HELSINGIN GOLFKLUBIN JÄSENLEHTI • FINNAIR MASTERS -ERIKOISNUMERO 2 • 2009 Finnair Masters Talissa 28.-30.8. www.finnairmasters.com FINNAIR MASTERS 2009 Welcome from the Ladies European Tour n behalf of the Ladies as many different nationalities emerge. OEuropean Tour, welcome to Helsinki Golf Let’s see if the tradition continues. Club in Finland for the fifth edition of the Finnair Masters. The Ladies European Tour has taken huge strides in recent years and we are proud The LET’s top women golfers are excited to present a 2009 schedule which features to be returning to Tali. A top venue, prize 26 tournaments in 21 different countries, money of €200,000 and a high class field with total prize money of 12 million of competitors will ensure a fantastic Euros. Our players, who represent week for fans and players. 33 different countries, are constantly improving the standard of their golf and We are most grateful to Infront Finland appreciate your applause for their hard for their continued commitment to work and achievements. women’s professional golf. We would also like to thank the title sponsor Finnair, I sincerely hope that you enjoy your the golf club, volunteers, spectators and experience this week. Thank you for your media, who report on the action world- support of our organisation and players wide, for contributing to a wonderful and we hope that you will continue to tournament. follow the Ladies European Tour in the future. Last year, Finland’s very own Minea Blomqvist treated fans to a sparkling Warm regards, display of golf, defeating fellow Finn Ursu- la Wikstrom by a one stroke margin. With Alexandra Armas huge home support, let’s see if another Executive Director Finn can win this week. Over the past four Ladies European Tour years, we have witnessed champions from LET event Finnair Masters promotes golf in Finland and makes itself global Finnair Masters as the biggest golf tour- our precious volunteers, Finnair Masters and sponsors for the event. Alongside nament held in Finland will bring the could not happen without you. Every year with the title sponsor Finnair is the global Ladies European Tour to Helsinki in the over 250 volunteers from all over Finland car brand Volvo that has been on board last weekend of August. The event attracts come and work through out the weekend from the first year on and Nordea Bank players from more than 25 countries and give their valuable time and knowl- who joined us in 2008. Other partners every year and it has been played already edge to the event. 90% of them have been come from different fields of business four times prior. Infront and The Helsinki Finnair Masters´ volunteers before and and most of them have been involved for Golf Club as proud hosts are honored to the spirit of the event makes them want to several years. The City of Helsinki welcome ladies back to Finland – let’s come back each year. Thank you for being supports our event this year on broader make this year as memorable as last year! back – together we will make this happen level than ever before. We are very pleased again. to have the city as a partner. Minni and Ursula getting to the last flag in tie position – we really got all we wished Top brands on board The event is very lucky to have such de- for. Suspense, professional golf, great voted supporters. We stand tall among crowd, even weather co-operated. I want Finnair Masters –event gathers top com- other big events Helsinki hosts yearly and to start my words this year’s by thanking panies and brands in Finland as partners we stand together. It is such a pleasure to 2 FINNAIR MASTERS 2009 Welcome to the cradle of Finnish golf n behalf of the members The Erkko Trophy being the most notable Oof Helsingin Golfklubi, it is a pleasure to among them. At its fifth start The Finnair welcome you players and guests again to Masters has become an important part Finnair Masters in its 5th edition. It is re- of the Finnish golf calendar. As part of markable that our partner Infront Finland, Ladies European Tournament it also is a during the declining financial climate, has good test for the skills of our new young been able to convince the sponsors of the girls. excellence of our competition. The course has weathered well against top One thing though is difficult to repeat. challenges in decades. And to carry on Those of us who witnessed the final mo- this tradition we have done a great job in ments of last year’s tournament, will never renovating our greens the last of which, forget the excitement, when Ursula Wik- the 14th was literally blasted away last fall, ström and Minea Blomqvist were measu- before new surface was built and laid. The ring their putts on the 18th hole and Mi- thanks of the fine condition of the course nea finally sinking the winning put. It was go to our Course Committee and Course sports and golf at its best. It was a great Manager, Mr Esa Laaksonen and his staff. occasion for the players concerned and also Finnish golf. I am sure this year´s Fin- Thanks are due to many more. To The La- nish Masters will have some surprises in dies European Tour for inviting us to host We hope you all have a wonderful time store, just few weeks before the European this event and providing their experience, with us this week and the weather strikes selections to The Solheim Cup. guidance and support, The City of Helsin- a balance between providing a test for the ki for their understanding and support, players and pleasure for the spectators! It is a delight to have Finnair Masters here our sponsors and above all to the three again. Tali is truly the cradle of the game hundred volunteers and helpers, without Leif Ekström in Finland and we have many Finnish firsts whose dedicated assistance Finnair Mas- Chairman, Helsingin Golfklubi from national and international amateur’s ters would not be possible. tournaments for both women and men, be working with professionals in order the whole summer have been flown to to achieve our goal of promoting golf Helsinki by Finnair to join the Finnair in Finland. The values of the event have Masters pro-am as a team in August. supported our goal every year and Finn- ish golfers make rooting for them easy Hereby I welcome all the players to show by showering us with high level perfor- their best in Finnair Masters. We are mances. thankful for having you back. We thank Finnair for making world smaller and Global Challenge inviting Asian players to spice up our European Tour. And most of all I want to The event has reached its high quality level welcome everyone to enjoy the Finnair with hard work. Even though we are satis- Masters 2009 event and rejoice in the fied with what we were able to witness last great spirit Tali has to offer. Let’s make year, the event is pushed to continuously what we came here to do – let’s make renew itself. This year we introduced the good memories! Finnair Masters Global Challenge as a unique promotion feature. Its purpose is Tero Kumpulainen to attract players from any country around Chairman of the Organizing Committee the globe to challenge each other. The ten weeks during the summer. All par- format allows any player on any course ticipants have had a chance to win large at any time to participate with a text selection of prizes regardless of their score message to weekly competitions held for and to top it all the top three winners of 3 FINNAIR MASTERS 20082009 Golf elää ja voi hyvin Talissa TALI GOLF Viime tapaamisen jälkeen Helsingin Golf- mäiset mestaruuskilpailut ja perustali- Tiedotustoimikunta klubi on ollut melkoisessa julkisessa pyö- laisen Roope Kakon nousu alkukesästä Kari Kallio rityksessä, jolla on ollut vähän tekemistä Suomen ykkösgolffariksi Mikko Ilosen Jaana Jalonen kentän kunnon, viheriöiden liukkauden pitkän valtakauden jälkeen. Samaan ryh- John Woodward Tiina Heikkinen tai seuran urheilullisen menestyksen mään kuuluvat Niilo Olosen toinen kier- Ilkka Ulander kanssa. Toisen klubin ongelmat tuskin ros kaksi alle oman iän, 73 vuotta, Talin Päätoimittaja kiinnostavat Finnair Mastersiin tulevaa naisten menestys seniorikisoissa ja Gloria Kari Kallio golfkansaa. Yksi asia on kuitenkin toistet- Openin 20-vuotisturnauksessa sekä voit- puh. 050 5002501 tava, koska väärinkäsitykset elävät myös to maailman vanhimmassa ja ilmeisesti Sähköposti: [email protected] asioista tavallisesti hyvin perillä olevien ainoassa jatkuvasti pelattavassa kansain- Taitto ihmisten keskuudessa: välisessä seuraottelussa Stockholm’s Golf- Infront Finland Oy, Esa Ylä-Anttila klubbia eli Kevingeä vastaan. Paino HGK ei ole missään vaiheessa pitänyt DMP vuokran korotusta kohtuuttomana, minkä Tässä mielessä odotamme jännityksellä Julkaisija vuoksi itse vuokraneuvottelut ovat suju- millainen urheilukilpailu tämän vuoden Helsingin Golfklubi ry. neet koko ajan hyvässä hengessä. Julkinen Finnair Mastersista on tulossa viime vuo- HGK:n kotisivu: www.helsingingolfklubi.fi pyöritys on johtunut vuokrasopimukseen den huippujännittävän kaksintaistelun Painos kuulumattomista poliittisin motiivein jälkeen. 1200 kappaletta esille nostetuista asioista, kuten tasoitus- Lähetään jäsenille perhejakeluna ja kaikille rajoista ja seuran jäsenten ikärakenteesta. Tullessaan katsomaan peliä, talilaiset Suomen Golfseuroille voisivat ottaa oppia kolmen päivän ajan HGK:N TOIMISTO Ensimmäisten kuukausien kokemuksista divottinsa ja griiniosumansa korjaavista Toiminnanjohtaja päätelleen tasoituskeskustelu, jonka takia ammattilaisista. Tavallisen viikonlopun Ilkka Ulander vuokraneuvottelut jumiutuivat, oli paljon jälkeen väylillä ja viheriöillä on paljon puh. 22523711 ja 040 7189682 melua tyhjästä. Nostetut rajat eivät ole ai- enemmän korjaamattomia pallon jälkiä, Sähköposti: [email protected] heuttaneet ryntäystä Talin ykköstiille. vaikka osumia on taatusti vähemmän Kenttämestari kuin Finnair Mastersissa.