New York's Saint Andrew's Golf Club to celebrate 125th anniversary

When the Saint Andrew's Golf Club-the oldest continuously existing golf club in America, founded in 1888-commemorates its 125th Anniversary this June, one of the highlights of the week-long celebration will be a star-studded panel of golf luminaries gazing into a crystal ball to predict the game's future.

On Saturday, June 8, the famed Waldorf Astoria in midtown Manhattan will host the club's Gala Anniversary Dinner Dance. A major part of the evening's program will be a roundtable conversation on the "The Present and Future of Golf," featuring notables from across the golf world.

Hosting the discussion will be Jimmy Roberts of NBC Sports, who also will serve as the evening's Master of Ceremonies. Joining him in focusing on the game will be:
• Billy Casper, Jr., one of golf's most prolific winners, two-time U.S. Open champion, winner of The Masters, and member of the World Golf Hall of Fame
• Ted Bishop, current president of the PGA of America and Director of Golf/General Manager of The Legends Golf Club in Franklin, Indiana
• Michael Breed, 2012 PGA National Teacher of the Year, author, and host of "The Golf Fix" on Golf Channel
• Stina Sternberg, Global Golf Director for Golf Digest

Following the roundtable, the dinner's keynote speech will be given by actor and golf enthusiast John O'Hurley, who has become famous-when not playing golf-by playing J. Peterman on "Seinfeld" as well as performing on Broadway and around the country. Another highlight of the evening will be a special presentation by USGA President Glen Nager, recognizing the association's five founding clubs for their pioneering vision in organizing the game of golf in America.

The New York-based PVH Corp. (NYSE: PVH) and its IZOD brand is the title sponsor for Saint Andrew's week-long anniversary celebration, which will honor the past, present and future of golf, while raising funds for charity. In addition to IZOD, PVH Corp. markets many of the most famous brands in men's wear worldwide, including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Van Heusen and ARROW.

IZOD has relationships with world-ranked golf professionals, including 2012 U.S. Open Champion Webb Simpson, PGA Tour Champion Scott Piercy and PGA Tour player Spencer Levin, all of who wear IZOD Golf apparel on the golf course.

"We are extremely pleased to participate in the 125th Anniversary Celebration with The Saint Andrew's Golf Club," said Emanuel Chirico, Chairman and CEO of PVH Corp. "The club's vision to celebrate this unique milestone while raising funds for important charitable causes typifies the character and integrity we so admire within the golf industry."

The gala evening is the culmination of a week of events honoring The Saint Andrew's Golf Club. Highlights of the week include the Folds of Honor Pro-Am Golf Tournament (Tuesday, June 4) to support the families of killed or disabled members of the military; the Celebration of Women's Golf (Wednesday, June 5), marking the history and growth of women's golf in America; and the Celebrity-Am Golf Tournament (Friday, June 7), an invitation-only event at Saint Andrew's Golf Club featuring celebrities from the world of sports and entertainment, paired with amateur golfers.

Continuing its legacy of charitable involvement, Saint Andrew's has designated The First Tee of Metropolitan New York and the Folds Of Honor Foundation as the two key beneficiaries of the celebration, which has already attracted a variety of distinguished supporters and participants, from renowned golf champions and current tour pros to public figures, celebrities and sports legends.

Members of The Saint Andrew's Golf Club are cognizant of their stewardship of the club's place in golf history and the significant role that Saint Andrew's has played in fostering the birth and growth of golf in the United States. "The founders of our club were motivated by a passion for golf, and a desire to organize and grow the game in America," stated George Miller, President of Saint Andrew's. "Our anniversary celebration has been designed to honor that legacy, by giving back to the community around us, and supporting the next 125 years of golf in America."

To inquire about participating in The Saint Andrew's Golf Club 125th Anniversary events, to purchase tickets for the Gala Anniversary Dinner Dance or to make a contribution to The Saint Andrew's Golf Club 125th Anniversary Fund, contact Karen Degnan at (914) 478-3500, or visit http://www.125yearsofgolfinamerica.com.

Source  http://www.worldgolf.com/newswire/browse/76811-New-Yorks-Saint-Andrews-Golf-Club-celebrate-125th-anniversary

Gary Player visits Brazil in support of Brasil Classic tournament

The man who put South Africa on the golfing map landed in São Paulo on a mission to do the same for the sport in Brazil.

As part of its sponsorship of this week's Brasil Classic tournament (April 4-7), global golf sponsor HSBC has flown in international golf legend Gary Player to help the country's best young amateur prepare for the event with a 48 hour masterclass in golfing excellence.

As the countdown continues to golf's return to the Olympic Games at Rio 2016, the nine time Major winner gave São Paulo-born Rafael Becker a putting lesson on the roof of the city's tallest building, Centenario Plaza - a perfect birthday present for the former Brazilian No 1 junior who turns 22 today.

Player, a finalist for the 2016 Rio Olympic golf course design bid, hopes to lend the young Brazilian advice from his storied career that includes a record setting 59 en route to his 1974 Brazil Open victory.

Becker - the only local amateur taking part in the US $675,000 Brasil Classic presented by HSBC - will spend two days under the wing of the golf icon as part of a comprehensive masterclass covering everything from mental preparation to diet and fitness plus all aspects of the game from tee to green. The pair will also play a full round together at the tournament's Pro-Am event.

Brasil Classic presented by HSBC is a new event on the Web.com Tour, the developmental tour which represents the main opportunity to earn a place on the PGA Tour.

South African Player, who is renowned as the world's most travelled sportsman having clocked up an incredible 25 million km, said: "When I first started to travel the world in the 1950s it was a genuine breakthrough moment for golf in South Africa - now could be the moment for Brazil and if my visit can inspire the next generation of talent that really would be fantastic.

"When HSBC contacted me I was more than happy to answer the call - Rio 2016 is fast approaching and this Brasil Classic event is a great shop window for golf in this part of the world.

"I'm absolutely thrilled that golf will be included in the Olympics once again. The exposure will be a great catalyst for growth and development around the world, especially in new, emerging markets and the growth in Brazil and Latin America will be tremendous.

"The global game of golf is developing at a rapid pace and there's one thing I've learnt in my career - change is the price of survival."

Giles Morgan, HSBC Global Head of Sponsorship & Events, added: "This year marks HSBC's tenth anniversary as a major international sponsor of golf - in that time we have been involved in 30 tournaments and 1,000 golf days and helped thousands of children worldwide get involved in the game of golf.

"As a global banking and financial services organisation, we pride ourselves on opening up a world of opportunities for people and we want to help Brazil maximize the Olympic opportunity - this is why we have sponsored this groundbreaking new event on the Web.com Tour and why we have flown one of the best golfer's in history to São Paulo this week.

"We hope Rafael can go on to great things for Brasil and it would be incredible to see him making an impact at Rio 2016 - with a nine time major winner on his side he's got a great chance."

For further information, please contact:
HSBC Golf Press Office
Steve Bradley 07771 776568 steve.bradley@hkstrategies.com

About HBSC:
HSBC provides a comprehensive range of financial services to around 89 million customers through four global businesses; Global Retail Banking and Wealth Management, Global Commercial Banking, Global Banking and Markets and Global Private Banking.

The HSBC Group
HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of the HSBC Group, is headquartered in London. The Group serves customers worldwide from around 6,900 offices in over 80 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, North and Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa. With assets of US$2,721bn at 30 September 2012, the HSBC Group is one of the world's largest banking and financial services organisations.

HSBC Golf Sponsorships
HSBC's global commitment to golf encompasses all levels of the game, from grassroots to elite. HSBC is a Patron of The Open Championship and this partnership with The Royal & Ancient creates a centre of gravity in a global golf portfolio that spans HSBC's key markets. In Asia, HSBC has spearheaded the arrival of world-class golf events, with its flagship WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai and HSBC Women's Champions in Singapore. The WGC-HSBC Champions is renowned as 'Asia's Major' and was once described by 14-time Major winner and former World Number 1 Tiger Woods as "The crowning jewel of all of Asian golf."

HSBC has been co-title sponsor of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship since 2010 and the event has quickly become one of the biggest events on the European PGA Tour calendar. As golf returns to the Olympic Games for Rio 2016, HSBC is sponsoring the Brasil Classic event on the Web.com Tour in April 2013.

However, underpinning those blue-riband events is a longer-term goal to create a legacy from HSBC's global tournaments through its sponsorship of youth development and grassroots programmes. As well as committing to the professional game, HSBC has a longer-term goal to create the legacy through sponsorship of youth development and grassroots programmes around the world. In China, HSBC supports the HSBC China Junior Golf Program - a sustainable long-term structure and framework upon which the future of Chinese golf is being built. This includes the HSBC-sponsored China National Junior Team, the HSBC China Junior Open and the HSBC National Junior Golf Championship: a year-long series of tournaments designed to give China's elite junior golfers the competitive platform they need to develop their game. In the UK HSBC is sponsor of HSBC Golf Roots - The Golf Foundation's national development programme which promotes the sport in schools, helps youngsters into clubs, and uses golf to promote important life skills such as honesty and respect. 

Source  http://www.worldgolf.com/newswire/browse/74957-GOLF-LEGEND-GARY-PLAYER-OLYMPIC-MISSION-BRAZIL