O Sir Nick Faldo στην Ελλάδα
Είναι αλήθεια ότι έγραψα το Γράμμα της Εκδότριας «εν βρασμώ ψυχής», όχι τόσο λόγω της γενικής κατάστασης, με την οποία, λίγο πολύ όλοι έχουμε συμβιβαστεί, αλλά περισσότερο για την μη αξιοποίηση του κεφαλαίου «Γκολφ» στη χώρα μας. (Είναι ακόμα μια «ιδιαιτερότητα» της πατρίδας μας). Να που όμως κάτι γίνεται, κάτι φύτρωσε τελικά από το σπόρο που σπείραμε για την δημιουργία της σημαντικότερης για το Ελληνικό γκολφ σχέσης με την μεγάλη προσωπικότητα του Διεθνούς γκολφ, με τον Sir Nick Faldo, ο οποίος, μετά την εκθαμβωτική σταδιοδρομία του στο αθλητικό επαγγελματικό γκολφ, έγινε ο μεγάλος πρεσβευτής και πάτρων του γκολφ στο νεανικό πληθυσμό σε όλες τις ηπείρους. Ναι λοιπόν είναι αλήθεια, ο θρυλικός Sir Nick Faldo έρχεται στην Ελλάδα και μάλιστα στο γήπεδο γκολφ της Γλυφάδας, προσκεκλημένος του ιστορικού Ομίλου Γκολφ Γλυφάδας Αθηνών. Θα είναι εδώ στις 24-25 Νοεμβρίου και θα απονείμει ο ίδιος τα έπαθλα στους νεαρούς νικητές του Αγώνα Faldo Series Charity Golf Classic που οργανώνει προς τιμήν του ο Όμιλος σε συνεργασία με το PGA Greece. Sir Nick Faldo in Greece The fact is I wrote the Letter from the Editor in a fit of anger. But this was not so much directed at the general situation, with which we ve all pretty much reconciled. Rather, I was more upset by Greece s non-utilization of Golf capital. (This remains a peculiarity of this country.) However, I now can say that something is happening. Something has finally sprouted from the seeds we sowed in creating the vital (for Greek golf) relationship with Sir Nick Faldo, the foremost personality in International Golf. After a dazzling career in professional golf, Sir Nick Faldo became the major ambassador and patron of the sport for young people on every continent. So yes, it s true: The legendary Sir Nick Faldo is coming to Greece, to the Glyfada Golf Course, in fact, as a guest of the historic Glyfada Golf Club of Athens. He will be here on 24-25 November 2012, to personally award the prizes to the young winners of the Faldo Series Charity Golf Classic, organized in his honor by the Club in collaboration with PGA Greece. FALDO SERIES CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC November 24-25, 2012 1. COMPETITION FORMAT Stableford, Teams of two Saturday: GREENSOMES. Both players tee off, then the best drive is selected and the players play alternate shots with one ball. Sunday: FOURBALL BETTER BALL. Best score per player, per team. 2. ELIGIBILITY Open to all (professionals and amateurs) 3. ENTRIES Maximum entries: 50 teams Close of entries: Monday November 20, 2012 In the event of more than 50 teams order of entry will apply. Entry fees: Player: 200 Family Fee: 300 (two players) Professionals: Free Non players (only attending the prize giving ceremony): 100 4. REGISTRATION A team is deemed registered and eligible to participate when the total sum of the entry fee has been deposited and a valid EGA handicap certificate has been presented. 5. GROUPINGS AND STARTING TIMES Flights of two teams by random draw for each day. Saturday: starting times Sunday: shot gun 6.TEAM HANDICAP For Saturday Greensomes: 60% of the low handicap plus 40% of the high handicap. For Sunday Fourballs: 3/4 of playing handicap. 7. TIES Ties will be resolved by count back 8. PRIZES 1st and runner up for Saturday greensomes 1st and runner up for Sunday fourballs 1st and runner up overall 9. LOCAL RULES Glyfada Golf Club of Athens local rules will apply. 10 USE OF CARTS The use of golf carts is permitted. There is a limited amount carts available for rent so please book in advance at the Pro Shop. 11. COMPETITION COMMITTEE Constantinos Valassakis President Antonis Milas Captain Sofia Gerardi Vice Captain Spyros Katsoufris Member Greg Raftopoulos Referee
Και Ελληνόπουλα έπαιξαν στο Faldo Series Grand Final στην Ιρλανδία Γράφει ο Σπύρος Ροκαδάκης Ο Asaf Kohen, που ήρθε δεύτερος στο Grand Final ανάμεσα στον John Maguire της Beleek Pottery της Τουρκίας,που κατασκεύασε το έπαθλα και τον Sir Nick Faldo Ολοκληρώθηκε με επιτυχία και φέτος το Faldo Series Grant Final στο Lough Erne της Ιρλανδίας με τη συμμετοχή 4 ελληνόπουλων που είχαν προκριθεί από το Ελληνικό Faldo Series Greece Championship που έγινε τον Ιούλιο στη Γλυφάδα. Συμμετείχε και ο Ισραηλινός Asaf Cohen νικητής του Ελληνικού Faldo με ιδιαίτερη επιτυχία μάλιστα. Αφού κόντραρε τους συνηθισμένους σε δύσκολες καιρικές συνθήκες Άγγλους και Σκοτσέζους έχασε την ευκαιρία στη τελευταία τρύπα την τελευταία ημέρα να κερδίσει το τουρνουά παίζοντας με 8 μποφόρ και οριζόντια βροχή σε island green. Παρόλα αυτά ήταν ο μόνος αθλητής που κατόρθωσε να παίξει το γήπεδο under. Μάλιστα στη τελετή απονομής ο ίδιος ο Sir Nick Faldo έκανε ιδιαίτερη μνεία σ αυτόν και το γεγονός ότι προερχόταν από το Greek Series. Τα ελληνόπουλα που συμμετείχαν ήταν οι (Σιώζου Βιολέτα, Πούλ Κασσάνδρα, Κουμπάκης Βασίλης και Στέφας Στέφανος). Ανάλογα με τις συνθήκες που αντιμετώπισαν έπαιξαν ικανοποιητικά, έχοντας αποκτήσει τρομερή εμπειρία που θα τους είναι χρήσιμη στο μέλλον. Όσον αφορά τα εξωγηπεδικά, ο Αρχηγός της αποστολής Γ.Γ του Ομίλου Γκολφ Γλυφάδας Αθηνών κ. Σπύρος Ροκαδάκης είχε την ευκαιρία να συναντηθεί και να κουβεντιάσει αρκετά θέματα με τον Sir Nick Faldo και τον Keith Wood μεταξύ των οποίων ήταν η ανανέωση του συμβολαίου του ΟΓΓΑ με το Faldo Foundation για τα επόμενα χρόνια, καθώς και κάποια αισιόδοξα σχέδια του ΟΓΓΑ που ελπίζουμε να υλοποιηθούν σύντομα και τα οποία προφανέστατα θα συμβάλλουν στην ανάπτυξη του Ελληνικού Γκόλφ κυρίως στις μικρές ηλικίες.
INVITATION Dear Member For the past three years, the GGCA has been working with the Faldo Series to develop junior golf in Greece and run an annual international golf tournament for young golfers up to the age of 21. Greece is one of 28 countries worldwide that hosts the Faldo Series. Our main aim has always been to support the growth of golf in Greece and one of the ways we do this is by encouraging participation amongst young people. During these dire times for our country and our sport it has become very difficult. Sir Nick Faldo and the Faldo Series have been very understanding and kindly offered to assist our club s efforts. It is therefore our great pleasure to announce to our members, the visit of Sir Nick Faldo, the founder of the Faldo Series, in November 23-25 2012. It is a huge honour for our Club, its members and all those involved in golf in Greece to have the opportunity to welcome one of the greatest golfers of all time. As a professional, Sir Nick Faldo has won 6 Major Championships: 3 Masters (1989, 1990, 1996) and 3 Open Championships (1987, 1990, 1992) and ranked number 1 on the Official World Golf Rankings for 98 weeks. He is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame since 1997, and in 2009 he was knighted and given the title Sir by the Queen of England for services to golf. Cooperating together, the Greek PGA and the Glyfada Golf Club are organizing the Faldo Series Charity Golf Classic at the Glyfada golf course on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th November 2012. The two day competition (1st day greensomes, 2nd day fourball best ball) will be followed by lunch and a prize giving ceremony with a number of very significant prizes, such as tickets for the 2013 Open Championship and memorabilia items signed by Sir Nick Faldo. Sir Nick has kindly offered to donate and award the prizes to the winners. His personal coach Keith Wood will also be on hand throughout the tournament to give golf lessons for free to the participants at the Glyfada range. The Board of the Glyfada golf Club is making every effort to promote and grow junior golf in Greece. We would like to kindly ask all of our members to support this event. The cost for participating into the tournament and the prize giving ceremony is: Player (single): 200 Euros Family Fee: 300 Euros Professionals: free entry Non players (only attending the prize giving ceremony): 100 Euros For registrations please contact Mrs Nicole Cavadia: Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 0900 until 1300 at 210 8946459. Last date of registrations Thursday 22 November 2012 at 13:00. Draw on Friday the 23rd November 2012 at 13:00. Sincerely yours, The GGCA Board of Directors
FIVE AGE-GROUP WINNERS INVITED BY SIR NICK TO CHINA JACK SINGH-BRAR OF ENGLAND CROWNED FALDO SERIES CHAMPION 2012 Jack Singh-Brar of England with Sir Nick Faldo during the sixteenth Faldo Series Grand Final at Lough Erne Resort in Northern Ireland. Ο Jack Singh Brar, μετά τη νίκη του στον Μεγάλο Τελικό δήλωσε: «Είμαι πολύ ευτυχής, γνωρίζοντας μάλιστα πώς ξεκίνησε η καριέρα του Rory Mcllroy και του Yani Tseng μετά την επιτυχία τους στο πρωτάθλημα Faldo Series. Η νίκη μου έχει αλλάξει το πώς βλέπω τον εαυτό μου, την καριέρα μου σαν γκόλφερ και τη ζωή μου. Γνώριζα φυσικά για τον Sir Nick Faldo και τις νίκες του στα μεγάλα πρωταθλήματα, αλλά τώρα που παίρνω μέρος στο Faldo Series καταλαβαίνω πόσο σπουδαίος άθρωπος είναι και εκτιμώ ιδιαίτερα την αφοσίωσή του βοηθήσει τους νέους γκόλφερ να πετύχουν το καλύτερο». Jack Singh-Brar of England posted a final round 72 to win the sixteenth Faldo Series Grand Final by two shots at Lough Erne Resort in Northern Ireland. It was a double success for England as Rochelle Morris won the girls overall title. I feel very happy about the result; especially knowing how Rory McIlroy and Yani Tseng s careers took off following their success in the Faldo Series, said an elated Singh- Brar. The win has changed how I feel about myself, my life and my career as a golfer. Sir Nick Faldo is a great guy obviously I knew of him and his majors already but The Faldo Series experience has made me appreciate his dedication to helping young golfers achieve their best. Jack is a worthy champion having beaten our largest ever field, commented Sir Nick Faldo. It is the support of our partners, including The R&A, ISPS, the European Tour and Lough Erne Resort, that allowed us to bring this level of opportunity to 84 competitors from 19 different nations this week and to more than 7,000 young people in 28 countries worldwide each year. 15-year-old Singh-Brar (Brockenhurst) carded one birdie and one bogey in a composed level par round of 72 to finish on six over and two ahead of Rochelle Morris and Scotland s Ewan Scott (St Andrews) who won the Boys Under-18 title. Overnight leader Assaf Cohen, 18, who started one ahead of the field and four ahead of Singh-Brar, struggled to a 79 and finished in a tie for fourth. 17-year-old Morris (Huddersfield) was crowned Faldo Series Girls Champion following a final round of 77 in testing conditions. Sophie Keech (Lyme Regis), 16, finished six shots behind but won the Girls Under-16 title, having come fourth in 2011. England s Robert Busher (Salisbury and South Wilts) won the Boys Under-21 title despite a stuttering finish under intense pressure. Faldo Series Champions Singh-Brar and Morris will be offered a start in a professional Tour event. They will also be invited by Faldo to the seventh Asia Grand Final at Mission Hills Golf Club in China next March, as will Busher, Scott and Keech. A record field for a Faldo Series Europe Grand Final was in Northern Ireland for the tournament s sixteenth edition. 84 golfers from 19 countries joined the six-time Major winner at Lough Erne Resort for the 54-hole World Amateur Golf Ranking event. Off the course players aged 12 to 21 received expert advice from the British PGA, including a seminar on careers in golf, and from Faldo s personal coach, Keith Wood. Faldo was on hand all week to spend time with the competitors, including several clinics and Q&A sessions, and to host a grass-roots initiative for local school children. Supported by The R&A, ISPS, the European Tour and Lough Erne Resort, the 2012 Faldo Series Europe schedule featured a record 20 tournaments in 14 countries including six in England plus others in Bahrain, Ireland, Chile, the Czech Republic, Greece, Wales, Austria, Brazil, Germany, The Netherlands, Scotland, Slovakia and Russia. Established in 1996, 38 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in 28 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers participating each year. Past winners include Major champions Rory McIlroy and Yani Tseng. Leading final scores: Boys Under-21: 225 Robbie Busher (Eng) 75-72-78, Assaf Cohen (Isr) 75-71-79, 228 Yannick Bludau (Ger) 73-78-77. Boys Under-18: 224 Ewan Scott (Sco) 72-75-77; 229 Hurly Long (Ger) 73-75-81; 230 Freddie Price (Eng) 81-77-72, Nick Ward (Eng) 78-73-79. Boys Under-16: 222 Jack Singh-Brar (Eng) 72-78-72; 227 Arrun Singh-Brar (Eng) 78-71-78; 231 Rowan Lester (Irl) 73-76-82. Girls Under-21: 224 Rochelle Morris (Eng) 72-75-77; 228 Katarina Chovancova (Sk) 77-76-75; 230 Marlies Krenn (Aut) 75-72-83. Girls Under-16: 230 Sophie Keech (Eng) 77-74-79; 238 Roos Haarman (Ned) 81-75-82; 239 Heather Munro (Sco) 81-79-79, Johanka Steindlerova (Cze) 81-78-80. For final scores and results from the 16th Faldo Series Grand Final, also supported by Golf Ireland, TaylorMade and Fermanagh Lakelands, visit www.nickfaldo.com. You can follow the Faldo Series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ faldoseries and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/faldoseries. For final scores and results from the 16th Faldo Series Grand Final visit www.nickfaldo.com and follow the link. For media enquiries, please contact LeslieAnne Wade on +1 917 751 7693 (US) or email lwade@nickfaldo.com. About The R&A Based in St Andrews, The R&A organises The Open Championship, major amateur events and international matches. Together with the United States Golf Association, The R&A governs the game worldwide, jointly administering the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, Equipment Standards and World Amateur Golf Rankings. The R&A s working jurisdiction is global, excluding the United States and Mexico. The R&A is committed to working for golf and supports the growth of the game internationally and the development and management of sustainable golf facilities. The R&A operates with the consent of 143 organisations from the amateur and professional game and on behalf of over thirty million golfers in 128 countries. Visit www.randa.org About ISPS ISPS is a General Incorporated Association based in Tokyo. ISPS was founded by Japanese philanthropist, Dr Haruhisa Handa in 2006 to support charitable causes throughout the sporting world. ISPS has fostered partnerships with golf governing bodies worldwide to help develop the game at every level and promote blind and disabled golf. ISPS s heritage in supporting blind and disabled golf and Dr Handa s commercial and philanthropic investment in golf has formed the foundation of its wider mission for golf to become a Paralympic sport. Visit www.ispsgolf.com About the European Tour The European Tour is committed to celebrating the game of golf. From the origins of the professional game building the proud history of achievement, sportsmanship and integrity to showcasing its diverse global talent and rich landscapes, the European Tour s innovative approach enables it to embrace the world, combining championships of tradition with new tournaments in the cities and countries of the future. Visit www.europeantour.com About Lough Erne Resort Lough Erne Resort, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland is the first AA Five Star Resort in Northern Ireland. With 120 luxury rooms and suites The Resort is the ultimate expression in old world heritage and new world luxury. It is set on its very own 600 acre peninsula between Castle Hume Lough and Lower Lough Erne, just outside Enniskillen, with stunning panoramic views from almost every vantage point. The Resort is home to two championship golf courses, including the critically acclaimed Faldo Course, the first Nick Faldo designed course in Ireland. The official Home of the Faldo Series since 2010, The Resort also features a state of the art tuition and practice centre; The Thai Spa, with golfers treatments designed to raise your game; innovative dining experiences by acclaimed chef Noel McMeel; six conference and meeting spaces; and The Great Outdoors, including fly fishing for pike on Castle Hume Lough. Visit www. lougherneresort.com