The Volvo World Match Play Championship was launched in typically stunning fashion on Tuesday evening as the 24 participants in the €3,000,000 event joined pro-am guests, sponsors, partners and officials to mark the beginning of what is sure to be a thrilling week of competition.
Before the stars of the show get down to serious business, there was some serious fun to be had, as all 24 competitors took part in a floodlit chipping competition from the hospitality unit overlooking the 18th green.
The devilish 75 yard chip shot proved too much for some, but not South Africa’s George Coetzee, who defeated Carl Pettersson in the ‘final’ to win the bragging rights over his 23 opponents.
The evening also featured some interesting Q&A sessions, hosted with the usual style and panache by Scottish broadcaster Dougie Donnelly.
Among the highlights on stage was an interview with the owner of Thracian Cliffs Golf and Beach Resort, Georg Tsvetanski, before last year’s Volvo World Match Play Championship finalists – eventual winner Nicolas Colsaerts and Graeme McDowell – took part in an engaging and insightful interview.
The evening was finished off with a spectacular fireworks display that lit up the Black Sea and brought the curtain down on a wonderful beginning to the tournament week.
