The Faldo Series will celebrate five years in Brazil when its annual South America Championship tees off at Brasilia Golf Club on July 19-21.  Sir Nick Faldo has a commitment with the Brazilian Golf Confederation (CBG) to bring his global golf development programme to the country until at least 2016.

“Since bringing the Faldo Series to South America in 2008, we have signed a long-term partnership with the CBG in Brazil and also established a qualifier in Chile,” said Faldo.  “We look forward to supporting even more young golfers in more South American countries during the countdown towards golf’s return to the Rio Olympics in 2016 and beyond.”

“The 2016 Olympics is inspiring a new generation of golfers in this region so it is important for the CBG to be offering them support and opportunity,” added Rachid Orra, President of the CBG.  “We look forward to another successful Faldo Series event in Brazil which we view as a key part of the process.”

With World Amateur Golf Ranking points on offer, golfers aged 12 to 21 will compete over three rounds in the fifth Faldo Series South America Championship on July 19-21, which moves to Brasilia Golf Club in Brasilia for the first time.

Claudio Correa will be one of five qualifiers from the 2012 Chile Championship in the field, all hoping to clinch one of five spots on offer at the sixteenth Faldo Series Grand Final.  Three boys and two girls from the Brazil event will earn the opportunity to join six-time Major winner Faldo at Lough Erne Resort in Northern Ireland in September.

Supported by The R&A, the European Tour and Lough Erne Resort, the 2012 Faldo Series Europe schedule features a record 20 tournaments in 14 countries including six in England plus others in Bahrain, Ireland, Chile, the Czech Republic, Greece, Wales, Austria, Brazil, Germany, The Netherlands, Scotland, Slovakia and Russia.

Established in 1996, 38 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in 28 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers participating each year.  Past winners include Major Champions Rory McIlroy and Yani Tseng.

Golfers born in 1991 or later wishing to enter the fifth Faldo Series South America Championship on July 19-21 should email wnogueira@cbg.com.br or visit www.cbg.com.br.  The tournament at Brasilia Golf Club in Brazil is open to golfers of any nationality