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Corporate Masters
The Corporate Masters was established by the Professional Sports Group in 2000. It is designed to provide Chief Executives, Entrepreneurs and Senior Corporate Executives with the chance to entertain key and prospective clients on the golf course and network/compete with their peers. All attendees are “by invitation only” as guests of either the event sponsors or the tournament committee in order to ensure the integrity of the networking. The series is approved by both the R&A and the UAE Golf Association. Over 15,000 leading business executives have taken part in Corporate Masters events since its inception. The 2010 event will see over 20 events worldwide with competitions held for the first time in Germany, India, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and the US. The 2010 World Final is sponsored by Etihad Airways and will be held at the magnificent Yas Links Golf Course in Abu Dhabi on December 6th.
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Tournament Overview
The 2010 Corporate Masters is the biggest yet with 20 events in 12 countries worldwide.
It all started with a handshake on the 18th at Worplesdon Golf Club in Surrey in 1999. Professional Sports Group CEO Jamie Cunningham had just played a round of golf with Tony Fraher, the CEO of a leading investment management company. The same year Fraher had bought the house of BBC sports presenter Sue Barker who Cunningham represented. Cunningham read that he was more interested in golf than tennis in the Telegraph’s City Diary. So he invited Fraher to play in his Professional Sports Group golf event and the concept of the Corporate Masters was born.
“Tony wanted to create a golf tournament where he could mix his IFA clients with his corporate clients…..and they could network with business leaders from other industries. More than anything else, he wanted to avoid what I call the corporate wallpaper golf syndrome. Same clients, same course and it’s been the same for years…So we came up with the Corporate Masters.”
The 2000 event was hosted by Jean Van de Velde at Wentworth Golf Club on the East course, the original Ryder Course with winning pairs from 10 events across the UK. Ten years on Van de Velde is still the tournament host professional and over 10,000 golfers have participated in Corporate Masters events.
Cunningham is CEO of Professional Sports Group (PSG), a leading sports marketing company founded after 5 years working for Mark McCormack at IMG in the early 90s. With offices just outside London and Abu Dhabi, PSG is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and client focused sports marketing companies. Their mantra is “delivering business returns from sport”.
“Anyone in the sports marketing industry is usually there due to a love of sport. However, at PSG our passion is about making our clients’ investments really work. Yes we know and love sport…. and all our events have both competition and fun – and we know how to create the right ingredients for both – but if there are no tangible returns for the business, then it’s patronage….and most businesses today want a return from their investments. The Corporate Masters would be dead like many other corporate golf tournaments if we had not put the emphasis on business returns.”
“The formula is pretty simple really. It took a few years to get it right. We market to business leaders….CEOs’, Directors, MDs, Partners, VPs…the titles vary. The important part is that we want executives with real power of attorney within their roles. We don’t want the 24 year old graduate, who is a scratch golfer unless he becomes CEO.”
“The betterball pairs format is key. It means that a host and client play together and their best Stableford score counts on each hole. We match-make the fourballs so that ideally it’s enjoyable but each group has the potential to do business with each other. In this respect, The Corporate Masters is a networking event which happens to be on a golf course. Ultimately though the host/client relationship is the key. Win or lose, we make sure that they have a great experience which can hopefully benefit their business relationship – since there are not many opportunities to spend 4-5 hours with a key client. What’s that worth? Well we can give you many examples of multi-million dollar deals being done as a result of Corporate Masters events!”
Entry to the Corporate Masters is by invitation only. Either from a sponsor or from the Tournament Committee. Cunningham has a wry smile on the latter: “It’s a nod to my first employer Mark McCormack. His committees chose the invitations for professional to play in golf tournaments. Ultimately, we created the Corporate Masters brand and the Committee may sure we invite the right people!”
There are 2 types of Corporate Masters events: business centres & industry based. With the former, 2010 will see Bangkok, Chicago, Dublin, Munich, Mumbai, Singapore and Tokyo on the schedule for the first time. The Tournament is well established in both the Middle East and UK, where the Building & Construction Corporate Masters has been held since 2004. All event winners will play in the World Final in Abu Dhabi in December, alongside 30 sponsor teams in the Tony Fraher Trophy. The sponsor events allow PSG to guarantee more networking for the CEOs of sponsors with key clients.
Etihad Airways are the presenting partner of the 2010 event. “Etihad have supported us since 2007.” continues Cunningham. “It has been good for them for both business development and customer retention. This year they asked us to create events in key Etihad destinations worldwide with a World Final in Abu Dhabi. We have held Finals at some magnificent venues including Wentworth, Seignosse, Monte Rei and Quinta do Lago. However 2010 will be the best yet at Yas Links. Kyle Phillips has done a spectacular job there and Abu Dhabi’s hospitality is second to none. ”
In a year of many first, the 2010 Final will see another for the Corporate Masters: The Blue Jacket. Cunningham smiles again: “Obvious I know, but it’s going to be a bespoke blazer by a leading designer…and the logo will only be on the inside pocket!” With attention to detail like that, it’s no wonder why the Corporate Masters is the ultimate corporate golf event for business leaders.
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2010 Events
Tournament Date Golf Course Japanese Business Group 19th May Saadiyat Beach GC Construction 22nd June The Buckinghamshire Engineering 29th June Woburn Media 28th July Duchess Course, Woburn Tokyo 31st July Eagle Lake Manchester 9th September Wychwood Newcastle 15th September Slaley Hall Dublin 20th September K-Club London 22nd September Bearwood Lakes Chicago September Munich 1st October Riedhof Abu Dhabi 13th October Abu Dhabi National Glasgow 14th October The Carrick Doha 21st October Doha Golf Club Singapore October Mumbai 13th November Aamby Valley City Dubai 17th November Els Club CEO + Entrepreneurs November Emirates GC - Faldo Oil and Gas November Saadiyat Beach GC Bangkok November Corporate Masters World Final 5th/ 6th December Yas Links -
Sponsors
WORLD FINAL PARTNER AND OFFICIAL AIRLINE
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, made its first commercial flight in November 2003.
Etihad has continued to expand its global flight network and fleet of aircraft at a record-breaking pace whilst at the same time introducing award-winning services to its customers flying to more than 55 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America.
New destinations launched during 2009 included Melbourne, Astana, Istanbul, Athens, Larnaca, Chicago, Cape Town and Hyderabad.
Etihad offers the highest standards of service and comfort both on the ground and in the air. Customers can enjoy world-class cuisine, award-winning flat-beds in its premium cabins and the widest seats in economy, as well as more than 600 hours of on-demand in-flight entertainment.
The profile of the airline has grown substantially through a number of sponsorships locally in Abu Dhabi and internationally.
WORLD FINAL PARTNERS
Situated on the west shores of Yas Island, Yas Links features a 7450 yard par 72 championship course with 8 holes playing along the coastline and all eighteen holes benefiting from coastal views. With undulations varying between +1m-+8m above sea level, wispy long grass, firm fairways and its unpredictable wind movements Yas Links offers a real challenge to any golfer.
The Andalucía clubhouse features a sports bar, fine dining restaurant, gents and ladies locker rooms with steam rooms, a pro shop, reception/lobby area as well as an outdoor pool and croquet lawn with spectacular coastal views.
The dedicated Golf Academy features a private members practice ground, guests practice ground, a nine hole par 3 golf course, dedicated short game practice area, six shaded hitting bays with air ventilation as well as two indoor swing studios - all areas are fully floodlit.
Enjoying a prime location on Yas Island, the Radisson Blu Hotel is a perfect base for business travelers, business events and visitors wanting to explore Abu Dhabi.
Radisson Blu Hotel offers 397 guest rooms and suites with magnificent views of the sea, Golf course and Yas Marina Circuit. MICE facilities are offered to host from 10 to 445 persons. Dining options include Italian, International and Persian restaurants. The hotel features a spa, swimming pools, gym, tennis court, free shuttle service to city centre and children’s play area. The hotel is a 7 minutes drive from the Abu Dhabi International Airport and 20 minutes from the City Centre.
CORPORATE MASTERS PARTNERS
Along with its market dominating golf ball products including the Pro V1, NXT and DT ranges Titleist also produce high performance golf club products - metals, irons, Vokey Design wedges and Scotty Cameron putters - to meet the demands of golfers everywhere. Combined with a stylish range of accessories it’s not hard to see why Titleist stands alone as golf’s symbol of excellence.
At Kukri we’re all about sport, building teams and looking great. Whether it’s Rugby Union, Netball or Golf, we’ll work to create a bespoke look for you and your teams. Our mission is to encourage your passion for sport by creating sportswear with such powerful impact, it changes your very identity.
TAG HEUER EYEWEAR
Synonymous with precision and high quality, TAG Heuer sunglasses have been designed with these two principles very much in mind. With a wide range of activity-specific lenses and frames to suit all preferences.FOOTJOY
FootJoy, the number one shoe and glove brand in golf, is a proud partner of the Corporate Masters. The best selling FootJoy AQL™ range offers golfers ultra-lightweight comfort with added stability for all year round play in a selection of contemporary and traditional designs.POWAKADDY
The number one name in powered golf carts, PowaKaddy continues to lead the way in the electric trolley market. The winners of the Corporate Masters World final will each receive one of the new innovative PowaKaddy TOUCH electric trolleys. The new product offering remains true to PowaKaddy’s key qualities of product innovation, design and technology which continue to drive the market.BUPA
As the UK’s leading provider of private health cover, Bupa’s expertise in providing health and care solutions for business is unrivalled. Our extensive range includes health cover, health risk management, absence management and both individual protection & group risk products: helping you offer a complete end-to-end health and care solution.
GLOBAL EVENTS & PRESENTING SPONSORS
ENGINEERING CORPORATE MASTERS sponsored by WEG
WEG is one of the premier suppliers of automation equipment to the world market, best known for its motor products, producing over 10 million machines annually. In addition, WEG is also a major systems supplier, providing complete turnkey solutions including motors, inverter drives, soft starters, PLCs, high and low voltage switchgear, transformers and systems software. The business had a turnover in excess of $3 billion in 2008 and has over 20,000 employees.
CONSTRUCTION CORPORATE MASTERS presented by BAM
BAM Construct UK Ltd is one of the UK’s leading construction services organisations. Operating throughout 7 Regional offices in the UK and a turnover exceeding £1 billion BAM Construct Ltd is part of the Royal BAM Group which has a global turnover of 9 billion (euros). BAM Construct UK Ltd works within all major markets in the Public and Private sectors, providing value, sustainability and innovation to all projects which are undertaken.
CONSTRUCTION CORPORATE MASTERS presented by KNIGHT BUILD
Knight Build Limited was founded 15 years ago and carries out groundworks, structural concrete, civil engineering and external works packages with Clients and Suppliers with whom we have maintained long-term business relationships through our transparent and collaborative approach. Knight Build continually strives for improvement in Health & Safety, Quality and Environmental performance, thriving on taking on responsibility and delivering service excellence on all our contracts.
MEDIA CORPORATE MASTERS presented by SKY MEDIA
Sky Media is the media sales arm of BSkyB. We sell advertising opportunities across all of Sky’s wholly owned channels. In addition we sell advertising opportunities on behalf of our media partner channels and a number of other blue chip clients. We offer many different ways of reaching our valuable viewers, from spot advertising to specialised targeting in pubs. As a market leader for digital television, we believe we always add insight into any media debate. MANCHESTER, NEWCASTLE & GLASCOW CORPORATE MASTERS presented by DE VERE
Its luxury resorts, located throughout the UK, include Cameron House and The Carrick on Loch Lomond, Slaley Hall in Northumberland and the spectacular Wychwood Park in the heart of Cheshire. Offering luxury accommodation, championship golf and tranquil spas, De Vere resorts make the ideal venue for weekend breaks and corporate events alike.
DOHA CORPORATE MASTERS presented by CARPETLAND
Representing the world’s best brands in flooring solutions, Carpetland is the one-stop-shop for all flooring requirements from wall-to-wall carpeting and area rugs through to wooden parquets and vinyl flooring.
With products for both commercial and residential properties, Carpetland brands embrace originality and quality in style and product while maintaining range in price.
As a brand that aims to add value to the consumer experience, Carpetland supplements its products with professional consulting services including design, installation and maintenance.
GLOBAL EVENT OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS
THE NATIONAL
The National, Abu Dhabi Media Company’s first English-language publication, is setting a new standard in quality journalism in English-language newspapers in the Middle East.
Since its launch in April 2008 The National has sought to lead a national debate about the issues affecting the UAE. With 250 reporters based across the UAE and in foreign bureau throughout the world, The National tells the story of the Middle East as seen through the region’s eyes. Focused on the capital, Abu Dhabi, but anchored in the new social and political reality that is the emerging nation within a fast changing global context, the paper offers fresh, compelling content that’s made in the UAE.
Leading the region in analytical content and comment, the editorial staff was drawn from leading publications around the world, including editors from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, The Press Association, The Times and The Daily Telegraph.
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World Final Winners
Bovey Castle 2009
Adam Savage (Bupa) & Tony Socan Monte Rei 2008
Riaz Rattansi (Narrow Street) & Vivek Gohil Monte Rei 2007
St. John Cox (Bupa) & Derek Grey Montecastillo 2006
Phill Lynch (One51) & Pat Alley Four Seasons 2005
Paul Wickman (William Grant) & George Benson Seignosse 2004
Sandro Forte (Forte Financial) & Brad Porter Quinte de Lago 2003
Tim Prew (Ford) & Peter Morris Hanbury Manor 2002
Bob Taylor (Energis) & Sean Morris Wentworth 2001
Rod Duncan (Schroders) & Jason Small Wentworth 2000
Mike Perry & Samantha Hill -
The 2010 World Final
Yas Links Golf Club, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi - 6th December 2010 (Practice Round 5th December 2010)
At each event there will be a maximum of 100 participants i.e. 50 teams. The winning team from each event will go forward on an all expenses trip including business class travel with Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi to play in the World Final. The event is approved by the Royal & Ancient Golf Course of St. Andrews under Rule 4-2g for the provision of expenses.
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Rules
1. Each team of 2 players must consist of a business leader and his/her guest. The guest may not work for the same company as the business leader.2. At each event, a host/customer team of two will play a better-ball Stableford format in a four-ball with another team. The handicap allowance is ¾ handicap. The Fourball is arranged by the event organisers (PSG) & the sponsors.
3. Each player must have a recognised Golf Handicap. (Maximum Handicap allowance is 24 for men / 36 for women). Ideally a player’s Golf Handicap should be registered with a governing association e.g. Golf Association, R&A, USGA, EGC etc. Discretion though may apply here given the number of corporate golfers who do not have an official handicap. However if a pair wins, PSG reserves the right to disqualify any player who does not have an official handicap if suspicions arise and his/her handicap cannot be officially established.
4. Lady competitors will have the difference in standard scratch scores taken into account and handicaps altered accordingly before shots are allocated. Men to play from the men’s tee/card of the day and ladies from the ladies tee/card of the day.
5. Entry is traditionally by invitation only of either a sponsor or the organisers. This does vary in various locations. The organisers reserve the right not to enter the score of any team with two golfers from the same company.
6. The winning Team from each event is the Team with the most points. In the event of a tie, the winning team will be decided by the highest number of points on hole 10-18. If there is still a tie, the team with the highest score on 1-9 will be declared the winner. If there is still a tie, then the team with the most recorded net birdies on their betterball card will be the winner. If there is still a draw, there will be a blind draw of lots.
7. The winning team will be invited to compete in the World Corporate Masters Final in Abu Dhabi on 5th & 6th Dec. All winners based outside the UAE or who win a qualifying event will be flown in business class by Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi and provided with B&B accommodation for a minimum of 2 nights.
8. If one member of the pair becomes unable to attend, then the team’s place in the final will be offered to the runners-up of the qualifying event i.e. a pairing cannot change between the qualifying event and the World Final.
9. The event is approved by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews under whose rules the tournament is run. Local club rules apply at each event.
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ENTER
To be considered for an invite into a Corporate Masters 2010 event, please kindly register using the entry form - Click Here.
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