BEIJING, China, Nov. 9 -- Xinhua/ PRNewswire/ AsiaNet
JOHNNIE WALKER, the world's number one deluxe Scotch whisky, announced
today the selection of Beijing, China, as the host city of the 2005 JOHNNIE
WALKER CLASSIC, Asia Pacific's premier golf event. This will be the first time
the JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC has been played in mainland China, and marks an
important milestone for the 14-year old tournament and the development of the
sport of golf in China.
Commenting on the decision, Mr. Ben Anderson, JOHNNIE WALKER Global Brand
Director said: "We are thrilled to bring our prestigious event to the great
nation of China. We hope that by bringing the JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC to China
that we can help to build appeal and prestige for golf and recognition of
JOHNNIE WALKER Scotch whisky, both of which are undisputedly Scotland's
greatest gifts to the world."
The 2005 JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC, presented by Johnnie Walker, the world's
leading Scotch whisky with annual sales of approximately 11.7 million
nine-litre cases, will be played at the Jack Nicklaus designed Pine Valley Golf
Resort and Country Club in Beijing from April 21st through the 24th, and will
again attract some of the world's best players. The event is tri-sanctioned by
the European, Asian and Australasian PGA Tours and features prize money of
GBP1,250,000 (RMB18,195,305), an increase of 25% on last year. The JOHNNIE
WALKER CLASSIC is one of the richest events in Asia and will be the biggest and
richest tournament ever held in Beijing.
Mr. Hu Jian Guo, Vice Chairman of the China Golf Association, which has
officially sanctioned the tournament, echoed Mr. Anderson's enthusiasm for
staging the event in China:
"The JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC, is one of Asia's great tournaments and we are
very proud to host this event here in China in 2005. The JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC
will give Chinese professional golfers the chance to compete alongside some of
the best golfers in the world, and will showcase our strength in attracting and
hosting world class events leading up to the Beijing Olympics in 2008," he said.
The JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC, jointly owned by JOHNNIE WALKER and IMG, was
first staged in Hong Kong in 1990. Over the past fourteen years, the event has
been played in eight different Asian cities over ten different golf courses.
The popular event has always attracted world-class players and has been won by
some of the best known names in international golf: England's Nick Faldo, the
winner of six major championships, won the inaugural event in 1990 and again in
1993. American Tiger Woods, world no. 1 for a record 264 consecutive weeks,
won in Phuket in 1998 and in Bangkok in 2000. Australian Greg Norman, the
winner of two majors, won in Phuket in 1994 when he was the world no. 1.
American Fred Couples, with 1 major championship to his credit won in the
Philippines in 1995, Welshman Ian Woosnam, past US Masters Champion won in
Singapore in 1996. Ernie Els of South Africa, three time major winner and
world no. 2 won the JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC on the Gold Coast and in Perth,
Western Australia in 1997 and in 2003 respectively. Michael Campbell, New
Zealand's no. 1 golfer won in Taipei in 1999. South African Retief Goosen, the
current US Open Champion won in Perth in 2002 and European Ryder Cup star,
Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain won the 2004 event in Bangkok.
Dr. Chanchai, Chairman of the Pine Valley Golf Resort and Country Club,
commented on the unique honour staging the event bestows upon the club, saying
"As the most influential golf club in China, Pine Valley is proud to provide a
challenging, world-class venue for the JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC. We look forward
to promoting golf in China by welcoming many of the World's best players to our
Club for what promises to be a great tournament."
JOHNNIE WALKER is the world's number one deluxe Scotch whisky. When it
comes to the game of golf, there are few brands that can match JOHNNIE WALKER's
association with the sport, which extends back more than 100 years making it an
integral part of the brand's Scottish heritage. The joint history of JOHNNIE
WALKER and golf comes together perfectly in the JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC.
NOTES TO THE EDITORS :
In the game of golf, there are few brands that can match JOHNNIE WALKER'S
association with the sport and the style and excellence of its flagship
tournament -- THE JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC. It is a tournament that in fourteen
years has gained the reputation of being one of the best in the world,
continually attracting outstanding players, huge galleries and worldwide
television coverage.
The JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC jointly owned and proudly presented by DIAGEO
plc and IMG. DIAGEO plc is the world's leading premium drinks business, and is
the proud owner of the JOHNNIE WALKER brand. JOHNNIE WALKER is the world's
leading deluxe Scotch whisky with annual sales of approximately 11.7 million
nine-litre cases. IMG is the world's premier sports and lifestyle management
and marketing firm with an international staff of more than 2,200 people in 70
offices in 30 countries.
JOHNNIE WALKER has a long association with golf. Golf and Scotch whisky are
arguably two of Scotland's greatest gifts to the world, which may explain why
the world's leading Scotch whisky brand, JOHNNIE WALKER, sponsors Asia
Pacific's premier golf event, the JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC. But there is more to
this brand's long-term commitment to the game of golf.
Says the JOHNNIE WALKER Global Brand Director Ben Anderson; "This
world-class tournament is an opportunity for us to build relationships on many
levels, with our consumers, with our trade, and with the players themselves.
Most of all the tournament is a platform to promote the philosophy that lies at
the heart of the JOHNNIE WALKER brand, Keep Walking."
"This philosophy is about inspiring personal progress, inspiring people to
take the next step on their journey towards their goals. Professional Golfers
are inspiring examples of this message as they have overcome challenges to
excel at the highest level of the sport. We hope that the tournament inspires
others to follow their own dreams."
The JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC was the first and only event to be
tri-sanctioned by the European, Asian and Australasian PGA Tours. Uniquely, the
location for the tournament changes every year as the event moves from one
exotic location to another. It has been held in Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore,
Australia, Philippines and even Taiwan. The tournament attracts crowds of up to
60,000 people and hosts over 300 local and international media, and is watched
across the world with a global TV audience reach of 200 million households with
up to 700 hours of live broadcast.
The tournament attracts one of the best fields of players assembled in Asia
every year, drawing from the best players in Europe, Asia and Australia. They
compete for what has been one if the biggest prizes in Golf in Asia, with a
total purse in 2005 of GBP1.25 million (over RMB18 million), an increase of 25%
on last year, and a winner's cheque of GBP208,333 (over RMB3 million).
To learn more about the 2005 JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC, please contact
Burson-Marsteller at:
Derek Ng
Burson-Marsteller Shanghai
Tel: +86-21-6249-1640, ext. 133
Email: [email protected]
SOURCE JOHNNIE WALKER
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