Belek, in the Antalya region of Turkey, to host International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) 2011

International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) has announced that Belek, in the Antalya region of Turkey, will host the 14th edition of the world’s premier global event for golf tourism suppliers, buyers and media, from November 14-17, 2011.

Belek, one of the fastest growing and most successful golf destinations in the world, close to the cosmopolitan city of Antalya on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, boasts 14 world-class golf venues, featuring signature designed golf courses by Sir Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie, among others, plus a wealth of high quality hotels.

Öner Uygun of Millennium Golf, commented: “We are delighted to be selected as the host of IGTM, which is a globally important event, and look forward to welcoming the industry’s leading golf tourism suppliers, buyers, official dignitaries and media from across the globe to Belek and Antalya.

“Since the opening of Belek’s first golf course, The National Golf Course, and the establishment of the Turkish Golf Association, in the early 1990s, Belek has benefited from huge investment with 14 top golf courses attracting a large and growing number of international visitors. In 2009, 349,000 rounds of golf were played, while 400,000 rounds were played in the first ten months of 2010.

Belek, on the Mediterranean coast, just 30 kilometres from Antalya airport, is at the heart of Turkish golf. The hotels are all 4 and 5-star standard and offer an excellent range of leisure facilities, with plenty to explore in the surrounding area.

“The climate has proven to be a clear attraction to Turkey, with people first visiting the country for its sun, sand and sea, as well as its historical and cultural appeal,” added Öner Uygun. “With the added benefits of high standards of service and accommodation, good value for money, and of course, a fantastic range of international standard golf courses, we are confident that visitors to Turkey and next year’s IGTM will have a great experience.”

Mark Walsh, Group Exhibition Director of Reed Travel Exhibitions, said: “Turkey, the 2008 IAGTO Best Golf Destination winner, and Belek Antalya, in particular, has enjoyed spectacular recent success and now is the right time to host the world’s largest gathering of golf tourism professionals in this exciting destination.

“The quality of the golf courses and resorts in Belek is outstanding, and combined with an excellent conference facility, The Antalya Expo Centre, we have all the necessary logistics to make IGTM 2011 a global success.”

Antalya boasts the world’s 26th busiest international airport with nearly 10 million passengers in 2010, an increase of more than 23% year-on-year.

IGTM will take place November 14-17, 2011, the week after the World Travel Market, London, also a Reed Travel Exhibitions event.

For more information about IGTM, please visit: www.igtm.co.uk

Westwood is unlikely to play for a month because of injury and this move was set to see him move ahead of Tiger Woods at the top of the rankings. However, Kaymer has won his last three events and could threaten the Englishman’s position.

After winning the Dunhill Links Championship, Martin Kaymer sits in fourth position currently. He is set to compete in the Andalucia Valderrama Masters in Spain though and success in this tournament could see him overtake both Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood.

This would be a more conventional way of going to the top of the rankings, winning tournaments rather than sitting out through injury, but that is the way the ranking system works.

It is calculated over a two-year period and because neither Tiger Woods nor Lee Westwood plan to play before 4th November, Westwood – who has had a better time of it than the American in recent months – would overtake him on the 31st October.

Nobody took into account the form of Martin Kaymer though. He has been in inspirational form and even if he doesn’t quite get to the top of the rankings this time, there can be no doubt that he is playing some of the best golf of the year right now.

European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie has been having his say on the situation, backing Westwood to be No.1 by the end of the month, despite Kaymer’s surge.

Montgomerie said: “”I think Lee will be number one even if he doesn’t play. If Tiger does not change his schedule he will lose his number one spot, it is just the way the world rankings work.”

The main point Montgomerie was keen to stress though was how healthy this is for European golf. Two players battling it out at the top of the World rankings can only be a good thing.
“We have had a fantastic year in Europe, said Monty.  “There is a dominance and there is a changing of the guard over to Europe.”

This is certainly the case, with the Ryder Cup victory coinciding with major wins for Kaymer and Graeme McDowell as well as six Europeans in the top ten of the World rankings.

Who will be top come 31st October though?

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Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter were mobbed as Hunter Mahan conceded the 17^th hole, giving Graeme McDowell the victory needed to bring the Ryder Cup back to Europe. All the Team Europe players gathered around Captain Colin Montgomerie as champagne and tears began to flow.

Colin Montgomerie told Sky Sports “It’s a proud, proud moment for me.”

Europe needed five points from today’s Singles and got the points they needed with wins from Luke Donald, Ian Poulter, Miguel Angel Jiminez & Graeme McDowell; and Rory McIlroy and Edorado Molinari.

Team Europe won four Singles matches today:

Luke Donald beat Jim Furyk (1up)
Ian Poulter beat Matt Kuchar (5&4)
Miguel Angel Jiminez beat Bubba Watson (4&3)
Graeme McDowell beat Hunter Mahan (3&1)

The United States also won six Singles matches today:

Dustin Johnson beat Martin Kaymer
Jeff Overton beat Ross Fisher (4&3)
Tiger Woods beat Francesco Molinari (4&3)
Phil Mickelson beat Peter Hanson (4&2)
Zach Johnson beat Padraig Harrington (3&2)
Steve Stricker beat Lee Westwood (2&1)

Rory McIlroy v Stewart Cink – halved
Edorado Molinari v Rickie Fowler – halved

ProQuip New Rain Suits - the Aquastorm Elite and Aquastorm Classic

ProQuip represents the very highest standards in performance golf weatherwear, providing golfers across the globe, including Colin Montgomerie’s European Ryder Cup Team 2010, with state-of-the-art, agenda-setting technical garments to cope with every type of weather condition.

Since its foundation in 1981, ProQuip has grown to become one of the world’s leading innovators of lightweight golf weatherwear, supplying thousands of golfers every year – men, women and children – with the very best performance products, whether they be award winning waterproof rain suits or the brand’s acclaimed water repellent knitwear range.

ProQuip, the world’s leading innovator of lightweight golf weatherwear and Preferred Supplier to the European Ryder Cup Team 2010, has produced two new rain suits combining outstanding style with technical performance and value.

Aimed at the discerning golfer, the Aquastorm Elite and Aquastorm Classic rain suits both feature a new, exclusively developed, satin-finish performance fabric offering supreme softness, comfort and quietness during the swing.

It is ProQuip’s first entry level suit with a technical waterproof outer (as opposed to waterproof drop liner technology) so rain is repelled from the surface like water off a duck’s back.

With an athletic, slim cut, the Aquastorm Elite jacket is designed with a contemporary, sporty look and stand out colour contrasts and stripes on the shoulders and sleeves (Black/Steel; Navy/Sea; Sea/Navy; Steel/Black).

The Aquastorm Classic jacket is the epitome of smart, understated style and features two classic plain colour options (all Navy or all Black) or plain colours with a contrasting collar lining (Navy with Sea collar; Sea with Navy collar; Black with Steel collar).

Both suits are complement by the high-spec Aquastorm Trouser available in Navy and Black, with front and rear pockets, leg zips, half elasticated waist band, fly zip and two stud fasteners.

Richard Head, ProQuip managing director, said:

“In my opinion, Aquastorm is the best rain suit in its class. It offers all the high-performance benefits of a technical waterproof outer with the soft comfort and quietness golfers expect of ProQuip’s exclusively developed fabrics.”

As with all ProQuip rain suits, the Aquastorm range comes with a three-year guarantee.

ProQuip is one of the highest profile weatherwear brands in the world of golf and is proud to have been the Preferred Supplier to more Ryder Cup teams – European and US – than any other clothing manufacturer.

Two years ago the European Team, captained by Nick Faldo were odds on favourites to beat a weakened United States team without Tiger Woods who had withdrawn after knee surgery. But the American team ran out comfortable winners at the famous Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky with the help of a boisterous crowd and a few European players for whatever reason underperforming over the three day event.  One of Nick Faldo’s captain’s choices was Ian Poulter.  His inclusion paid off as he was the highest scoring player in the European Team.

The Ryder Cup is like no other golf competition in the world.  Crowds are rowdy and behave more akin to football supporters rather than quiet, appreciative golf fans.  The US crowd helped their team to a famous victory and unsettled European nerves by cheering and booing; while a small group of European fans chanted “there’s only one Ian Poulter, one Ian Poulter” before teeing off.

Lee Westwood did himself no favours by speaking out when Boo Weekley pretended to ride his golf club down the fairway in a mock Kentucky Derby fashion.  The light-humoured fun was said to be disrespectful by Westwood, which only caused the crowd to get on his back.

Previous Ryder Cup ‘sledging’ incidents include Colin Montgomerie’s outburst when certain members of the crowd likened him to Mrs. Doubtfire.  Everyone else seemed amused by this look-a-likey except Monty himself!

Ian Poulter’s was included in the last European Ryder Cup team over this year’s Ryder Cup Captain, Colin Montgomerie.  It will be interesting to see how Monty handles that situation nearer the time as it is obviously going to be a question that is thrown at him by journalists, especially if Ian Poulter doesn’t win an automatic place in this year’s European team and has to rely once more on being a Captain’s Choice.

The 38th Ryder Cup 2010 will take place at Celtic Manor Resort on the outskirts of Newport in South Wales between Friday 1st and Sunday 3rd October.

What an experience it would be to play the same course as the Ryder Cup players.  There is a growing market in the UK for golf holidays and many websites cater specifically for golfers in the UK by regularly offering special deals at some of the best golf courses in the UK.

Celtic Manor includes no fewer than three top class courses, an award winning  clubhouse and floodlit golf academy; and a golf break at one of the UK’s leading golf courses, including one round of golf on the Montgomerie Course, bed and breakfast can cost as little as £79 per person.

Above all other sports, the Ryder Cup is quite possibly my favourite sporting event, and I for one cannot wait for the European Team to reclaim the cup in October.

Last year the British Open Championship was held at Turnberry and after a 4 hole play-off against veteran Tom Watson, the American Stewart Cink won his first major title.

This year, Lee Westwood will head the British contingent following his latest win at the St Jude Classic in Memphis Tennessee after a three-way play-off with American Robert Garrigus and Sweden’s Robert Karlsson.

The British Open attracts the biggest names in golf and so is a perfect excuse for a golf in Scotland weekend break; and the chance to visit the famous St. Andrews course and see the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and other top world ranking players is a bonus.

Following Tiger Woods much lauded return to golf at the US Masters in New York earlier this year everyone will be hoping he recovers from a neck injury that forced him to withdraw from the Players Championship in May. Woods is scheduled to play in the US Open at Pebble Beach this weekend and defend his AT&T National title in July. He also has the added incentive to play at this year’s British Open as he is looking to become the first golfer to win three British Opens at St Andrews after victories there in 2000 and 2005.

This year’s European Ryder Cup captain, Colin Montgomerie qualified for the 2010 Open at St Andrews with a fantastic 62 at Sunningdale New, a course equalling score including five birdies on the last seven holes.

Colin Montgomerie has never missed an Open Championship since making his debut in 1990 at St Andrews.

On qualifying for the 139th British Open, Montgomerie said,

“It is a special place, no question, and I’m just glad the opportunity has been taken. I’ll be 47 when the Open comes round and this will probably be my last opportunity to play the Open at St Andrews.”

The 139th British Open Golf 2010 will take place at St. Andrews, Scotland between 15th and 18th July, so book your golf break now.

monty targets personal win

Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie is hoping to address his own slump in form in recent times by targeting a personal tournament victory before the start of the Ryder Cup.

Monty is currently languishing in 287th place in the world rankings and the 46 year old Scot has not won an individual event since way back in July 2007 and he admits that he has not performed very well in recent times.

He says he would like to have a win under his belt before the Ryder Cup starts, adding “I’d like to stand in front of my team at the opening ceremony as a tournament winner myself this year.”

Montgomerie added that his placement as captain of the Europe team has heaped pressure on him off the links;

“It has been difficult time-wise to fit everything in, to try and concentrate on playing at a certain level at the same time as all of the administration and all of the time consumed in organising and in being the host Ryder Cup captain.

There’s an awful lot more to do being the host than there is being the away captain so it has been very busy, but it’s been exciting at the same time.”

While Monty struggles to find his own game he will draw strength from the players that he will have with him when the Ryder Cup tees off at Celtic Manor in October, with five players currently in the worlds top ten and another four inside the top twenty.

Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Martin Kaymer and Padraig Harrington are amongst the current top ten players with Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald in the top twenty performers.

Tiger Woods welcomed back

Tiger Woods announcement that he will return to golf for The Masters in Augusta in April has been met with almost universal approval from his fellow professionals and fans alike.

Woods will go straight into the Masters with no warm up matches planned and is bound to be followed every step of the way by the media circus that has hounded him since the car crash that somehow escalated into a sex scandal at the end of last year.

Only a few weeks ago Woods had suggested that he may not play again this year, but the turnaround will be welcomed by most involved in the sport.

Britain’s Colin Montgomerie is among the many golfers pleased to see Woods coming back, and spoke for all when he said;

“It is great to hear the news that Tiger has set a date for his return, He has certainly been missed by the players and fans and I am sure everyone is looking forward to seeing him at The Masters.”

The America Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin echoed the sentiments from Monty and added that he hoped Woods would be in his line up for Celtic Manor later in the year.

Pavin said; “If There’s anyone on the planet that can handle any situation on the golfcourse it would be Tiger Woods. He is as mentally tough as anybody I’ve ever seen in my life and I don’t expect there to be any problems in any way. He is the best player in the world and I want him on the team.”

paul mcginley

The Britain and Ireland team go into this week’s Vivendi Trophy in Paris as underdogs following the withdrawal of some of their top players including four the highest ranked players Paul Casey, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter.

The Britian and Ireland team will also be missing Luke Donald and Justin Rose, while the European team will be without Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer.

Regardless of the withdrawals from the Vivendi Trophy, formerly the Seve Trophy, eighteen of the twenty players on show are among the top 100 golfers in the world. Steve Webster and Robert Rock on the British team are the only players outside of the current hundred best.

Britain and Ireland have beaten Continental Europe for the last four years in a row, but captain Paul McGinley will have his work cut out this year as the European team will start as firm favourites.

Britain’s Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie will be in Paris to assess the candidates for his team for next year, but Seve Ballesteros is unlikely to be fit to travel to Paris as he is still on his recovery programme following a brain tumour.

The Ryder Cup qualifying starts next week in Switzerland and ends at Gleneagles in a years time , when the nine automatic qualifiers will be known and Montgomerie will reveal his three wild cards for the event.

Montgomerie has refused to disclose further details from his list, but on current form the twelve top Europeans, in order are:

Paul Casey, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Padraig Harrington, Martin Kaymer, Robert Karlsson, Ian Poulter, Rory McIlroy, Ross Fisher, Luke Donald and Soren Kjeldsen.

Of the twelve, Kaymer, McIlroy, Fisher and Kjeldsen would, if chosen, be making their Ryder Cup debuts.

Montgomerie himself is looking to improve his own game before the Ryder Cup and admits that not being in the top 10 hurts and is eager to get back to winning ways starting with the Johnny Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

“Never mind winning. Let’s walk before we can run here – a top 10 would be great this week and then we can gain some confidence for the next few weeks. All I’ve been doing is competing and I’ve got to get back to contending, so there’s no better time than to start at home.”