FAN ATTENDANCE EXPECTED TO GROW SIGNIFICANTLY AT ROYAL TROPHY

Fan attendance at the Royal Trophy is expected to grow significantly in the Event’s third edition to be held on January 9-11 at the prestigious Amata Spring Country Club, according to Tournament spokesperson Lincoln Venancio.

“We have had fantastic galleries in the first two editions of the Royal Trophy. In 2006 the Event was already arguably featuring the largest galleries for a golf event in Asia and in 2007 the galleries grew even further. But we have seen very strong growth in demand for tickets this year and expect larger galleries than previously which will create a truly exciting ‘team golf’ atmosphere;” said Venancio.

“We believe there are multiple factors for the great interest we are experiencing. Now in its third edition, the Royal Trophy has grown in stature and will feature a terrific group of players representing both Asia and Europe. The nomination of Prayad Marksaeng and Thongchai Jaidee to the Asian Team is likely to be playing a factor, the attendance of two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal has generated a lot of interest and the very strong Japanese line-up which includes two-time Japan Tour Order of Merit champion Toru Taniguchi, eight-time tournament title winner Hideto Tanihara and seventeen year old sensation Ryo Ishikawa has made the Event a ‘must see’;” added Venancio.

Among the highlights in the Asian Team are Thai star Prayad Marksaeng who is coming off the best season of his career with three tournament title wins in the competitive Japan Tour, one of which was the prestigious Dunlop Phoenix tournament. Two-time Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Thongchai Jaidee has had an explosive year-end winning two of the last three tournaments he played. The presence of Charlie Wi adds a lot of weight to the Asian side as he is one of the few Asian golfers to succeed in playing full-time in the US PGA Tour – the world’s toughest. Wi will be making a return to Asia for the Continental showdown with a lot of confidence following his remarkable top ten finish at the US PGA Championship.

Ryo Ishikawa is another star that thousands of fans are bound to want to follow through Amata Spring’s 7,470-yard layout. He is the youngest ever winner of a professional title in history, the youngest player to turn professional in the Japan Tour, has already won two Tour titles and this year finished second in two of the Tour’s most prestigious tournaments – the Japan Open and the Dunlop Phoenix. As a result of his good looks and soft spoken manner, Ishikawa’s appeal stretches well beyond the ‘hard core’ golf fan. He is already one of the most photographed celebrities in Japan and at all tournaments he plays huge young female-biased galleries are present. Known in Japan as the ‘Shy Prince’, he is one of the few players in the world to attract ‘Tiger-like galleries’.

Preparation of the infrastructure for the Event has been implemented with the expectation of record size galleries with strong emphasis on transportation, the availability of high quality food and beverages, a much larger Grand Stand surrounding the first tee-box, special ‘cooling zones’ located at select holes and the availability of wireless internet access throughout the entire venue.

“We are excited about the tremendous interest we are experiencing. It is clear confirmation that the Continental team golf format of the Royal Trophy appeals to the fans. It is also really good news that as a result of the strong ticket sales, the Event is raising significant sums of money for Thai charities. The Royal Trophy is clearly making a good contribution to the community;” concluded Venancio.

The Royal Trophy will feature four foursomes matches on Friday January 9, followed by four four-ball matches on Saturday and Asia and Europe clashing on eight singles matches on the final Sunday.

On Tuesday January 6 at 4:30pm, the Royal Trophy Ceremonial Opening Shot will take place at a ‘purpose-built’ par three hole at CentralWorld Square in downtown Bangkok. A first for golf anywhere in the world, the Ceremonial Opening Shot will feature the legendary Spaniard Olazabal, Asian Team Captain and winner of thirty career titles Naomichi ‘Joe’ Ozaki, Thai golfing hero Thongchai Jaidee and three additional players. The special Opening set in a ‘dramatic’ setting provides the fans the opportunity to watch the golf stars from a very close distance and possibly secure an autograph or picture. Admission is free.

For information on Royal Trophy tickets and details on privileged passes for the Ceremonial Opening Shot, please visit www.TheRoyalTrophy.com or call 02 651 9499.