A year of firsts at this week’s Saab Wales Open continues with a first ever hole-in-one prize for players to shoot at during the £1.8m European Tour event at Celtic Manor.
The first year of title sponsorship from Saab will see the premium car manufacturer offer a luxury saloon as the prize for the first hole-in-one recorded on the spectacular 13th hole of The Twenty Ten Course.
The first professional to fire an ace on the 189-yard, water-protected par-3 will drive away a Saab 9-5 2.0-litre TTiD XWD worth £34,465. The model features a brand new twin-turbocharged, 2.0-litre diesel engine and is capable of producing 190 bhp and 295 lb-ft of torque.
Players in the starting field for the Saab Wales Open from June 2-5 who will take aim at winning the car include Ryder Cup stars Graeme McDowell, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Ross Fisher, Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn, along with big-hitting American John Daly who makes his debut in the event as a sponsor’s invite.
Looking towards the target from the tee, the players will be able to see the prize on offer as the car is displayed sitting on a podium in the lake which guards the 13th green.
Saab Great Britain Ltd Marketing Director, David Pugh, said: “Saab Golf Week at The Celtic Manor Resort is our first venture into golf sponsorship and we are delighted by the showcase the tournament offers for our products.
“To be able to offer one of our leading models as a hole-in-one prize just adds to the fun and the excitement of being involved with this great week of golf. We look forward to watching the tour professionals try to win the car over the four days of competition and wish them all the best of luck.”
The odds of a tour professional scoring a hole-in-one are reckoned to be 2,500-1 but there were three on the opening day of the 2009 Wales Open, including one by Jeev Milkha Singh on the 13th hole. Alvaro Quiros and Francois Delamontagne also holed their tee shots on two of the other par-3 holes on the course during last year’s event.
The same Saab model was also offered for a hole-in-one on the same hole during today’s (Monday’s) PowerPlay Golf Driven by Saab: Ignition for competitors choosing the more dangerous Black Flag.
As well as top class sporting action at one of The European Tour’s leading events, the Saab Wales Open also offers spectators the chance to enjoy family attractions in the tented village and provides a great value, full day out. Children Under-16 enjoy free entry if accompanied by an adult.
Daily and season tickets for the Saab Wales Open, priced £25 and £55, are available on the gate.
