The Faldo Series has announced its largest ever field for the seventeenth Grand Final which tees off in the U.S. on October 22-24. A total of 101 golfers from 19 countries will join Sir Nick Faldo at The Greenbrier in West Virginia, USA for the World Amateur Golf Ranking event.
“We are very excited about bringing the Grand Final to the U.S. for the first time. The players will have the unique opportunity to experience tournament golf at a world-class resort that has hosted the Ryder Cup and the PGA Tour four times,” commented Faldo. “My thanks to Jim Justice and The Greenbrier for hosting the event and to our Major partners; The R&A; The European Tour; ISPS Handa and The PGA Tour. Without their support, none of this would be possible”
“We are honored to have the distinction of being the very first American golf club and resort to host a Grand Final of the Faldo Series,” said Jim Justice, owner of The Greenbrier. “Nick Faldo has become a great friend of, and ambassador for, The Greenbrier (including building a new private home for himself at The Greenbrier Sporting Club); so, it’s only fitting that he would choose America’s Resort to usher in a new generation of young golfers from around the world.”
2012 Champion Jack Singh-Brar is among the field and will be aiming to become the fourth person to successfully defend a Faldo Series title. The 17-year-old has already won the Berkhamsted Trophy this year and made the cut on his European Tour debut at the Russian Masters.
The World Amateur Golf Ranking event will see golfers aged 12 to 22 compete over three rounds on the Old White TPC course at The Greenbrier. Off the course they will spend time with Faldo, his personal coach Keith Wood and experts from TrackMan at the new Faldo Golf Centre.
With the field at The Greenbrier divided into five age-categories, three boys and two girls will each receive a trophy and an exemption into the eighth Asia Grand Final in 2014. The leading boy and girl will also be invited to play in a professional Tour event and the title of Faldo Series Champion will go to the player with the lowest gross score, regardless of age or gender.
Local school children will also be present during the week to attend clinics with Faldo and watch the competitors in action, part of a Faldo Series drive to help grow golf at the grass-roots level.
Supported by The R&A, The Greenbrier, ISPS Handa and the European Tour, the 2013 Faldo Series Europe schedule features a record 20 tournaments in 15 countries including six in England plus others in Ireland, Abu Dhabi, Chile, the Czech Republic, Scotland, Austria, Wales, Brazil, Italy, The Netherlands, Germany, Slovakia, Greece and the USA.
Established in 1996, 40 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in 30 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers participating each year. Past winners include Major Champions Rory McIlroy and Yani Tseng.
In September 2014, Faldo will begin taking students at a full-time residential academy for education and golf development in America. The first ever FaldoSeriesAcademy in Casa Grande, Arizona marks another significant step in the programme’s history.
For more information on the Faldo Series visit www.nickfaldo.com You can also follow the Faldo Series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/faldoseries and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/faldoseries