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Big Names Tee-off at Fancourt

Jan 11, 2012 | Filed Under: General NewsGolf Course Design   Share

Top Golfing talent head for Fancourt on South Africa’s famous Garden Route for the Volvo Golf Championship next week

Some of the world’s top golfers including Major winners, Darren Clarke, Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington are heading for Fancourt on the Garden Route in South Africa as they prepare to compete in the Volvo Golf Champions in the European tour’s first-ever true “tournament of champions” event next week.

The tournament starts next Friday, 19 January, for 4 days and will be the first fully sanctioned European tour event ever played on South African soil.  The event is being hosted by the world-acclaimed Links at Fancourt, recently voted number one course in the country and originally designed by South African golf legend Gary Player.

Other high-profile players competing include Major winners Retief Goosen, Paul Lawrie, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, and European Tour stars such as Thomas Bjorn, Nicolas Colsaerts, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Tom Lewis, Matteo Manassero, Colin Montgomerie and Alexander Noren in competing for a 350000 Euros (R3,6million) first prize, and a prize fund of 2million Euros (R21million).  Sadly, England’s Paul Casey will not be defending his title due to a shoulder injury.

“I love playing in South Africa and have won five of my European tour titles here,” said Els. “I have great memories of playing at the Links at Fancourt, in professional events and when on holiday here. South African golf is in great shape at the moment, which is apparent by the number of South Africans in the field.”

Three-time Major winner Harrington is also looking forward to a fresh start in 2012 with a recent return to form boding well for this charismatic man from Dublin.  Swede Robert Karlsson, winner of the 2010 Dubai World Championship, qualifies as a member of the elite group of tour stars including Goosen, Jimenez and Montgomerie, who have more than 10 career wins on the European tour. The rest of the field is limited to tour players who have won an event on the previous year’s international schedule.

For more information visit about Fancourt click here .  For more information about the Volvo Golf Championship please click here Follow on Twitter on @FANCOURTSA.

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