The Celtic Manor in South Wales will be hosting a new European Tour tournament from the year 2000.
The event will be played on the resort’’s Wentwood Hills course, which was publicly opened today by the First Minister for Wales Alun Michael following an exhibition match between top golfers Ian Woosnam and Mark James.
The Celtic Manor and the European Tour have agreed that the 7,450-yards, par 72 course will be used for the Welsh Open for at least three years (2000 – 2002) with a £750,000 prize fund in the year 2000. Discussions are continuing to finalise the date and arrangements for wider sponsorship, event management and television rights.
Terry Matthews, The Celtic Manor’’s chairman, told a news conference that the resort is proud to be hosting a major tournament and is looking forward to working closely with the Tour.
“Wentwood Hills is an exceptional course and will provide a superb stage for Europe’’s leading professionals,” he said. “We see the Welsh Open as an important step towards our ultimate aim of hosting the Ryder Cup. Golf’’s greatest event has never been held in Wales, but we’’re hoping to put that right. The course, the facilities and the location are ideal.”
Wentwood Hills was designed by leading U.S golf architects Robert Trent Jones Ventures and makes spectacular use of the steep wooded slopes and broad alluvial plain of the Usk Valley.
Ken Schofield, Executive Director of the European Tour, said “ We welcome and salute Terry Matthews on all that has been achieved at the Celtic Manor in such a short space of time. We look forward to returning to Wales for Tour competition, and to playing the exciting Wentwood Hills course, and also to working through this relationship to realise all their dreams.”
Ian Woosnam, the Celtic Manor’’s touring professional, and Mark James, this year's Ryder Cup captain, were also present at the news conference. Details of their comments will follow.
Notes
- Wales has not hosted a PGA European Tour event since 1991 when the Epson Grand Prix was held at St. Pierre near Chepstow. Ian Woosnam and Mark James are both previous winners of Tour events in Wales – James won the Welsh Classic at Wenvoe Castle in 1979 and Woosnam won the Epson Grand Prix at St. Pierre in 1990.
- Wentwood Hills (7,450 yards, par-72) has water features on 8 holes, multiple tees, a full-length buggy path and under-soil drainage on every fairway, tee green and bunker. It was completed last September, but has not been played through the winter to ensure that it is top condition for events taking place this summer.
- The Celtic Manor’’s other two courses are: Roman Road (par 69, 7,001 opened 1995) and Coldra Woods (par-59, 4,000 yards, opened 1996). Both were designed by Robert Trent Jones Snr.
- The Celtic Manor’’s new hotel and conference centre is also due to open this summer, giving the 1100-acre resort 400 luxury rooms, 2 health clubs and spa and an 1800-seater conference venue.
