European Tour event for Bulgaria

Published on 23/10/2012 03:46

Bulgaria will host a European Tour event for the first time when the 2013 World Match Play Championship is staged at the Black Sea resort of Thracian Cliffs.

Organisers have said that the move from Andalucia in Spain, where the tournament has been staged for the last three years, to Bulgaria was part of a plan to rotate the venue of the championship that has been in operation since 1964. “This is a real coup to be chosen to host such a prestigious international tournament with a rich heritage and sporting tradition,” Prime Minister Boiko Borisov said. “The vast media coverage will deliver a reputable boost for Bulgaria and our tourism industry. The recent growth of golf in our country will have the opportunity to be showcased around the world.”

Some of the biggest names in the sport have won the World Match Play – Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Greg Norman, the late Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and South African Ernie Els who has lifted the trophy a record seven times. Thracian Cliffs has been described as the “Pebble Beach of Europe”.

Nicolas Colsaerts, a member of Europe’s triumphant Ryder Cup team in Chicago last month, will be defending his World Match Play title from 16-19 May.