16-21 July, 2013, BlackSeaRama, Bulgaria
The fifth Confederation of Professional Golf-endorsed BlackSeaRama Pro-Am makes its return to the tournament calendar offering up an exciting dual-course event on July 16-20 at BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas resort, in the North East of Varna region of Bulgaria.
News:
- EXEMPLARY ENGDAHL TAKES 5TH BLACKSEARAMA PRO-AM TITLE
- Entries Now Open for 5th BlackSeaRama Pro-Am
- 2012 Review – It’s McHenry in Cliff Hanging Finale
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EXEMPLARY ENGDAHL TAKES 5TH BLACKSEARAMA PRO-AM TITLE
The 5th BlackSeaRama Pro-Am 2013 was wrapped up in sublime style by PGA Professional, Henrik Engdahl, with three level-par rounds [72+71+72 = 215] ensuring his steady and consistent play was well rewarded with the first prize of €3,300.
The Swede, a member of the PGA of Sweden as well as the PGA of Greece and Head Professional at The Crete Golf Club, was clear of the competition after 54-holes of tournament play bettering second-place Austrian, Georg Schultes, whose two-over par 217 total [73+71+73], lead Italian, Akim Hassan’s four-over 219 [78+68+73].
“I feel fantastic – It’s my first visit to BlackSeaRama and it was great to play well in windy conditions but also across two great courses,” said Engdahl.
“I didn’t play that good around Lighthouse, but because it’s a shorter course and more friendly I managed to get a 71 there…then on the final round at BlackSeaRama I tried to play very conservatively, I know people make mistakes here so I thought if I can just put the ball on the fairway and be around the green in regulation then I’d be ok, and that’s what I did.”
The Pro-Am team lead by Bulent Karatas from Turkey, made up of Igor Malaev, Iuliia Malaeva and Viacheslav Malaev, shot to victory with a total of 267 points [87+87+93], followed by Spanish professional Junama Fuentes’ team ‘Latino’, of Razvan Marcu, Constantin Marcu and Corstian Vasilescu with 262 points [97+86+79]. Team Aphrodite lead by PGA of GB&I Professional and Teaching Academy Director at Aphrodite Hills, Cyprus, Danny Heard, and amateurs Matthias Geissler, Vitaly Rimmer and Steve Lee followed in third place with 260 points [89+89+82].
“This is the first time we have come to this tournament and we are really happy to have won…and of course we would definitely like to come back and defend next year,” said Karatas of his team’s win.
Play got underway at the Gary Player-design BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas resort in blustery but warm conditions in the event that makes its return to Bulgaria for the a 5th year, of which 4 editions have been Confederation of Professional Golf-sanctioned.
The weather conditions, combined with a more links-type setup than previously seen at BlackSeaRama, lead to an all-round difficult challenge for both the professional and amateur competitors, after which Engdahl lead the field by just a single shot with his opening level-par 72. However, the Pro-Am team of Fuentes was an exception to the rule of the day carding an outstanding 97 stableford points between them.
Round 2 saw players make their way to the other side of the separating fence to the neighbouring Lighthouse Golf & Spa Resort. Friendlier conditions at the Par-71, Ian Woosnam-design layout, gave the teams a little less pressure, but not quite enough for the players to really attack the course. The day finished with the same top players in the individual and team competitions maintaining their positions atop their respective leaderboards. ‘Round of the day’ must also be credited to Akim Hassan, whose three-under 68 was enough to boost his chances for Round 3.
The final round of play returned to BlackSeaRama where the early starters were greeted with minimal signs of wind and high temperatures that would reach a scorching 34°C.
But the course kept its edge with only 3 Pro-Am teams posting 90-plus team scores, leaving the door open for Bulent Karatas and his team to come through with their 267 total, alongside Henrik Engdahl’s cool, calm and collected, level-par total.
“I’m very happy that we still managed to organise the event even in such hard economic times,” said Marko Stoychev, Deputy Managing Director of BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas. “This is the first BlackSeaRama Pro-Am where we have not had a sponsor but we had 19 teams which is great.”
“The tournament is a clear sign that golf in Bulgaria is getting more and more popular and that it has a future.”
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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 ‘#BlackSeaRama’, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.
For more information on BlackSeaRama Golf Club visit www.BlackSeaRama.com.
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Entries Now Open for 5th BlackSeaRama Pro-Am
The fifth Confederation of Professional Golf-endorsed BlackSeaRama Pro-Am makes its return to the tournament calendar offering up an exciting dual-course event on July 16-21 at BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas resort, in the North East of Varna region of Bulgaria.
After the success of the fourth BlackSeaRama Pro-Am in 2012, won by Austria-based, Australia-born Shane McHenry after a playoff with Gary Birch Jnr., the tournament returns to both BlackSeaRama and the neighbouring Lighthouse courses, and promises to be an exciting challenge on the cliffs of the Black Sea.
Pro-Am packages include:
- 5 nights Accommodation and complimentary airport transfer from / to Varna Airport
- Every day Lavish Buffet Breakfast included; Coffee, tea and Water in the Villas, Limited Mini-bar
- 1 practice day green fee @ BlackSeaRama
- Opening Hot&Cold Cocktail at BSR Club House
- 3 tournament days green fees @ BlackSeaRama and Lighthouse (transfers included)
- 3 half-ways (2 at competition days at BSR and 1 at the LH tournament day)
- 2 Buffet Dinners: La Campana & Lake Taverna
- 1 prize giving ceremony with Gala Dinner
- Free use of Fitness Center, Infrared and Finnish Sauna, Jacuzzi, Billiard, Table Tennis, Pools, Steam Bath and Relax zone, Wi-Fi Internet
The tournament will be played over 54 holes, with 36 at the Gary Player-designed BlackSeaRama course and 18 at the Ian Woosnam-designed Lighthouse golf courses, with the PGA Professionals battling it out for a prize-fund of €20,000 (based on 20 teams competing).
Competitors also have the opportunity to play an optional challenge day will be available at Thracian Cliffs (a Gary Player Signature design course and host of the 2013 Volvo World Match Play) at preferential green fee rates.
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For more information on the Confederation of Professional Golf visit the CPG.com, follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.
For more information on BlackSeaRama Golf Club visit www.BlackSeaRama.com.
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2012 Review – It’s McHenry in Cliff Hanging Finale
With a safe regulation par on the first hole of a sudden death play-off, Shane McHenry claimed the Confederation of Professional Golf-endorsed, 4th BlackSeaRama VIVACOM Pro-Am in Bulgaria as his last challenger, Gary Birch Jnr, failed at the final hurdle by pushing his tee shot out of bounds.
The pair had survived all the varied hazards of the ‘triple treat’ tournament played over 54-holes on three different and demanding golf courses on one-under-par 214, McHenry having caught overnight leader Birch with a 69 against a 70…leaving one last drama to unfold.
Designer Gary Player no doubt had the notion of possible golfing theatre with his signature hole in the shape of sudden death play-offs when he fashioned the 212-metre par three 18th located between the clubhouse and the threatening cliffs on the BlackSeaRama course.
A cliff-hanger of a finish it certainly provided with the pair being confronted by the challenging tee shot that offered ‘sudden death’ for all who miss the green, a trap that McHenry avoided…but Birch didn’t !
Austria-based, Australia-born McHenry (pictured) was left to merely get down in two putts for the top prize.
Although they had finished tied on 214 the head-to-head final day leaders arrived there by a vastly different route….Birch Jnr on a golfing version of a switchback ride and McHenry with a rather less eventful eighteen holes.
The excellent BlackSeaRama course was to prove something of a relief from Friday’s gale-tossed lottery at Thracian Cliffs. Beginning as it does with the opportunity of an opening birdie four, it also offers further such chances on its par five holes.
Birch, however, sprinkled his front nine with an erratic mixture of four birdies, two pars, two bogeys and a double bogey to be level-par for the day at the turn. It was only then that he settled down as a possible winner with a run of seven pars topped by birdies on the final two holes…quite a journey!
McHenry, in contrast, birdied the first, parred the next nine, added another birdie and three pars and reached the 15th before leaking a shot. His birdie-birdie-par finish took him safely into the play-off.
These two apart, the ‘triple treat’ proved to be a triple battle for the field of professionals and their amateur partners. In third place for the pro prize money was Morgon Olofsson…seven strokes behind the other two on plus six.
Results – CLICK HERE