Hailed as golf’s equivalent to Twenty20 cricket, PowerPlay Golf is a new short form of the game - played over nine holes, with two flags on every green, golfers use a limited number of ‘PowerPlays’ to score extra points when aiming at the harder Black Flag, creating exciting risk-and-reward decisions on each tee. Taking place next month, PowerPlay Golf: Ignition is the first of a series of three televised professional golf tournaments, to be broadcast live worldwide in 2011.
Gary Player will headline the field, alongside reigning US Open Champions Graeme McDowell and Paula Creamer, Ryder Cup stars Paul Casey and Ian Poulter, and Major Championship winners John Daly, Ian Woosnam and Helen Alfredsson will also be among the field of 12 players competing at The Celtic Manor Resort, Wales, on Bank Holiday Monday 30th May.
PowerPlay Golf spokesman and victorious Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie, said: ‘Stand by for something very special. Golf around the world is about to discover a new dimension’.
In the UK, PowerPlay Golf: Ignition will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, along with dozens of other global TV networks.
The winner of the nine-hole tournament in May will receive £100,000 from a £350,000 prize fund, and PowerPlay Golf will also donate a further 20% of each player’s prize money to the charity of their choice.
Working together with international sports marketing giants IMG, PowerPlay Golf will stage its second and third PowerPlay Golf events in Asia on 7th November and in the United States on 25th November.
Saab has been unveiled as the primary sponsor of the UK PowerPlay Golf event with the Celtic Manor Resort also announcing that the car brand has additionally signed up as the new title sponsor of its flagship European Tour golf event – the Saab Wales Open.
The Saab Wales Open begins three days after the PowerPlay event from 2nd-5th June, enabling the brand to create ‘Saab Golf Week’ at Celtic Manor.
Saab Great Britain Ltd marketing director, David Pugh, said: ‘We feel that the innovative sponsorship approach in creating Saab Golf Week, encompassing the exciting launch of PowerPlay Golf’s professional series and the Saab Wales Open, is highly reflective of our brand’.
Published: 26/04/2011
Source: http://www.sportindustry.biz/news/view/9595/golf-next-to-get-twenty20-treatment
