Faldo Series Germany Championship

A strong field comprising 65 young golfers from Germany and Luxembourg will tee up in the inaugural Faldo Series Germany Championship, to be played over the acclaimed Faldo Course at the Sporting Club Berlin in the Sport & SPA Resort A-ROSA Scharmȕtzelsee this weekend (August 14-15).

The field includes 15 year-old Jaqueline Willenbrock, a scratch golfer from Golf & Country Club Berlin Wannsee and a member of the Berlin Wannsee club team that won the German Team Championship at the same venue three weeks ago.

The new Faldo Series Germany Championship, which is supported by The R&A, the European Tour and Lough Erne Resort, was only announced in late June but that has not stopped a total of 45 boys and 20 girls aged between 11 and 21 signing up to play. All 65 competitors will be play two round of stroke play over the Faldo Course with the winners of the five age group categories (Boys’ Under-21, Boys’ Under-18, Boys’ Under-16, Girls’ Under-21 and Girls Under-16) progressing to the 2010 Faldo Series Europe Grand Final at the Lough Erne Resort, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, on September 21-23.

Once at the Lough Erne Resort, the winners from the Germany Championship will tee up against the age group winners from the other 16 events on the 2010 Faldo Series Europe schedule. These included events as far afield as England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Russia, Greece, Brazil, Poland and Slovakia.

“We are delighted the inaugural Faldo Series Germany Championship has proved so popular and believe that in future years it will continue to go from strength to strength,” said Kerry McDonald, Director of the Faldo Series.

“The introduction of the Faldo Series Germany Championship represents the latest phase in the development of the Faldo Series and it’s particularly pleasing for us to stage it on the Faldo Course at Sporting Club Berlin.

“Over the years, Faldo Series winners have included Rory McIlroy, Nick Dougherty, Marc Warren, Yani Tseng, Melissa Reid and Florentyna Parker, all of whom have since won on Tour. With a bit of luck, the new Faldo Series Germany Championship might help to unearth at least one future champion from Germany.”

Sporting Club Berlin President, Wolf-Dieter Wolf commented: “We are very proud and delighted to be able to bring the Faldo Series to Germany and host the Faldo Series Germany Championship on our challenging course at Sporting Club Berlin.”

 A-ROSA Golf, Sport & Spa Director Vanessa Herbon added: “The new Faldo Series Germany Championship offers talented young Germans a great opportunity to participate in a prestigious international series and to benefit from all the knowledge of Sir Nick Faldo and his team.

“Three weeks ago, our Faldo Course hosted the German Men’s Team Championship and it proved to be a very successful event, with many of the competitors praising both the course and its condition. “We have had a lot of rain since then but our greens staff is confident it will be in excellent condition in time for the Faldo Series to start on Saturday.”

The Faldo Course at the Sporting Club Berlin was opened in 1996 and regularly features on the lists of leading golf courses in Europe. It hosted the German Open on the European

Tour in 1998 and a European Senior Tour event in 2001. It has also staged the European Amateur Championship in 2007 and the World Amateur Team Championship in 2000.