Press release -
100 balls, 100 strokes, 100 people and 100 Days To Go until The 2014 Ryder Cup
Chefs, security personnel and teachers took on waiters, school children, green keepers, transport operators and buggy drivers in a collective challenge to simultaneously chip one golf ball each into the 18th hole on the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles.
And it was 39-year-old green keeper Christopher Brown who defied the odds to hole his shot, a feat rewarded by the organisers with two Ryder Cup match day tickets, which he is giving to his two sons. Two practice day tickets were also awarded to each of the 100 supporters taking part in the challenge.
The stunt was designed to mark the collective effort taken to host one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events just 100 Days before the first tee-off on the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles on 26th September.
Edward Kitson, Match Director of The 2014 Ryder Cup, said: “It is no mean feat to stage one of the world’s largest events on a single golf course over just six days, while broadcasting every moment of it to over half a billion homes.
“The infrastructure for The Ryder Cup is necessarily temporary, and it therefore requires a huge amount of coordination and teamwork to make it happen. We are thrilled to mark 100 days to go to the event with this special photograph, which encapsulates the team ethic that has been put into the planning of the event.”
Over 250,000 spectators are expected to travel to Gleneagles for the event, and 7,000 employed staff, marshals, volunteers, emergency service personnel and media representatives will be on site during the event week. The 2014 Ryder Cup will be broadcast to over 180 countries worldwide, reaching more than half a billion homes each day of competition.
VisitScotland/EventScotland Chairman Mike Cantlay said:
“With only 100 days to go, the buzz and excitement around hosting one of the world’s biggest sporting events is intensifying. As the lead agency delivering the 2014 Ryder Cup, we are working hard to maximise the opportunities that come with hosting such a world-famous event for tourism and the Scottish economy.
Our dedicated golf programme promotes Scotland throughout the UK and in key markets abroad, and The Ryder Cup has an expected global reach of more than half a billion. Combine the two and it’s clear that Scotland is set to confirm its position as the Home of Golf and demonstrate once more that it is the perfect stage for major events.
Scotland will stop to enjoy our Ryder Cup. With over 550 courses spread throughout the country and 250,000 spectators and media during the competition, we would encourage everyone to get out there and uncover their very own golfing paradise!”
Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games and Sport, Shona Robison, said: “With one hundred days to go you can feel the excitement building as The Ryder Cup comes closer to a return to Scotland, the Home of Golf. Shortly we will be watching many of the world’s best golfers, competing at Gleneagles, in this iconic sporting occasion. This is an important period for Scottish Golf and for Scotland’s place on the world stage and we are set for a fantastic event that will capture the imagination of millions of fans at home and abroad.”
Patrick Elsmie, Gleneagles’ Managing Director, commented: “Gleneagles has been preparing to host The Ryder Cup for the past for 13 years, and there is enormous excitement around the resort that it’s now just 100 days away. The whole team have been working tirelessly to ensure the PGA Centenary Course and Gleneagles Hotel are both ready to host one of golf’s greatest events. We are all looking forward to welcoming the world to Perthshire in September, to showcase the very best of Scotland and Scottish hospitality.”
ENDS
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- corporate communications
- ryder cup
Regions
- Scotland
Notes to Editors:
- Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
- VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
- The organisation has three key roles:
- To market Scotland to all parts of the world to attract visitors
- To provide information – and inspiration – to visitors and potential visitors so they get the best out of a visit to Scotland
- To provide quality assurance to visitors and quality advice to the industry and partners to help the industry meet and strive to exceed customer expectations
- VisitScotland works together with tourism businesses to make tourism a success for everyone and ensure the industry continues to grow.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- 2014 is the year Scotland welcomes the world, when it hosts the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and more than 800 Homecoming events throughout the country.For more information on Homecoming Scotland 2014, go to www.visitscotland.com
- The VisitScotland Information Centre network is a unique face-to-face channel engaging with around five million visitors and locals each year. Everyone who uses a VisitScotland Information Centre goes on to spend an additional £5.35, generating over £24 million for Scotland’s economy.
- According to a recent Deloitte study, tourism employs 270,000 people in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the industry contributes £11 billion annually (direct and indirect impact, including day visits) and supports around 10 per cent of employment in Scotland. Almost 16 million tourists take overnight trips to Scotland.
- For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org/
- Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
- For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
- For information about business tourism in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
- For more information on VisitScotland’s annual review please go to www.visitscotland.org/about_us/our_focus/annual_report.aspx
