This is an exciting development and the tournaments will be run as a joint endeavour between the Volvo Car Corporation in India and the PGTI – the Professional Golf Tour of India. Linked to this, Volvo is delighted to be the Official Automobile Partner for all PGTI-sanctioned professional golf events this year.

At present there are seven Volvo dealerships in India, and each will host a golf tournament this year which will be supervised by the PGTI. The best-placed finishers at each event will qualify for the national final in New Delhi later in the year, at which the two leading golfers will win an invitation to compete in the World Final next January. As in previous years, this will be run in conjunction with the Volvo Golf Champions at a very special golfing destination.

This is also just the start, as in 2013 we aim to offer 10-12 tournaments, and we look forward to continuing the growth of the championship in line with the increase of Volvo’s presence in India.

We are also very pleased to announce that coverage of the Volvo World Golf Challenge will be broadcast on national television with four 30-minute programs being shown on one of India’s leading channels. This will offer a potential combined household reach of more than 100 million viewers; a real chance to raise awareness of Volvo Cars in general whilst showcasing specific models.

Although the Volvo World Golf Challenge is already widely recognised as the biggest and most prestigious event for the club golfer, there is an additional element that is unique to Volvo and unique to this tournament. Each year, the best placed amateurs from the World Final get to tee it up with two top Professionals – stars of the European Tour – to form a 3-ball and contest the Amateur-Pro Team Competition. The format for this is that whilst the Pros are playing their own singles competition, their gross scores on each hole are merged with the net score of the amateur with the best two of the three used for the team. The benefit of this for the amateur is that he or she can have a bad hole and the score will not be used!

However, this is treated as a serious competition in its own right – to such an extent that Volvo offer the prize of a brand new V60 car to each of the two Pros in the winning team. This year, the competition took place on Friday, the second of the four days of the Volvo Golf Champions, an elite tournament open only to proven winners. The limited number of Pros who qualify to play in the event meant that this time there were 18 coveted places available to the amateurs. And when the 2-day World Final of the Volvo World Golf Challenge was completed the day before, the excellent mix of successful amateurs meant that no fewer than twelve countries were represented. Nationalities included Austria, Italy, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sweden and the UK, reflecting the truly global nature of this prestigious and ever-growing event. An added excitement and nerve-tingling aspect was that the golf was being shown live on television all over the world to a potential audience of many millions.

Happily, the intense heat of the previous two days eased off a little so that the understandably nervous amateurs didn’t feel quite so overwhelmed. The friendly Pros also all did their bit by putting the players at their ease and making them feel it was a team effort.

Scoring was initially very close with most teams well under par, but around mid-afternoon one team managed to raise their game a level and ease themselves clear. Mark Vandenberghe from the UK, accompanied by fellow Englishman Lee Slattery and local hero Retief Goosen, managed to birdie the last and post a very impressive team score of 18 under par. The 7-handicapper from London was at the same time tired and elated, and described the golf course as “awesome… both the guys made me feel very comfortable, it was great, absolutely great.” Joking about the experience, former US Open champion Goosen said, “He hit some better shots out there than me!” And on winning a car, “How great is this? I didn’t even have to make a hole-in-one!” Third member of the team, Lee Slattery, shot the day’s best score, a sensational 8 under par 65. He felt that his amateur team mate had “…holed some great putts under pressure and hit some great shots as well. We all gelled well as a team.”

In second place, three shots behind was amateur Henning Frech from Austria who played with Charl Schwartzel, the reigning US Masters champion, and Simon Dyson from England. Two strokes further back were two more teams on 13 under par. The first featured amateur Guillermo Aquino from Paraguay with the home nation’s Hennie Otto and Rafael Jacquelin from France, and the other comprised scratch golfer Nasser Yaqoob from Bahrain with the start-of-day tournament leaders Nicholas Colsaerts from Belgium and emerging South African star, Brandon Grace.

For all eighteen amateur qualifiers from the World Final of the Volvo World Golf Challenge, this was truly a day to remember forever.

Conditions were kind to the nervous amateurs, and the Pros all did their best to put them at their ease. With scoring quite tightly grouped, one team finally managed to ease themselves clear.

Mark Vandenberghe from the UK, was accompanied by fellow Englishman Lee Slattery and local hero Retief Goosen. Together, they compiled a very impressive team total of 18 under par. The 7-handicapper was understandably thrilled and described the golf course as “awesome… both the guys made me feel very comfortable, it was great, absolutely great.” Joking about the experience, former US Open champion Goosen said, “He hit some better shots out there than me!” Third member of the team, Lee Slattery, shot the day’s best score, an 8 under par 65. He felt that Mark, “…holed some great putts under pressure and hit some great shots as well. We all gelled well as a team.”

A more detailed report will follow, but for all eighteen amateur qualifiers from the Volvo World Golf Challenge, and for Mark Vendenberghe in particular, this was a day they will remember forever.

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After two days of intense competition over the superb Montagu Course in the heat of the South African Summer, the final positions of the World Finalists in the Volvo World Golf Challenge have been decided.

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Unluckiest player in the field was Sweden’s Nathalie Lindahl who sadly had to pull out of the competition. Despite physio treatment on her injured shoulder, her warm-up attempt on the practice range showed that the pain was still too great. Happily, everyone else was able to compete and once again the players teed off in perfect golfing conditions. A slight mist shrouded the nearby mountains and early moisture in the air offered some soothing and cooling protection. However, as had happened the day before, Summer returned with a vengeance as the sun burnt its way through the cloud. With players starting on both sides of the course, the leading players from Day One were off last. By the time they had finished, it was again wonderfully hot which meant that some very tired golfers were relieved to get into the sanctuary of the beautiful clubhouse. An exhausted but nonetheless very happy Bill Ferguson from the UK summed up his feelings for the day and the whole event in one word, “stunning”.

Following 36 holes of hotly contested Stableford play and with the second round played in perfect golfing conditions, the new World Champion of the Volvo World Golf Challenge can be confirmed as 24-handicapper Johannes Zelger from Italy. Despite an approach to the daunting 18^th green that ended up in the water, he added a superb 41 points to his opening 38 to make a grand total of 79. This resulted in a slender two point victory over Austria’s Henning Frech (39/38). In third place was Mikael Hedberg from Sweden (39/32). Overnight leader Jerry Brown from Finland struggled a little in the heat but still came fourth (40/29), whilst Ivar Sten, also from Sweden, was fifth (31/37). Warmest congratulations go to all these players as well as the thirteen others who have qualified to play in Friday’s Play With the Pros event over the Links Course here at Fancourt.

After his round, Johannes said that “It was good, especially the first nine holes where I got 24 points.” The heat had certainly made things difficult for some, but Johannes felt that being relatively young helped him to cope better. He also said that two birdies were the key to his win. These, supported by no fewer than eight pars, sealed the victory.

To succeed at the local level and at national level before heading to the World Final takes a player who is in form, determined, capable and level-headed. To then take on the winners from elsewhere in the world over a two-day competition and emerge victorious takes a true World Champion. Johannes Zelger now deservedly goes down in the records as the proud winner of the 2011 Volvo World Golf Challenge.

First group in the clubhouse included scratch golfer Naser Yacoob from Bahrain who felt the course was beautiful, “I have never seen any other course like it.” Playing partner Maria Orueta Pemartin from Spain was even more thrilled, “It is a fantastic course – very difficult and in magnificent condition.” Nathalie Lindahl, a promising young 2-handicapper from Sweden, was very impressed with the greens which are fast and true. She is also thrilled to be in South Africa which not surprisingly she finds “hot, and really great !”

With just a gentle breeze and on a course in sublime order, scoring reflected the fact that the humidity had become increasingly strength-sapping for some. In addition, despite being great fun, this is a serious competition with much to be won and lost. All of this creates its own pressures. Leader with a terrific  40 points is 19-year-old Finnish contestant, Jerry Brown. Indeed, off a handicap of just 3, this reflects a hugely impressive round of gross 71. In joint second place is Henning Frech just one behind on 39 with Mikael Hedberg from Sweden. Johannes Zelger from Italy came in fourth on 38 points. Tomorrow, the players will go off in true European Tour style with the leaders going out last.

But before that, this evening the finalists are being treated to a visit to the Botlierskop Private Game Reserve where they will enjoy an escorted safari trip which offers a chance to encounter all manner of wildlife including rhino, buffalo, giraffe and zebra. They will also be sustained with a Braai, Afrikaans for barbecue, where local delicacies will be prepared over open fires.

After a good night’s sleep back at Fancourt, the finalists will tomorrow take part in the concluding round of the Volvo World Golf Challenge, at the close of which we will know exactly who is going to be crowned World Champion. He, or she, will be joined by the next best 17 finishers and go on to Play With the Pros on Friday over the neighbouring Links Course, live on television all over the world!

Today is practice day – a chance to take a first look at the beautiful par-72 Montagu Course which will stage the 36-hole Stableford competition tomorrow and on Thursday. And whilst the players will all be battling for the honour of being crowned World Champion, there is the added excitement of playing for a place in Friday’s Amateur-Pro Team Competition. The best-placed golfers at the close of play on Thursday will get the chance to play with two stars from the European Tour who this week are taking part in the Volvo Golf Champions over the neighbouring Links Course. The chance to play with reigning Open Champion Darren Clarke, with local hero Ernie Els or any of the other proven tournament champions is an irresistible draw.

It has been a little more overcast today which has given the new arrivals a relatively gentle introduction to the local climate and been less sapping on energy levels as the competitors played 9 or 18 holes to familiarise themselves with the course and playing conditions. The early feedback from those getting to see the course for the first time is that it is a wonderful test of golf that is presented in tip-top condition, a special course that warrants its place hosting such an important event.

A thrill, or perhaps for some a bit of a scare, was the arrival at lunchtime of Luigi, a cheetah who paid a visit with his keepers from the nearby Cango Wildlife Ranch. Happily, this exquisite creature was very relaxed and seemed more than happy to be photographed.

This evening’s informal welcome dinner will provide the opportunity for finalists to mingle, relax, begin new friendships, and enjoy some friendly local hospitality before an early night to prepare for the test that lies ahead.

Tomorrow sees the opening shots fired in the battle to become World Champion and head the final field of the Volvo World Golf Challenge; it will be very interesting to see who raises their game when the pressure is on and when so much is at stake.

More than 50 amateur golfers from across the globe are here to compete over the stunning Montagu Course, one of the most beautiful and best conditioned courses in the country.

The 36-hole competition is being held on Wednesday and Thursday, and the best-placed finishers – roughly a third of the field – will get the chance to fulfil the golfing dream of a lifetime and play alongside some of the world’s top professional golfers on Friday. Play With The Pros is a team competition run as a part of the Volvo Golf Champions, Volvo’s prestigious European Tour event which is being held at the same time over the adjacent, challenging Links course.

The finalists will also enjoy superb South African hospitality both at Fancourt and other hand-picked locations nearby, making it a wonderful golfing experience.

It is the middle of the Summer, the weather is glorious, the competition is about to begin.