The third edition of the Royal Trophy has been scheduled for January 9-11, 2009; confirming that the prestigious Asia versus Europe showdown will retain the pre-season placement in the golf calendar which has greatly contributed to the Championship’s immense success in 2006 and 2007. The continental competition will continue to be played at the flawless 7,470-yard Amata Spring Country Club layout.

The Royal Trophy is the result of the legendary Seve Ballesteros’ vision of bringing the three billion people Asian continent together to compete against the masters of team golf – Europe, in a Ryder Cup format.

Prior to the first ever staging of the Championship five-time major winner Ballesteros requested the blessing from His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, the world’s longest reigning Monarch, for the holding of the historic matches in Thailand. In a most gracious act, His Majesty the King not only extended a warm welcome to the Kingdom but also elected to donate a perpetual 16-kilogram solid-silver Trophy – stewardship of which would become the principal award for the competition. The first two editions were staged in January 2006 and 2007 respectively with great success as the matches were played under glorious weather, attracted massive fan galleries, featured the highest standard of professional team golf and the players demonstrated a fantastic spirit of intense competition and rivalry while concurrently upholding the purest level of sportsmanship.

Over the two editions Ballesteros himself led the European effort as Captain and counted with some of the continent’s very best players including Ryder Cup stars Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, David Howell, Robert Karlsson as well as legends of golf Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam.

The Asian Team was led by Japan Tour Lifetime Member Massy Kuramoto in the first edition and then by 35-tournament title winner Joe Ozaki in 2007. The Asian troops to battle the Europeans have included many of Asia’s top talents including Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa from India, Zhang Lian-wei from China, Japan’s number one player Toru Taniguchi, Korean Y. E. Yang and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee, Thaworn Wiratchant and Prom Meesawat.

The third edition of the Royal Trophy had previously been scheduled to take place in January 2008 but was subsequently postponed in respect to Thailand’s mourning period over the passing of Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana which brought about great sorrow for all the Thais.

The third edition of the Royal Trophy promises to bring to the fore some exciting new elements, presently under consideration, including the inclusion of Australian, New Zealander and Pacific Island players into the Asian Team. The Spaniard Ballesteros and Japanese golfing great Joe Ozaki have already confirmed their captaincy of the European and Asian Teams respectively.

“We have had two fantastic inaugural editions of the Royal Trophy. I am very much looking forward to captaining the European Team in January of 2009 in our defense of the Trophy,” said Ballesteros, the first ever European golfer to win at Augusta National’s Masters.

“I believe the Royal Trophy will play a similar role for Asian golf to that which the Ryder Cup played for our sport in Europe. The Royal Trophy will become one of the world’s great sporting competitions,” added the three-time Open Championship winner.

The three-day competition will feature foursomes, four-ball and singles matches in what promises to be a terrific spectacle of ‘match play’ golf at its best.

“I am delighted to captain the Asian Team for the third edition of the Royal Trophy in January of 2009. We will do our utmost to prevail over the Europeans and gain stewardship over the majestic Royal Trophy,” said the youngest of the three-brother Ozaki golf dynasty.