Grand Slam champion Gary Player will have the company of some of golf’s most recognised names and faces when the Berenberg Gary Player Invitational takes place at Wentworth Club on July 22. Supporting underprivileged children and communities globally, the series has helped The Player Foundation raise more than $64 million, impacting countless lives worldwide.
Amongst a total field of 72 professional golfers and business leaders to take on Wentworth’s Player-designed Edinburgh Course will be eight Ryder Cup stars, seven Major winners and 22 PGA Tour, European Tour and Ladies European Tour professionals, setting the stage for an occasion to remember.
Hendrik Riehmer, Managing Partner of Berenberg, the second oldest bank in the world, commented: “We’re delighted to continue our sponsorship of this great event, supporting those less fortunate and helping to make a positive difference to young lives in the UK.” “It’s an honour to work alongside Gary Player to make this event happen, a man who is committed to helping improve the lives of countless people around the world”, David Mortlock, Head of Berenberg’s Investment Banking added.
Eight-time Major winner Tom Watson and his world-renowned compatriots Mark O’Meara, Fred Couples and Tom Lehman will make up the US contingent, with Ian Woosnam, Thomas Bjorn, Sam Torrance and Colin Montgomerie headlining the European side of the field.
They’ll be joined by Player’s fellow citizen Richard Sterne, a six-time winner on the European Tour; 2017 Turkish Airlines Challenge victor, Ryan Evans; Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger, a winner of five European Tour titles; Spaniard Alvaro Quiros, seven-time European Tour winner; and Lee Slattery, whose most recent title came at the M2M Russian Open in 2015.
Among the Ladies European Tour professionals confirmed are 2018 Rookie of the Year Julia Engstrom; 2014 Ladies Slovak Open winner, Camilla Lennarth; 2013 LET Q School winner Caroline Martens; Germany’s Olivia Cowan, currently 10th on the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit, and recent LET winner Annabel Dimmock. Also joining the female line-up are Ladies European Tour professionals Lauren Taylor, Joanna Klatten, Sarah Kemp, Amy Boulden, Inci Mehmet and Sophie Lamb.
The Berenberg Gary Player Invitational at Wentworth marks the only European stop on the series’ global calendar with annual events also being staged in the Abu Dhabi, London, New York, Hong Kong and in the tournament host and Grand Slam champion’s home nation of South Africa at Sun City. The money raised at all events plays a major role in helping The Player Foundation work towards its quest of raising $100 million by 2025.
Each team will consist of two amateur guests competing alongside one female and one male professional, combining golf lovers from the worlds of sport, business and society for a glamorous and fun-filled affair. The event will also see a number of representatives from event sponsors tee it up, including those from presenting sponsor Berenberg.
“Some of the strongest memories I have from throughout my career in golf have occurred in the United Kingdom, so I am thrilled to be returning to Wentworth, a venue of which I am most fond and familiar,” said Player. “Our goal is to help improve the lives of as many people globally as we possibly can, and it makes me proud to be able to announce another stellar field, including some of the biggest stars in golf. It’s going to be another occasion to remember.”
Marc Player, CEO of Black Knight International and founder of the series, added: “Since launching the Gary Player Invitational in 1999 we have been able to benefit hundreds of organisations and grant funds to charities locally where the GPIs are staged. I’d like to thank all of our guests and sponsors in advance for their participation and look forward to our event at Wentworth in July.”
Tom Watson said: “Gary Player’s dedication to raising funds for worthy causes around the globe has been nothing short of remarkable and I am delighted to help his continued efforts at the Berenberg Gary Player Invitational at Wentworth Club in July.”