This year’s Faldo Series finalists, who have been flown from across the world to the iconic city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, were joined by Nick Faldo today for the 2009 Faldo Series Grand Final.
The 54-hole R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking tournament is supported by The R&A, the European Tour, Golf Corporate Brazil and the Secretary of State for Sport and Tourism of Rio de Janeiro. The first round begins tomorrow and will see more than 70 of the world’s most talented young golfers hoping to follow in the footsteps of former winners Nick Dougherty, Rory McIlroy and Oliver Fisher and be crowned this year’s Faldo Series Champion after the final round on Friday.
Six-time Major winner Faldo will spend time with the competitors to pass on his advice and experience from over 30 years of playing at the highest level. Other experts will also be educating the players through a unique series of player seminars.
Faldo commented: “I’m delighted to be back in Rio and am very much looking forward to greeting all of our finalists as the tournament progresses. It is a real pleasure to be able to offer these talented young golfers the opportunity to experience top-level competition in inspirational surroundings like these and I hope that they will emerge as more rounded sportsmen and women as a result. I wish all of the players the very best of luck.
“We’ve been working in Brazil since 2007 and are committed to continuing our efforts to help develop the game of golf both here and across the continent of South America. The fact that the city has been selected to host the 2016 Olympics puts Rio very much at the forefront of the sporting calendar over the next few years and, with golf now an Olympic sport, I hope that we can play an active role in developing the game for the region’s young golfers. Our aim is to offer as many opportunities as we can to a very diverse range of golfers both here and throughout the world, regardless of their gender, race or financial circumstance.”
Michael Nagy of Golf Corporate Brazil added: “I’m proud to welcome the Faldo Series Grand Finalists to Rio and the support that we have had from the state government and local federations is proof that the city is ready for bigger things in golf. I’m sure that the Faldo Series Grand Final will play a central role in the development of the sport in Brazil.”
The 13th Grand Final will bring together young golfers, boys and girls aged 12 to 21, from the UK, Ireland, Russia, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, making it the most diverse global event for young golfers of its kind. In addition to events on the golf course, there will also be a number of grass-roots activities for local children. As part of Faldo’s drive to create access to the game and inspire a younger audience, participants from the Japeri project, an R&A-supported golf development initiative that works with local favela children, will be invited to meet Nick, receive free coaching and watch the competitors in action.
Also supported by the CBG (the Brazilian Golf Confederation) and the Rio Golf Federation, this year features one of the strongest fields in the tournament’s recent history, including: 2008 Curtis Cup star Carly Booth; English and British Boys Amateur Champion, Tom Lewis; Tom Shadbolt, the recently crowned Italian Amateur Champion; and Hannah Barwood, who returns to defend her title of Faldo Series Girls Champion.
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