PowerPlay Golf announces new events

PowerPlay Golf has announced the first of three unique professional golf tournaments to be televised live worldwide at the end of May.

Ignition, as the tournament is known, will be held at The Celtic Manor Resort, City of Newport, Wales, on Bank Holiday Monday May 30, 2011 and will consist of a field of 12 headlined by South African golfing great Gary Player.

Other participants include reigning US Open champions Graeme McDowell and Paula Creamer, English duo Paul Casey and Ian Poulter, and Major winners John Daly, Ian Woosnam and Helen Alfredsson.  

PowerPlay Golf spokesman Colin Montgomerie OBE has high hopes for the tournament. "Stand by for something very special," said Monty.

"Golf around the world is about to discover a new dimension. We believe the time is right to launch a new format, which complements the long form of the game, and adds fresh impetus to the sport."

The tournament, which has been called golf's Twenty20 by some, will be played over nine holes with two flags on each green in varying locations of difficulty and golfers will be encouraged to aim for the more challenging black flags which have a higher points value.

"PowerPlay Golf is an exciting new competitive format where golfers attack tougher pin positions to achieve better scores. Now you can experience true risk versus reward on every hole and find out if you have the mind to manage the course correctly," said nine-time Major winner Gary Player.

Graeme McDowell, winner of last year's Celtic Manor Wales Open, echoed Player's statement. "Creating a three hour risk-and-reward shoot-out live for TV is a great idea and I am sure we will all be going full on to win," added G-Mac.

The winner of the May tournament will receive £100,000 from a £350,000 prize fund with PowerPlay Golf donating a further 20% of players' prize money to the charity of their choice.

The remaining two PowerPlay tournaments will be held in Asia on November 7 and America on November 25.