PGA Catalunya Resort welcomes back ECCO Tour Winter Series
21 February 2017
The Danish satellite ECCO Tour is returning to PGA Catalunya Resort for the third successive year – validating the venue’s status as a proving ground for the world’s best golfers.
The Costa Brava-based European Tour Destination – which has hosted The Tour’s Qualifying School Final Stage event since 2008 – will host the ECCO Tour Winter Series from February 12-21, 2017.
The week long competition, will see a field of 132 compete in back-to-back 54-hole strokeplay tournaments over the resort’s two championship courses – the tight, strategic Tour and the dramatic, muscular Stadium layout, ranked the best in Spain by Top100golfcourses.com and Golf World magazine.
The strength of PGA Catalunya Resort’s two layouts is reflected in the event’s formats. Both will see a round played on each course before a 36-hole cut is made; the final round of the Mediter Real Estate Masters (February 14-16) will take place on the Tour course, and the final round of the PGA Catalunya Championship (February 19-21) on the Stadium course. Each event has a prize fund of €50,000.
“The quality of the courses and practice facilities makes PGA Catalunya Resort a great venue for a 10-day series – and this year, the modernising of the five-star Hotel Camiral makes this leg of the ECCO Tour a truly world-class experience for all players,” said Flemming Astrup, ECCO Tour owner and CEO.
“In addition, the strength of the field we get here reflects the quality of the venue and we are very happy to return to PGA Catalunya Resort for a third straight time.”
Founded in 2003, the ECCO Tour presents a valuable stage for emerging talent. It has proved an important stepping-stone for a host of European Tour stars including 2016 ISPS HANDA World Cup winner, Thorbjørn Olesen, 2015 BMW Masters champion, Kristoffer Broberg, ECCO Tour Player of the Year 2012, Lucas Bjerregaard, and 2017 European Tour rookie, Sebastian Söderberg.
This year, competitors to watch include the talented Swedish youngster, Marcus Kinhult, and Dane, Joachim B. Hansen, both seeking to return to The European Tour after unsuccessful 2016 campaigns, as well as Germany’s Florian Fritsch.
“PGA Catalunya Resort is a remarkable venue,” commented returning contender Marcus Kinhult. “The two courses are fantastic, enjoyable and challenging at the same time, and the practice facilities, including the addition of the new five star hotel, make it one of the most complete resorts in Europe.”
For further information about PGA Catalunya Resort, please visit www.pgacatalunya.com or for details about The 2017 ECCO Tour Winter Series, please refer to www.eccotour.org/17
ENDS
Image caption 1: Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult who returns to PGA Catalunya Resort for The 2017 ECCO Tour Winter Series
Image caption 2: Denmark’s Joachim B. Hansen during The 2015 ECCO Tour Winter Series at PGA Catalunya Resort
About PGA Catalunya Resort
Opened in 1999, PGA Catalunya Resort quickly established an international reputation for outstanding quality. The Stadium Course is ranked the number one golf course in Spain by the Top100golfcourses.com website and Golf World magazine, which also recognises the venue in its World Top 100 Courses and Top 100 Golf Resorts rankings.
The 36-hole resort, a European Tour Destination, also boasts the 5* Hotel Camiral, designed by critically-acclaimed interior designers Lázaro Rosa-Violán, whose creation combines contemporary design with striking urban-chic interiors to compliment the modern, low-density real estate development and first class leisure facilities that have made PGA Catalunya Resort one of the most sought after golf destinations in the world.
Conveniently situated close to Girona-Costa Brava Airport (five-minute drive) and Barcelona International Airport (one-hour drive), the venue also benefits from the recently completed high-speed train line that links Girona (approximately 15 kilometres from PGA Catalunya Resort) to the rest of Spain and Europe, which provides even faster connections to major cities, including Barcelona, which can now be reached in just 37 minutes.
Contact:
Manuela Whittaker – Planning Director
PGA Catalunya Resort c/o Landmark Media
Tel: +44 (0) 1780 752790
Email: manuela@landmark-media.com
Website: www.pgacatalunya.com
Fonte IAGTO