Dr Haruhisa Handa (left) has agreed that his International Sports Promotion Society – ISPS Handa – will sponsor both the European Tour’s Wales Open and new UK Championship.
Picture by GETTY IMAGES

TWO of the European Tour’s new UK Swing events are going to be sponsored by ISPS Handa – the International Sports Promotion Society.

The Wales Open and the new UK Championship will both be played under the ISPS Handa umbrella after being announced as the events official partner.

The partnership aligns with the UK Swing’s ‘Golf for Good’ initiative, which has become the cornerstone of the season which has had to be rearranged as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

ISPS Handa has been a long term supporter of the European Tour – including Challenge and Senior events – believing in the “power of sport to unite communities and inspire hope.”

The ISPS Handa Wales Open is set to take place at Celtic Manor, in Newport, from August 20-23, after a six-year gap since the philanthropic had previously supported the event for three consecutive years.

It is a timely return to the south Wales resort, as this year also marks the 10th anniversary of Europe’s dramatic victory against the United States in the 2010 Ryder Cup at the same venue.

The UK Swing will conclude with the inaugural ISPS Handa UK Championship at The Belfry, from August 27-30.

The Sutton Coldfield venue is steeped in Ryder Cup history, having played host to four contests. Europe triumphed in two – 1985 and 2002 – while the US won in 1993.

The 1989 match ended in a 14-14 tie but Europe retained the trophy after Tony Jacklin’s team’s historic first victory on US soil at Muirfield Village, in 1987.

In 2002, future captain Paul McGinley holed the winning putt on the 18th after a big upset in the Sunday singles.

The European Tour’s final UK Swing event will take place at The Belfry, in the West Midlands, where Europe won the Ryder Cup for a third time out of four matches played there, in 2002

Golf a sport for all says ISPS Handa

THE European Tour and ISPS Handa have collaborated in raising the profile of golf as an accessible sport for all through ISPS Handa’s long-term support of global golf initiatives.

Founder and chairman Dr Haruhisa Handa said: “ISPS Handa is honoured to partner with the European Tour on the ‘UK Swing’, which celebrates the return of professional golf in the UK while championing the Tour’s new ‘Golf for Good’ initiative.

“This charitable emphasis aligns with our belief that sport has the power to inspire hope and unite communities. In today’s climate, this seems more important than ever.

“We applaud the European Tour CEO Keith Pelley and his team on this inspiring leadership, and are delighted to partner with the talented golfers  in what we are sure will be a much-welcomed encouragement to golf, to the economy and to communities in the UK.”

Mr Pelley said: “We are delighted to have the support of Dr Handa and his team for the ISPS Handa Wales Open and ISPS Handa UK Championship, our final two events in the new UK Swing.

“Dr Handa is a pioneer in promoting innovation and inclusivity in the game of golf and we are thrilled to have his knowledge and commitment during these unprecedented times.

“As honorary ambassador of the ‘Golfers with Disability Programme,’ Dr Handa’s long-term support of golf globally is well-known and we appreciate the support he has shown to our players, our Tour and to the golfing communities in which we play.”

The ‘Golf for Good’ initiative, launched at the Betfred British Masters, will culminate in £500,000 from the European Tour being distributed equally between charities based in Britain.

All European Tour tournaments from July until December will form part of the Tour’s new ‘Golf for Good’ initiative, which aims to give back in three key areas:–
▪ Supporting communities where the European Tour plays
▪ Rewarding true heroes, such as front line workers
▪ Promoting the many health benefits golf offers.

Both tournaments will be broadcast live to more than 490 million homes in more than 150 countries each week, generating in excess of 2,200 global broadcast hours for each event.

Under the European Tour’s health strategy, as well as creating a secure bubble for players and officials at each event, spectators will be absent during the UK swing because of the coronavirus pandemic.

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The European Tour will return with six events in the UK between July and August – the Scottish Open will be played in October the week before the BMW PGA at Wentworth.
Picture by GETTY IMAGES

THE European Tour will return with a new six-week ‘UK Swing’ starting in July – and revealed details of four new Rolex Series events.

The European Tour will play two Marriott venues and return to two Ryder Cup venues, while the BMW PGA Championship, at Wentworth, moves from September to October 15-18.

And there is a new date for the DP World Tour Championship Dubai. The climax to the Race to Duba season moves back to December to make room for more rearrgnged tournaments.

Fans will initially not be allowed to attend the UK events which will be televised and played behind closed doors.

The European Tour hopes to allow fans back when government restrictions are relaxed sufficiently.

The Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open will be the first rearranged Rolex Series event of the 2020 season.

North Berwick’s Renaissance Club will now stage the Scottish Open from October 8-11, instead of the week before The Open, which has already been cancelled.

The first tournament of the UK Swing is the Betfred British Masters – which will be hosted by Lee Westwood – at Close House, near Newcastle, from July 22-25 – a week earlier than originally scheduled.

It will be followed by the English Open at the Marriott Forest of Arden (July 30-August 2) and the English Championship, at Hertfordshire’s Marriott Hanbury Manor, from August 6-9.

The next two legs will be held at the Celtic Manor Resort, in Newport.

The 2010 Ryder Cup venue which will host back-to-back European Tour tournaments – the Celtic Classic (August 13-16) and the Wales Open a week later.

The European Tour’s final UK Swing event will take place at The Belfry, where Europe won the Ryder Cup for a third time out of four matches played at the West Midlands course, in 2002

Ryder Cup venues support UK Swing

THE new format sees a timely return to South Wales as Celtic Manor marks the 10th anniversary of Europe’s dramatic victory against the USA.

The UK Swing will conclude with the UK Championship at The Belfry, another venue rich in Ryder Cup history, from August 27-30.

The Belfry’s Brabazon Course played host to four contests with Europe triumphing in two – 1985 and 2002.

The USA won in 1993 with the 1989 match ending in a 14-14 tie.

South Africa’s Nedbank Golf Challenge is now scheduled for December 3-6 at Sun City’s Gary Player Country Club.

And the DP World Tour Championship, will take place a week later at Jumeirah Golf Estates, when the 2020 Race to Dubai Champion will be crowned.

Details of subsequent tournaments from September through to November will be announced in due course, the Tour said.

A “variety of scheduling options” are currently under consideration as the global COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, a European Tour statement said.

“All tournaments will be subject to stringent safety and testing protocols set out in the Tour’s comprehensive Health Strategy, which will continue to evolve, aligned with international Government guidance and health guidelines,” the statement added.

The Tour’s Health Strategy has been developed by Dr Andrew Murray.

The Euorpean Tour’s chief medical officer worked in consultation with healthcare specialists Cignpost – and advisers in many of the 30 countries the Tour plays in.

Cignpost will deliver the Tour’s testing procedure over the coming months.

“The strategy will continue to evolve, aligned with international Government guidance and health guidelines,” added the European Tour.

European Tour will give £500k to charities

THE new tournaments will also form part of the Tour’s new ‘Golf for Good’ initiative, which aims to give back in three key areas:–

▪ Supporting communities where the European Tour plays
▪ Rewarding true heroes, such as frontline workers
▪ Promoting many health benefits golf offers.

Under the ‘Golf for Good’ initiative the European Tour will give away £500,000 to charity.

They money will be equally distributed between local charities at each UK venue, and good causes chosen by the leading 10 players in a mini-Order of Merit running across the six British tournaments.

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