Faldo Series Successes Inspire Growth of Golf in Slovakia

A record field is expected for the fourth Faldo Series Slovakia Championship at Black Stork Golf Resort on August 20-22.  The country’s top young golfers have been inspired in recent years by the achievements of 2011 Faldo Series Girls’ Under-16 Champion Natalia Heckova and Katarina Chovancova, Girls’ runner-up in 2012.

“The Faldo Series was established in Slovakia three years ago and we are starting to see the benefits with the recent successes of Natalia and Katarina,” said Sir Nick Faldo.  “With the ongoing support of Sylvia Hruskova and Black Stork Golf Resort we hope to continue giving young golfers the opportunity to compete in an international tournament in this country.”

“We are delighted to be hosting the Faldo Series for a fourth year,” added Sylvia Hruskova, General Manager of Black Stork, a PGA golf course in Velka Lomnica.  “It is encouraging to see the event growing year after year and we are really pleased with how the Slovakian players have performed in the recent Grand Finals.”

With World Amateur Golf Ranking points on offer in the 2013 Slovakia Championship, golfers aged 12 to 21 will compete over three rounds at Black Stork.  Five age-group winners – three boys and two girls – will qualify for the seventeenth Grand Final, to be hosted by Faldo at The Greenbrier in West Virginia, USA on October 22-24.

Supported by The R&A, ISPS Handa and the European Tour, the 2013 Faldo Series Europe schedule features a record 20 tournaments in 15 countries including six in England plus others in Ireland, Abu Dhabi, Chile, the Czech Republic, Scotland, Austria, Wales, Brazil, Italy, The Netherlands, Germany, Slovakia, Greece and the USA.

Established in 1996, 40 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in 30 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers participating each year.  Past winners include Major Champions Rory McIlroy and Yani Tseng.

In September 2014, Faldo will begin taking students at a full-time residential academy for education and golf development in America.  The first ever Faldo Series Academy in Casa Grande, Arizona marks another significant step in the programme’s history.

Golfers born in 1992 or later wishing to enter the Faldo Series Slovakia Championship at Black Stork Golf Resort on August 20-22 should email [email protected] or visit www.blackstork.sk.