George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, was invested personally with his Commander of the British Empire for Services to Sport by Princess Anne at Windsor Castle last Tuesday.
After taking His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales on a tour of The Celtic Manor Resort, host venue for The 2010 Ryder Cup, O’Grady attended the investiture ceremony to officially receive the CBE he was awarded in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
O’Grady said: “It was a very memorable occasion, and I was tremendously honoured. Princess Anne certainly knew all about The Ryder Cup, and she was a little surprised that I’d managed to make it back from Wales in time. She knew Prince Charles had paid a visit to Celtic Manor, and I think she’d been quite keen to come herself as she is a Patron of Tenovus, the official charity of Ryder Cup Wales 2010.
“It was a special day, not only for me as an individual, but also for my family and indeed the world of golf. The CBE was a great recognition of the combined efforts of so many people throughout the game, and The European Tour in particular.”
O’Grady first embarked on a career in golf in 1974, when he joined the British PGA as a tournament administrator, and has worked across all aspects of tournament golf ever since.
In 1984, he launched the development of the Tour’s commercial arm with the formation of European Tour Enterprises, and two years later he was responsible for founding the Tour’s Benevolent Trust, which distributes funds for worthy causes.
O’Grady was appointed Chief Executive of The European Tour on January 1, 2005.
