tracing capabilities for every golf shot hit during the season. This will significantly enhance how fans experience the world’s best golfers by providing more detail for television, OTT and digital platforms.

This agreement will double previous ball-in-motion tracing capabilities on the golf course, allowing nearly every shot to be traced and automatically shared with television and OTT partners and across TOUR digital platforms such as PGATOUR.COM and the PGA TOUR app. The arrangement with TrackMan begins in 2022 for PGA TOUR LIVE and TOUR digital platforms, while the domestic television partner agreement begins in 2023. This expansion will immediately offer fan enhancements such as the visualization of ball flight paths for shots inbound to the green in TOURCast.

“We’re excited to increase the volume and depth of tracking and tracing for every shot on the PGA TOUR,” said Ken Lovell, PGA TOUR Senior Vice President Golf Technologies. “TrackMan’s sensors will substantially increase content available for analysis and initiate the development of new insights, while creating the opportunity for us to develop innovative visualizations for fans to view all the incredible shots on TOUR.”

Fans will see more information beginning in 2022 on how and why the ball moves and arrives at a certain position. This is achieved by using TrackMan technology to capture club speed, ball speed, curve, landing spin, launch angle, spin rate, spin axis, apex, carry and more. The advanced aerodynamic models can also determine the effects of wind, weather, and altitude on a shot so that fans can understand how a shot was impacted by environmental factors.

In addition to doubling the collection of radar and tracing information, the new system will substantially increase the range and sensitivity of the content that will now be layered with video for use on any TOUR media platform.

Klaus Eldrup-Jorgensen, co-founder and CEO of TrackMan, commented “We have been working closely with the PGA TOUR for more than 15 years, to accurately measure and report data on club delivery, ball launch, ball flight, and tracers for the best players in the world. We are proud to be chosen to implement our new solutions with the PGA TOUR, which will ultimately include all shots for all players. The future of golf will be told in new and innovative ways, the fan experience will elevate to a new level, and the stories about how good these guys play is just beginning.”

The club and ball tracking and tracing solution has become a valuable element to “ShotLink powered by CDW,” the TOUR’s real-time data collection and scoring system. As the TOUR and CDW continue to innovate the acclaimed scoring system that has benefited tournaments, broadcast partners, players and fans in countless ways over the years, the TrackMan system contributes to the automated data collection efforts by allowing ShotLink to auto-trigger on shots without input from a person.

The new technology being deployed expands tracking capabilities from tee boxes only to shots hit from the fairway and around the green, where the system determines the exact 3D position of the ball at any point in its flight. The TrackMan technology has the ability to lock onto a ball that starts behind the trees and only becomes visible to the radar halfway through its flight. It’s able to accurately track balls up to 400 yards in any conditions; rain, fog, sunrise, and sunset.

For a typical TOUR event, around 40 units are placed around the course to track shots with advanced radar and camera units on tee boxes and greens to capture final resting position.

TrackMan also recently developed a mobile system that will be used for the capture of radar and tracing information from the fairway and will automatically integrate into TOUR media platforms, which is aided by AWS, the TOUR’s Official Cloud Provider. There are no cables or connections with the mobile system, which adds very little weight for the operator. The TOUR is testing the mobile system for expanded future use on PGA TOUR Champions, the Korn Ferry Tour and in other executions.

The club and ball tracking and tracing system will utilize AWS Fargate, Media Services, and numerous other AWS products to process and deliver radar and tracing on every shot in nearly real-time. The full suite of AWS products will allow TrackMan to reduce their onsite footprint and allow fast and easy access to the devices and information from anywhere around the world.

ABOUT PGA TOUR

By showcasing golf’s greatest players, the PGA TOUR engages, inspires and positively impacts our fans, partners and communities worldwide.

The PGA TOUR, headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, co-sanctions tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and PGA TOUR Canada. Members on the PGA TOUR represent the world’s best players, hailing from 28 countries and territories outside the United States (90 international members). The PGA TOUR has long-term domestic distribution partnerships for broadcast coverage on CBS, NBC and Golf Channel and video streaming service on ESPN+. Internationally, PGA TOUR coverage is available across 200+ countries and territories in 27 languages via 43 local broadcast partners, in addition to the digital streaming service platform GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations to maximize charitable giving, and to date, tournaments across all Tours have generated more than $3.37 billion.

Fans can follow the PGA TOUR on PGATOUR.COM, the No. 1 site in golf, on the PGA TOUR app and on social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram (in English, Spanish and Korean), LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter, WeChat, Weibo, Toutiao, Douyin and LINE.

ABOUT TRACKMAN

Over the past 20 years, TrackMan has, in collaboration with the best golfers, teachers, and equipment manufacturers, developed solutions that provide the most accurate, real-time data on ball collision, launch, flight, and landing. The technology has helped professionals and amateurs unleash their potential in golf and changed how golf is taught and experienced.

More than 1,000 tour players have invested in TrackMan technology for their personal use, with over 90 of the Top 100 players in the world using TrackMan for club delivery and ball flight analysis, shot testing, and optimizing their equipment.

Today, TrackMan solutions include the world’s finest launch monitor, the leading simulator and virtual golf engine, and the most accurate driving range solution. TrackMan’s 360 solution is used by many of the world’s finest golf clubs featuring TrackMan 4 for instruction and club fitting, TrackMan Range for ball flight tracking on the range, TrackMan Simulator for Indoor Golf, and Virtual Golf allowing a fully rendered version of their golf course(s) on all TrackMan platforms.

TrackMan A/S, headquartered in Vedbæk, Denmark, featuring the largest R&D team in the golf industry, is the developer and owner of TrackMan technologies, which include a comprehensive patent portfolio of granted patents and pending patent applications.

CONTACT: Mark Stevens, PGA TOUR, 904-861-5112, markstevens@pgatourhq.com

The closing 73 was impressive at Yas Links, host of the HSBC Abu Dhabi Golf Championship just two weeks before, considering the challenging, windy conditions that the players faced on the final nine holes. But it was the second round eight-under par 64 at Abu Dhabi Golf Club that set the scene for Lindwall’s victory, ultimately giving him the buffer required to complete a solid final round.

“I am so excited – it has been a goal to achieve at this level and with some other really great Professionals in the event then I am so happy,” said Lindwall.

“We had so much fun here as a team, the three different courses are in such great shape. Going to new venues for each round when they are so good meant we really enjoyed it. I’m now going to the winter series for the Nordic League and it’s going to be really exciting and this is the perfect set-up for it.”

England’s Steven Tiley rallied for second place with a low-round-equalling, five-under 67 for lone second place at seven-under [209], followed closely by Saadiyat Beach Golf Club Ambassador, Gary Hurley and PGA of Israel Member, Asaf Cohen, sharing third place on six-under [210].

A special mention also goes to PGA of Austria Professional, Uli Wienhandl, who led Round 01 following an official course record of nine-under par [63] at the Gary Player Signature design, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club.

Irishman Hurley did find success in the Team Pro-Am event with amateurs Dorin Mateiu, Anca Mateiu, and Anca Pirvu, who were able to claim victory on countback with an incredible 264pts [-48] after the three rounds.

“We are delighted to win of course – three great days and it is always nice to play well,” said Hurley. “I think we dovetailed really well – I played well for the week but when I made bogeys these guys stepped in – for example the 25-foot birdie putt on the last was from Anca [Pirvu] was the reason we won. It has been amazing and everyone has looked after the team really well.”

In second place were the team of Tiley, Lyiubomir Minchev, Ilia El – Feleki and Stamen Stantchev, who, after a nervous wait in the clubhouse after their round, were pipped to the post by Team Hurley with their slightly higher scoring final round, with third place falling to the team of Uli Weinhandl, Clemens Weinhandl, Edi Posamentir and Johannes Theiss on 261pts [-45].

For more information on the 2022 Troon Abu Dhabi Pro-Am and the host venues, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Yas Links Golf Club, visit https://cp.golf/2022AbuDhabi.

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For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page https://cp.golf/2022AbuDhabi. 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.

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