Sir Nick Faldo has announced that the Faldo Series has signed a three-year Major Partnership deal with the acclaimed new Lough Erne Resort in Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.
The deal means the Lough Erne Resort will be designated as the Home of the Faldo Series and the Resort’s award-winning 7,167-yard Faldo Course will host the Faldo Series Grand Final in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and the Faldo Series Ireland Championship during the same years.
It will also extends a proud association with World No. 7, Rory McIlroy, who is the Touring Professional at Lough Erne Resort and who is a former member of Team Faldo and won both the Under-15 and Under-17 Faldo Series titles in 2004 & 2006 respectively.
Other major figures who have participated in the Faldo Series since its launch in 1996 include Nick Dougherty, Marc Warren, Oliver Fisher, Tseng Ya-ni, Melissa Reid and Kiran Matharu.
Six-time Major winner, Faldo, announced this year’s Faldo Series Ireland Championship will be held at the Lough Erne Resort on 24 – 25 May with the 2010 Faldo Series Grand Final taking place four months later on 21-23 September. He added: “I am delighted with the support that Lough Erne will be offering the Faldo Series over the next few years and am very much looking forward to extending my links with what is a very special Resort.
“As a Major Partner of the Faldo Series, The Resort will be helping us to create opportunities through golf for some of the best young golfing talent from across the globe and it is very satisfying to know that they share our vision to nurture and develop these players.
“The facilities at Lough Erne are second-to-none and I know the golf course we have created there will offer a real challenge to our competitors in what are genuinely inspirational surroundings.
Jim Treacy, Owner of Lough Erne, confirmed The Resort was proud to become Home to such a prestigious event. He said: “I am thrilled to sign this Partnership with the Faldo Series and to extend our relationship with Nick which started back in 2003 when we asked him to design our course here at Lough Erne.
“We look forward to staging both the Faldo Series Grand Final and the Faldo Series Ireland Championship and to welcoming all the competitors to our Resort. Who knows, we may even help to unearth a new Nick Faldo or Rory McIlroy.”
Sir Nick Faldo created the Faldo Series (charity no. 11027719) back in 1996 in an effort to help and nurture future generations of young champions.
This year’s Series, which will attract in excess of 5,000 boys and girls aged between 12 and 21, comprises around 30 events in over 25 countries throughout the UK, Europe, South America and Asia with the winners from all the qualifying events being invited to compete in either the Faldo Series Grand Final in Europe or the Faldo Series Grand Final in China both of which are hosted by the six-time Major champion himself.
The Faldo Series is underwritten by its founder and receives support from a range of Partners including Lough Erne, The R&A and the European Tour. The PGA also supports the Faldo Series within the UK.
Lough Erne Golf Resort www.loughernegolfresort.com
Faldo Series www.nickfaldo.com