The Heritage, which offers a 2 million Euro prize fund at Woburn Golf and Country Club this week, has been established as a tribute to honour the remarkable career of Ken Schofield who retires as Executive Director of the European Tour at the end of the 2004 season after 30 years
Ryder Cup hero Colin Montgomerie joins a line-up of his European team mates, who made history at the weekend with the biggest-ever defeat of their American rivals in a Ryder Cup Match, as they tee up this week for The Heritage at Woburn Golf and Country Club.
Along with Monty are Paul Casey, Padraig Harrington, David Howell and Ian Poulter in a unique event that has been established as a tribute to one of the most influential figures in international golf.
Retief Goosen, the reigning US Open champion, also joins this impressive array of the European Tour’s most distinguished golf stars to honour the remarkable career of Ken Schofield who retires as Executive Director of the European Tour at the end of the 2004 season after 30 years.
The list of leading players who have already signed up to play in The Heritage, which offers a 2million Euro prize fund, also includes the 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie; the previous winning Ryder Cup Captain Sam Torrance; the former US Masters champion Ian Woosnam, as well as Thomas Bjorn.
When Ken Schofield, the former Scottish bank manager, took over in 1974, total prize money on The Tour was the equivalent of 9 million Euros and as he departs, the circuit is worth 120 million Euros with 44 tournaments played in 25 countries across five continents. In addition there is a hugely successful Seniors Tour as well as a Challenge Tour for aspiring young stars.
The event is being organised by the International Management Group whose Co-Chief Executive Officer Alistair J. Johnston says, “Ken’s Schofield’s significant contribution to the growth of the European Tour and the development of the professional game as a whole has been well documented.
“We are delighted to promote and present The Heritage to mark Ken’s retirement and to provide the many sponsors and partners associated with the European Tour over the past 30 years with an opportunity to support the event.”
The 72-hole tournament will be screened daily by Sky Sports and it is estimated that through international broadcasts the coverage will reach 125 millions homes worldwide
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