THE LINKS AT FANCOURT, 18 – 22 JANUARY 2012
EVENT INFORMATION
Official website – http://www.volvoingolf.com/
ABOUT THE VOLVO GOLF CHAMPIONS
The VOLVO GOLF CHAMPIONS – the European Tour’s Tournament of Champions – will be played for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere at the fabulous Fancourt Golf Resort, located in George on the famous Garden Route. It is Volvo’s 125th title sponsorship in men’s professional golf.
Following last year’s inaugural tournament, the 2012 event will be a true Tournament of Champions featuring only champions from the 2011 European Tour schedule and an exclusive group of players who have ten or more European Tour career wins.
Fancourt is internationally recognised as one of golf’s leading golf resorts, boasting three fantastic golf courses all originally designed by Gary Player and all ranked within the top 20 in South Africa.
The 2012 Volvo Golf Champions will be contested at the challenging Fancourt Links, ranked South Africa’s best golf course and considered to be one of Gary Player’s very best and awe-inspiring designs.
Total prize money increases to €2 million (approximately ZAR20 million) with approximately €350,000 going to the winner (approximately ZAR3.5 million).
FORMAT
The Championship will be contested over 72 holes, with all participants playing four rounds i.e. there will not be a cut after 36 holes. On Friday the Volvo World Golf Challenge ‘World Finalists’ will play in the tournament, with one amateur playing with two professionals in each group.
The professionals will continue to play individual strokeplay format, while the amateurs will play in a team competition with both professionals in their group forming their team.
The best two scores of the three team members on each hole will count towards the team total.
QUALIFICATION CRITERIA
The Volvo Golf Champions is open to players who have taken up 2012 European Tour Membership and who are eligible under the following categories:
– Winners of all fully sanctioned and co-sanctioned events on the 2011 European Tour schedule
– Past winners of the Volvo Golf Champions under 50 years of age
– Players with 10 or more official Race to Dubai / European Tour Order of Merit tournament wins
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE*
Monday, 16 January
Practice
08h00 – 15h00
1st tee only
Tuesday, 17 January
Practice
08h00 – 15h00
1st tee only
Wednesday, 18 January
Pro-Am
09h30 – 11h30
Two tee start
Thursday, 19 January
Round One
09h40 – 13h00
1st tee only
Friday, 20 January
Round Two & Amateur-Pro Team
Competition
08h40 – 12h00
1st tee only
Saturday, 21 January
Round Three
09h40 – 13h00
1st tee only
Sunday, 22 January
Round Four
09h40 – 13h00
1st tee only
followed by prize giving presentation.
(*Please note that all timings are subject to change)
TICKETS
Tickets can be purchased at the gate or through Computicket at www.computicket.com or at Garden Route Golf Traders (shop 72) in the Garden Route Mall. All prices include a daily tee time sheet. The official tournament programmes cost R15.
Volvo and the Volvo Golf Champions are supporting Star for Life, a South African registered non-profit organisation. It is a school-based HIV prevention programme, with a desire to build attitudes and change behaviours in youth, empowering them to realise their dreams of a better future. Star for Life will receive 25% of the ticket revenue and all programme sales revenue.
DATE | COMPUTICKET | GATE |
Wednesday | R 50 | R 50 |
Thursday & Friday per day | R 100 | R 140 |
Saturday & Sunday per day | R 130 | R 180 |
U-18 | NA | R 50 – gate only |
U-12 | Free if accompanied by a full paying adult. | |
Pensioner (over 60’s and on all days) | R 80 | R 100 |
Season | R 220 | R 300 |
PARKING
Public Car Park – The main public car park will be accessed from the gravel road before the main Links entrance as seen on the attached map.
Car Parks 1 – 4 – Volvo vehicles and all other event traffic with passes will access via Links Road.
Public Ticket Collection will be at the main entrance tent.
Spectators driving a Volvo car to the event will be given free access to the event (provided that they have collected their tickets in advance from the Volvo dealership in George) as well as being able to park in Car Park 1.
CATERING
Public catering facilities will be available in the spectator village as well as on-course as follows:
7th Tee/13th Green, 11th/15th Greens, 9th Green/10th Tee, 17th Green
GRANDSTANDS
Grandstand seating is available as follows:
1st Tee, 16th Green, 17th Green, 18th Tee, 18th Green
VIEWING PLATFORMS
9th Green/10th Tee, 11th/15th Green
SPECTATOR VILLAGE
The Spectator Village is located near the clubhouse and will include:
- Spectator catering and bar
- Volvo car and equipment displays
- Exhibition units and trade stands
- Interactive activities including golf nets and a Volvo Digger
- Toilets
- Scoreboard
- Giant TV Screen
- Programme Sales
- Medical Facilities
TELEVISION COVERAGE – SOUTH AFRICA
Round One Thursday, 19 January SS5 / HD2 – LIVE from 13h00-17h00
Round Two Friday, 20 January SS6 – LIVE from 13h00-17h00
Round Three Saturday, 21 January SS5 – LIVE from 13h00-17h00
Round Four Sunday, 22 January SS5 – LIVE from 13h00-17h00
For information on tournament highlights packages, please log on to http://www.supersport.com/.
ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT
The Volvo Golf Champions is a joint venture between Volvo and IMG and is solely and exclusively sanctioned by the European Tour.
Volvo Event Management – Golf is the specialist in-house management company responsible for planning and execution of Volvo’s portfolio of international golf events, which also include the Volvo China Open, the Volvo World Match Play Championship and the customer-facing Volvo World Golf Challenge.
IMG Golf represents and strategically manages the careers of some of the best golfers in the world and has done so for over 40 years. IMG owns or implements over 40 tournaments worldwide and provide partners with unique opportunities to engage with customers through their bespoke golf day programmes.
IMG offers expert golf course design and management and provides sales sponsorship services to its clients and customers. IMG is involved in every aspect of the game from TV, licensing and speakers to publishing, hospitality and brand/PR development.
CONTACTS:
Volvo Event Management – Golf
ARCE 1, 405 08 Gothenburg, Sweden
Tel: + 46 31 665382
Fax: + 46 31 665 390
Email: anna.hafstrom.kovats@volvo.com / tobias.winsnes@volvo.com
Website: http://www.volvoingolf.com/
IMG Golf Division
IMG UK Limited, McCormack House, One Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London, W4 2TH
Tel: + 44 208 233 5300
Fax: + 44 208 2335268
E-mail: ross.hallett@imgworld.com
Website: http://www.imgworld.com/
Media Enquiries
Michael Vlismas Media
Michael Vlismas – Tel: +27 72 242 8399; email: michaelv@iafrica.com
Lali Stander – Tel: +27 82 990 7150; email: media1@vlismasmedia.co.za