Leading Golfers Jet Out to Son Gual for Tour Championship

The Optical Express Pro Golf Tour 2011 will culminate in the top ranking players this season given an all expenses paid entry into the International Tour Championship being held next Wednesday and Thursday at Son Gual, Mallorca to play for a guaranteed prize fund of £10,000.

A field of 19 will tee off at the prestigious Son Gual golf club with leading player 34 year old Paul McKechnie from Braid Hills Golf Centre, Edinburgh the hot favourite having won three of the Tour events. McKechnie will tee off with former Scottish Internationalist Graeme Brown, Montrose Golf Club and 23 year old qualified PGA Professional Neil Fenwick, Dunbar Golf Club in the final group.

The players will arrive at Son Gual on Monday 16th January before a pre Championship Pro Am event on Tuesday where a field of invited amateurs will partner the Tour Pros including The Seve Ballesteros Chief Executive, Ivan Ballesteros, “I really think this tour gives the opportunity to young players and giving them an opportunity to reach their goals. It is fantastic to see Optical Express support young talented players and the development of golf in Scotland. It is important for every country to help build and nurture golf talent and it is great to see the Tour provide this opportunity. I am honoured to take part in the end of season Pro Am Event and lend my full support to the Tour." A donation from the Pro Am event will be donated to The Seve Ballesteros Foundation.

PGA Professionals and Tournament Directors Alan Tait and Nigel Scott-Smith who founded the Tour are equally excited about the Championship next week. Tait commented; "To be able to hold an event like this in January at such an amazing golf course as Son Gual is a really fitting way to round off the first season of the new Optical Express Pro Golf Tour. I am enormously pleased with the Tour this year and I am sure the continued support from Optical Express will improve golf at the highest level in Scotland in the years to come, which has been long overdue. I am personally very proud as I have been chipping away at getting a Tour established like this for 12 years now, and it gives me great satisfaction to finally see things moving in the right direction.”

Former European Tour golfer and International Sports Management Chief Executive Andrew ‘Chubby’ Chandler supports the Optical Express Pro Golf Tour; “It is great to see a company of the stature of Optical Express giving its support to Scottish golfers. We at ISM are delighted to lend our support to this initiative and wish all those taking part in the Scottish tour finale at Son Gual in Mallorca every success.”