| Sponsors & Partners World Final 2008 |
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| Global News | |||||
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| Cottrell Park Pair Carry Hopes Of Nation At World Final |
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COTTRELL PARK PAIR CARRY HOPES OF NATION AT WORLD FINAL Father and son Bryan and Aled Williams will proudly carry the hopes of the Welsh nation when they take their place in the 2008 International Pairs World Final at St Andrews next month. The Cottrell Park duo will line up against competitors from 29 other countries at the Home of Golf at The Duke’s, St Andrews, from September 21-23 - in the world’s largest tournament of its kind for club golfers. Bryan’s golfing career has been given a new lease of life since having a hip replacement two years ago and the 65-year-ol revealed it will be one of the proudest moments of his life when he tees off alongside his son in Scotland. “We are both looking forward to it immensely,” said the 11-handicapper, who enjoyed a 30-year career in medicine before retiring. “We’re very proud of being Welsh and it will be a great honour to represent our country. Welsh is my first language and it means everything. “I’m not going to be able to run for my country or play rugby but this is a one-off. For one year only I will be representing my country and it feels great.” Aled holed a nine-iron from 130 yards to help he and his dad be crowned Welsh champions at the 2007 International Pairs UK Finals at Carnoustie last October and the duo are hoping their historic surroundings will inspire them to more great feats on the course. Bryan added: “It doesn’t get much better than playing at the Home of Golf against players from other countries. This is the only competition of its kind that allows aspiring golfers to do that and it promises to be a memorable experience. “The important thing is that we concentrate on our own game. We have to play as well as we can against the course and, if we do that, then hopefully we will be up there challenging for honours.” Bryan and Aled, who plays off ten, will be joined by six other pairs from the UK as they battle for the chance to succeed Scarborough South Cliff duo Shaun Smith and Simon Deaves as world champions. Deen (correct) Graves and Martyn Ashcroft, from Dawlish Warren Golf Club near Exeter, will lead the challenge after winning the 2007 UK Final at Carnoustie last year and they will be joined at The Duke’s by Elliott Briggs and Tom Woods, the English champions from Howley Hall GC, Leeds. Bonnybridge duo John Maxwell and Stephen Brown will represent the home nation as Scottish champions and the UK line-up will be completed by Dunscar duo Jim Callaghan and Mark Gregory, Market Rasen Golf Club’s Roy Knowles and David Steel and Andrew Richardson and Mike Greener, from Woodham GC, near Durham. Graves and Ashcroft made history last year when they followed up their success in the International Pairs 2001 UK Finals by winning the title for a second time and they are hopeful their good run in the competition - the largest of its kind for club golfers in the world - can continue. Ashcroft, a property developer in Torquay, said: “We haven’t had the chance to play that much this year because work has been quite difficult but we have set aside the whole of September to practice. “We’re both really excited about it and it would be great to bring the world title back to Torquay.” The 2008 world final, the fifth in International Pairs’ history, promises to be the most spectacular yet with competitors from countries including America, South Africa, Malaysia, Iceland, Ireland and Nigeria taking part. The players will march through the historic streets of St Andrews accompanied by the St Andrews Pipe Band and schoolchildren from across Fife as part of a glittering opening ceremony, before the action switches to The Duke’s for a 36-hole fourball betterball Stableford competition - which will be screened to a worldwide television audience of tens of millions of people. And the event, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2008 and has been backed by Visit Scotland for the last six years, is poised to get even bigger as it is set to expand into 52 countries. Australia, Sweden, Russia and the Caribbean have all joined International Pairs this year while it has also signed agreements with the English Golf Union and International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) in the last 12 months. Ross Honey, founder and chairman of International Pairs, said: “This year is a notable landmark for International Pairs and it seems fitting that the world final will be staged in Scotland at the Home of Golf. “Scotland has played a pivotal role in the development of the competition and I really believe we haven’t scratched the surface of what we can achieve. It’s very exciting. “We have been able to establish fantastic international partners all over the world. And I think with the people and global family we have created we can build an amazing means of moving forward.” To enter the International Pairs and to register a club, please call 01489 878509, or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Alternatively, visit the Pairs’ website at www.internationalpairs.com. |
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