Faldo

Shenzhen, China, March 27, 2009:  Nick Faldo today announced that Mission Hills Golf Club and UBS have agreed to extend their support of his Faldo Series in Asia until 2010 and beyond.

Mission Hills, the world’s largest golf club, and leading financial firm UBS pledged their continued sponsorship of the Faldo Series Asia ahead of the final round of this year’s Grand Final.  Both organisations have supported Faldo’s unique golf development programme since he first brought the Faldo Series to Asia in January 2006.

As the ‘Home of the Faldo Series Asia’, Mission Hills will continue to host the annual Grand Final on the highly-acclaimed Faldo Course until at least 2012.  Executive Director Tenniel Chu commented:  “Mission Hills is proud to renew its commitment to the Faldo Series Asia.  Our support to the Faldo Series Asia is a key aspect of our initiative to provide the continent’s best up-and-coming golfers with top-notch tournaments to foster their rapid development.  With Asia, and particularly China, representing an important frontier in golf’s globalization, it is the young generation which carries our deeds and hopes into the future.  Today, our efforts to equip these young players with the right kind of experiences and skills will undoubtedly sow the seeds for a new crop of Asian players able to shape the global golf landscape of tomorrow.”

UBS is a Major Partner of the Faldo Series Asia and has promised to continue backing Faldo in his bid to develop tomorrow’s champions for at least another 12 months, taking its sponsorship well into 2010.  Caroline Darcy, Head of Sponsorship for UBS in the Asia Pacific region, added:  “The Faldo Series Asia has quickly established itself as the leading platform for golf development in Asia Pacific.  UBS is delighted to work with the Faldo Series Asia to support its initiative to create access to the sport at a grass-roots level and looks forward to helping more and more talented young golfers reach new heights in the game.”

The Faldo Series Asia is also supported by The R&A, organiser of The Open Championship of which Faldo is a three-time champion.  The R&A is golf’s world rules and development body and has contributed to the Faldo Series for over 13 years since its inception in the UK in 1996.

Six-time Major winner Faldo commented:  “I am delighted that Mission Hills and UBS have decided to renew their sponsorship.  They both got behind the Faldo Series Asia right from the start, as did The R&A, and in only three seasons we are already hosting 12 annual tournaments in nine different Asian countries for over 1,000 competitors.”
 
Faldo continued:  “We have long-term plans for golf development in Asia and it is great to have such high calibre sponsors alongside us.  Their continued support will allow us to provide even more playing opportunities for talented young golfers across Asia and at the same time carry on creating access to the game at a grass-roots level.  Just as we are seeing our former winners like Nick Dougherty and Rory McIlroy doing so well in Europe, I hope our Asian winners will do the same in the very near future.  When that day comes Mission Hills and UBS will have every right to feel very proud.”