The European Tour announces today that Vivendi, a world leader in communications and entertainment, has signed a four year agreement to title sponsor The Vivendi Trophy with Severiano Ballesteros and The Vivendi Celebrity Trophy in alternate years.
The Vivendi Trophy with Severiano Ballesteros, featuring teams from Continental Europe and Great Britain and Ireland, will be held at Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche, Paris, France, on September 24-27 this year. The event will be played again in 2011 and The Vivendi Celebrity Trophy, a full-field, 72-hole event with a Pro-Am format, will be played in 2010 and 2012 as part of The Race to Dubai.
Vivendi is a French-based international media conglomerate which controls Canal+, Activision Blizzard, Universal Music Group, SFR and Maroc Telecom.
Simon Gillham, Executive Vice President of Communications and Sustainable Development at Vivendi, said: “Vivendi has decided to become the main partner for this golf trophy as golf is a passion that is shared by many people in France, the UK, Morocco and the USA. It is a unique opportunity to bring together the institutional world, the financial world, the financial community, individual shareholders, Vivendi’s subsidiaries and their clients and partners to take part in a fascinating spectacle with top class players.”
Jean-Louis Dutaret, Chairman and Chief Executive Officers of Canal+ Events, said: “The aim of the world leader in communications and entertainment is to put in place immediately a global strategy for the world of golf. This has led today to a major commitment to The European Tour that will provide an incomparable spectacle worthy of this leader in entertainment.”
Lionel Provost, Tournament Director, said: “The Vivendi Trophy with Severiano Ballesteros will maintain the history of great confrontations between teams such as those in The Ryder Cup and, indeed, the World Cup which when it was played at Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche in 1963 aroused such enthusiasm.”
George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: “Canal+, which is the TV broadcaster of European Tour events in France, has concluded through its Events Department an exciting move from the Canal+ Open to The Vivendi Trophy with Severiano Ballesteros and The Vivendi Celebrity Trophy. This concept importantly gives Vivendi a week each year on The European Tour International Schedule and we look forward to further developing our excellent partnership.
“This announcement is especially gratifying for The European Tour because the rich diversity of Vivendi’s businesses includes Canal+ with whom we enjoy a strong and loyal relationship through our television arrangements.
“Moreover we are all well aware of the serious health challenges that Seve Ballesteros has faced with such great courage and therefore we are particularly appreciative of Vivendi’s decision to ensure with us that the match he created continues in honour of him. Fittingly Seve has a special relationship with France where Vivendi is based and where he has won no fewer than nine times and also with Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche where five of those wins have come.”
The Vivendi Trophy with Severiano Ballesteros pits Europe’s leading golfers in a team competition format similar to the one seen at The Ryder Cup. Ten players represent both Continental Europe and Great Britain and Ireland over four days. There will be five fourballs on both Thursday and Friday, four greensomes on Saturday morning, four foursomes on Saturday afternoon and ten singles on Sunday.
In total 28 points are available with 14 ½ points required to win. In 2007 Continental Europe led 9 ½ - 8 ½ going into the last day, but Great Britain and Ireland won the singles 8-2 for a decisive 16 ½ - 11 ½ victory. Continental Europe won the inaugural event in 2000 but Great Britain and Ireland have won each of the four subsequent matches.
The 2009 Vivendi Trophy with Severiano Ballesteros will see Thomas Björn of Denmark captain Continental Europe and Paul McGinley of Ireland captain Great Britain and Ireland. Each team will be drawn from the leading five players on The Race to Dubai and the leading five players on the Official World Ranking on September 14.
Colin Montgomerie, speaking as The 2010 European Ryder Cup Captain, said: “I am very keen that as players we pay full tribute to Seve Ballesteros and through the continuation of this event by Vivendi we are able to do exactly that. Seve has been such a formative figure on The European Tour and it is good to take the opportunity to honour and praise his achievements. The Vivendi Trophy with Severiano Ballesteros has my full support. I think it is an incredibly important event in itself and also in respect to The Ryder Cup.”
Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche in Versailles, 12 miles west of Paris, is located in the pleasant countryside of La Tuilerie. It has a magnificent 18th century manor house that overlooks its two excellent courses both designed in 1959 by Fred Hawtree on lightly wooded, undulating terrain. The combined test that Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche comes up with as a distillation from the best of its two courses proves that for all its apparent benevolence it is utterly unforgiving. Demanding of total concentration, it is one of the best parkland courses that mainland Europe has to offer.
Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche, where the World Cup was played in 1963, was the host venue for the Trophée Lancôme from 1970 to 2003 and the venue for the Open de France in 1965, won by Spain’s Ramon Sota, Seve Ballesteros’s Uncle, and in 1969, when an emotional victory was claimed by France’s own Jean Garaialde, and in 1982 when Ballesteros himself won. Ballesteros also won the Open de France in 1977, 1985 and 1986, the Trophée Lancôme in 1976, 1983, 1986 and 1988 and the Tournoi Perrier de Paris with Jose Maria Olazábal in 1995.
THE VIVENDI TROPHY WITH SEVERIANO BALLESTEROS FACT FILE
Dates:
September 24-27, 2009
September 23, 2009 – Pro-Am SFR
Next tournament: 2011
Venue:
2009: Saint-Nom-la-Breteche Golf Club, Versailles, Paris, France
Format:
September 24: Five Fourballs
September 25: Five Fourballs
September 26: Four Greensomes
Four Foursomes
September 27: Ten Singles
Tickets:
Free entry for SFR, Canal+ and Maroc Telecom subscribers
Partners:
Canal+ : Broadcaster of the Vivendi Trophy with Severiano Ballesteros
The Vivendi Trophy with Severiano Ballesteros Team
Organisations:
Canal+ Events
Tournament Director:
Lionel Provost
Press Services:
The Vivendi Trophy with Severiano Ballesteros – the Olivia Payerne Agency
Vivendi – Solange Maulini and Agnes Vetillart
