A cast of 100 supporters of The 2014 Ryder Cup today marked 100 Days To Go until the event begins with a special 360-degree photograph.
Chefs, security personnel and teachers took on waiters, school children, government staff, 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.
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.”
PRACTICE DAY TICKETS
