International Pro Celebrity Golf tournament to be held in Bahrain
Paul Casey, Colin Montgomerie and Thomas Bjorn joined by sporting icons Tim Henman, Joe Montana, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit in Bahrain’s first Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament.
Next month the Royal Golf Club’s Montgomerie Course will play host to some of the world’s top golfers and most famous sporting celebrities in a unique tournament format. IMG Worldwide and the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) are organising the weekend of competitive golf and special events, taking place from April 13th to 14th, 2012.
Global golf stars – Paul Casey, Colin Montgomerie and Thomas Bjorn – are among the pros already confirmed to face-off over 18 holes. Each will play in teams of two alongside tennis superstar Tim Henman, American football icon Joe Montana, and football legends Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit.
The pro-celebrity tournament will take place a week prior to the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, and is one of a growing number of international sporting events held in the Kingdom.
Other activities during this two day celebration will include a community tennis coaching initiative featuring Britain’s Tim Henman at the Bahrain Tennis Club; a community football coaching programme with former football internationals Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit at Bahrain National Stadium; and a Sportsman’s Question Time with the legendary Joe Montana.
Paul Casey, an 11 time winner on the European Tour including last year’s Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain, said: “I am delighted to be returning to Bahrain for this showcase event at the magnificent Montgomerie Course. The weekend of events and the unique pro-celeb tournament will undoubtedly provide terrific entertainment for visitors from Bahrain and across the region.”
Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al-Khalifa, Chief Executive of the EDB said: “We are delighted to be attracting such a high calibre of international golf and sports stars to Bahrain for the tournament. Hosting and supporting key international events, such as the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix, the first F1 event in the Middle East, the Bahrain International Boat Show, and the Bahrain Air Show, are an important focus for the EDB as we seek to showcase the Kingdom’s attractive business environment for companies looking to access the Gulf’s trillion dollar market.”
Guy Kinnings, Global Co-Managing Director of IMG, the global sports, fashion and media company who are staging the event commented, “The Kingdom is home to many excellent sporting facilities and, with the opening of the Royal Golf Club in 2009, is becoming a popular golfing destination. We are looking forward to welcoming the professionals and celebrities to Bahrain and think this will be a very popular event. We are pleased to be working with the EDB in ensuring it is a success.”
The tournament will take place at the Royal Golf Club’s Montgomerie Course which opened in 2009. Co-designed by Colin Montgomerie the 7,243 yard, Par-72 championship course is one of the finest in the region.
Tim Henman, former UK number one, said “I am honoured to have been asked to play in the golf tournament and delighted to be taking part in the tennis coaching initiative. The Bahrain Tennis Club has already played host to a number of high profile tournaments and special coaching clinics, dedicated to fostering local tennis talent and offering a platform for competition. Tennis is an internationally accessible sport and initiatives such as these make a big difference in helping young players better able to compete at the higher international levels.”
