Zurich chose a propitious moment for its decision to co-sponsor the event. It comes on the heels of Korean golfer Y.E. Yang’s victory over Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship tournament last weekend. Yang became the first Asian golfer to win one of the four “majors.” His success highlights the increasingly international nature of the ancient game, and, as a result, makes sponsoring tournaments a more attractive proposition for international companies like Zurich.

The Group’s bulletin explained that the “event is a joint initiative by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, the Masters Tournament and The R&A [Royal and Ancient St Andrews - the Scottish home of golf] and will feature a field of up to 120 top amateur golfers from golf associations across the Asia-Pacific region.

“An invitation to play in the 2010 Masters Tournament awaits the winner, while both the winner and the runner-up will gain a place in International Final Qualifying for The Open Championship being played next year at St Andrews, Scotland.”

Geoff Riddell, Zurich’s Chairman of Global Corporate & CEO of Asia Pacific & Middle East, expressed his support for “such an exciting event.” He indicated that it would give Asia-Pacific amateur golfers a “chance to compete in two of the most important and famous golfing events in the world.” He also described the tournament as a “unique platform for the amateur game in a region where golf’s popularity is increasing significantly.”

Riddell added: “Zurich is already a proud sponsor of golf tournaments in Switzerland, the US and around the world and sees golf as a perfect metaphor for Zurich’s customer focused brand positioning ‘deliver when it matters’.”

Source: Zurich Financial Services – www.zurich.com

中文

苏黎世金融服务集团签约成为亚洲业余高尔夫球锦标赛的五个独家合作伙伴之一。比赛计划在位于中国深圳观澜湖高尔夫球俱乐部的世界杯球场举行，时间为10月29日到11月1日。
集团选择了一个有利的时机与其他机构共同赞助这次比赛。赞助活动的开展紧接上周末韩国人梁荣银在PGA巡回锦标赛上赢了老虎伍兹之后。梁荣银是亚洲第一名赢得四大满贯之一的亚洲球手。他的成功让这项运动的国际色彩更浓厚。作为一个国际化的公司，集团选择赞助巡回赛是一个有吸引力的决定。
集团的公告解析这次业余比赛是亚太高尔夫球联合会，大师赛，和圣安德鲁斯市皇家古典高尔夫俱乐部的共同提议，120名来自亚太地区顶级的业余高尔夫球手将齐聚竞技。
“本次大赛的冠军将获邀参加2010年大师巡回赛，同时冠军和亚军将参加明年在苏格兰圣安德鲁斯举行的公开巡回赛的国际预选赛。”
集团全球公司的主席，亚太和中东地区的执行总裁，杰夫•里德尔说他十分支持“本次激动人心的赛事”。他说“比赛能给亚太地区的业余高尔夫球手一个机会去参加世界最著名的两项高尔夫球盛会。”他同时形容本次赛事是“一个可以让来自一个高尔夫球蓬勃发展的地区的业余运动员同台竞技的独特平台。”
里德尔说道：“集团在瑞士，美国，和世界各地已经多番有幸资助高尔夫球赛。集团认为，高尔夫球就好像公司的品牌定位，有需要的时候就要瞄准起杆。”

The text is from: Zurich to Sponsor Inaugural 2009 Asian Amateur Golf Championship.

Royal and Ancient of St. Andrews — the governing body for golf in Asia, Europe and other parts of the world — will pay for all expenses for the players in the tournament, including airfare, hotel, food and other expenses, according to Guam National Golf Federation president George Benoit.

Golfers who want to participate must have a handicap index of 5.4 or less, Benoit added.

中文

2009亚洲男子业余高尔夫球冠军赛的资格赛将于8月15到16日在李奥宫殿高尔夫球度假村举行。资格赛名次最高的两名选手将有机会代表关岛参加在中国广东省观澜湖高尔夫球俱乐部举行的亚洲业余冠军赛。
圣安德鲁斯皇家古老高尔夫俱乐部管辖亚洲，欧洲，和世界其它地方的高尔夫球赛事。俱乐部将为参赛选手支付所有费用，包括机票，酒店，饮食，和其它消费。关岛高尔夫球联合会的主席乔治·贝努瓦如是说。
参赛者的差点指数必须在5.4或以下，贝努瓦补充道。

edited by Fanja

2009 Men’s Asia Amateur Golf Championship qualifier

Mission Hills

Shenzhen is home to hundreds of factories, one of China’s two mainland stock exchanges, a theme park called Window on the World that features more than 100 miniature versions of monuments like the Taj Mahal, a Soviet aircraft carrier, and, of course, the world’s largest golf resort: Mission Hills.

But this has not stopped the Mission Hills team from achieving another world record.

Last month, they opened the world’s largest practice putting green, a beautiful 17-acre spread of 18 rolling greens and tiny sand bunkers.

Already, the resort boasts 12 world-class golf courses designed by some of the most famous names in the game – Greg Norman, Vijay Singh, and Nick Faldo – and hosts major world tournaments.

Mission Hills is a curious mix of extreme luxury and developing world. It has three spas, 3,000 caddies (all of them women – to seem less intimidating to novice golfers – and all wearing red jumpsuits and plastic helmets). Some 2,000 rounds of golf are played here each day.

The resort abuts the city’s industrial outskirts, and to drive from one end of the resort to the other requires passing a vacuum sealing plant, an electronics factory, and acre upon acre of actively tilled peasant farmland.

Even the staff works to keep up.

中文

深圳市有着上百家工厂；有中国内地两个股市交易所中的一间；有一个名为“世界之窗”的主题公园，以模型的形式向游客展示世界奇观，包括泰姬陵；有前苏联的一艘航空母舰；当然，这城市还包括世界上最大的高尔夫球场，观澜湖。
然而，观澜湖的世界纪录还在刷新。
上个月，观澜湖开放了世界上最大的高尔夫球轻击区，占地17英亩，有着18个滚动果岭和小型沙坑。
这个高尔夫胜地已经建成的12个世界级高尔夫球场由业界最出名的设计师设计，包括诺曼，维杰辛，和费多。球场已经举办过多个世界级高尔夫球赛。
观澜湖集奢华和发展于一身，有着3个健身休闲中心，3000名球童（全部都是女性——为了少影响新手，她们都穿上红色连衫裤和塑胶头盔）。每天大约有2000场的高尔夫球赛在这里举行。
这个高尔夫胜地毗邻城市的工业郊区。开车穿过它时会经过一个真空包装工厂，一个电厂，和连绵的农田。

Shenzhen golf resort firm opens world’s largest practice putting green.

edited by Fanja.

Jeev Mikha

NEW DELHI: Jeev Milkha Singh’s world ranking of 42 has earned India a rare direct entry into the Mission Hills World Cup to be played at Mission Hills Golf Club in China on Nov 26-29.

The field is selected through each nation’s leading player on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) as of June 22.

Jyoti Randhawa, who played with Jeev last year in the same event, is likely to be his partner once again. Currently Randhawa at 154th is the next best Indian and Arjun Atwal is ranked 296th.

The leading player may select any player of his choice from the same country provided such player was ranked within the top 100 on the Official World Golf Ranking as of either June 22, 2009, or August 17, 2009.

If there was no other available player from that country within the top 100 on the OWGR on either of the dates, the exempt player’s partner shall be the next highest ranked available player from the same country outside of the top 100 as of August 17.

Besides India, 17 exempt nations have now been confirmed for the 2009 World Cup.

The final field of 28 nations will be completed following three qualifying tournaments to be played in Asia (Kuala Lumpur), Europe (Estonia) and South America (Venezuela), with three countries going through from each regional qualifier to join the 18 exempt nations and hosts, China, at Mission Hills.

Jeev likely to have Jyoti as partner for World Cup

中文

米哈辛与兰德哈瓦搭档挑战世界杯

米哈辛在世界排名第42的资历为印度在11月26到29日举行的中国观澜湖高尔夫球世界杯赛上赢得直接参赛席位。
比赛场地是由各国在世界高尔夫球官方排名 (OWGR) 上有名的顶尖球手在6月22日选出的。
兰德哈瓦去年已与米哈辛搭档参加同一个赛事，这次他们再次联手。兰德哈瓦目前在世界排名第154，是印度第二优秀的球员。
每位领队球手如果在2009年6月22日或2009年8月17日的世界高尔夫官方排名名列100名之内，这位运动员就可以在本国挑选搭档。
如果本国没有在此两个日期内排名100之内的球手可供选择，免赛球手的搭档就必须是8月17日统计的排名100名之外，但在本国排名第二的运动员。
除了印度，已有17国的参赛队伍获得2009世界杯的免赛资格。
28国参赛的决赛场地会在三场资格巡回赛结束了之后完工。这三场比赛分别是在亚洲区的吉隆坡，欧洲区的爱沙尼亚，和南美洲区的委内瑞拉。这三个国家通过各自的地区预选赛与其它18个免赛国，同时还有东道主中国，参加观澜湖世界杯赛。

Edited by Fanja

Sergio Garcia

Edited by Fanja

BEIJING (Reuters) – World number five Sergio Garcia will represent Spain for the fourth time in the $5.5 million World Cup of Golf in Shenzhen, China later this year, organizers said on Thursday. The 29-year-old, who won the HSBC Champions in China last November to briefly take over the world number two spot, will select his own team mate to take on 27 other nations at the Mission Hills club from November 26 to 29.

“There are always a lot of good teams at the World Cup. I think that the Swedish team, the defending champions, will be very good,” the five-times Ryder Cup player said in a statement.

“The Americans always seem to bring a good solid team into the tournament. Australia, of course, is going to have a good one coming in. One of the Asian teams could be solid.”

Swede Henrik Stenson, the world number seven, has confirmed he will defend the title but he may have to choose a new partner as 2008 European number one Robert Karlsson might need to take the rest of the year off because of an eye problem.

The hopes of a first American win since Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara’s victory in 2000 will rest on the shoulders of world number 34 Nick Watney and whoever he selects as his team mate.

One of the most exciting young talents in the game, Rory McIlroy, will play in the united Ireland team for the first time and has chosen fellow Ulsterman Graeme McDowell as his partner.

World number 19 Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher return to southern China to represent England again after finishing sixth last year, while Martin Kaymer will be back flying the German flag.

Nineteen countries, including hosts China, have already secured their places in Shenzhen with nine more spots up for grabs at regional qualifiers.

The resplendent Mission Hills, which will host the World Cup for at least another decade, has 12 courses but the tournament will again be played on the championship layout designed by Garcia’s compatriot Jose Maria Olazabal.

“The next time I see Jose Maria I’ll probably ask him about the course,” said Garcia, who played at the World Cup alongside Miguel Angel Jimenez in 2001, 2004 and 2005.

“I’ve seen a little bit of it on TV and I’ve heard good things about it … I’m just hoping that my partner and I can do well and bring the victory to Spanish soil.”

中文

Garcia to represent Spain at World Cup in China

组委会在星期四介绍说，世界排名第5的加西亚将在本年底第4次代表西班牙参加价值$ 550万在深圳举行的高尔夫球世界杯赛。这位赢得去年12月举行的中国汇丰冠军赛并晋升世界排名第2的29岁选手，将自己挑选队友在观澜湖俱乐部迎战其他27国的选手，时间为11月26到29日。
“总是有许多优秀的队伍角逐世界杯。卫冕冠军瑞典队便是一支非常优秀的队伍。”加西亚说，“而美国总是能组建起一支优秀的队伍。当然，澳大利亚也很出色。还有亚洲的队伍也很有竞争力。”
世界排名第7，瑞典的斯滕森确认参赛，不过他必须选择一个新的伙伴。因为欧洲排名第一的卡尔森在今年剩下的时间里因为眼睛问题可能需要休息。
传承伍尔兹和奥米亚在2000年夺冠希望的美国人是世界排名34的沃特尼和他挑选的搭档。
最引人注目的年轻球手之一，麦克罗伊，将第一次以联合爱尔兰队的名义参赛。他挑选了麦多威为他的拍档。
世界排名第19的珀特和费雪再次代表英格兰队回到南中国参赛，去年他们取得第六名的成绩。而凯默则代表德国参赛。
举办地观澜湖将在至少10年时间内继续举办世界杯赛。观澜湖有12个球场，而巡回赛将在加西亚的同胞奥拉沙宝设计的场地举行。

Edited by Fanja