The idea of the Tour followed a lunch to honour former Ryder Cup Captain, Brian Huggett MBE in which PGA chief executive Sandy Jones made a commitment on behalf of the PGA to take the famous Ryder Cup trophy on a tour of all the golf clubs in Wales in advance of the next home match being hosted by Wales at the Celtic Manor Resort in 2010.

The purpose of the trip was to stimulate interest in golf and the Ryder Cup, promote the forthcoming 2010 matches in Wales and create awareness for RCW2010's official charity Tenovus.

With the support of sponsors, SubAir and The Mackenzie Club, a helicopter was chartered and branded appropriately. It was supported by three vehicles - provided by BMW, to act as the road party working in advance of the helicopter providing cover for any mechanical eventualities. Independent refuelling facilities were also employed to allow refuelling stops enroute. Click here to view the event website.

The weeklong tour  26th May - 1st June, 2008

More than 100 clubs signed up to have a visit from the Ryder Cup Trophy which was escorted by PGA captain Parnell Reilly. The trip was planned to run during the Week of the Wales Open, finishing at Celtic Manor, host of the 2010 Ryder Cup Matches, on the Sunday afternoon of the event .

During the trip Parnell and the Trophy visited upwards of 20 golf clubs a day across Wales where thousands of members turned out to see the famous trophy at their respective club. The visits were captured by an accompanying Getty Images photographer.

The weather during the week played a major factor on the timetable for the event. Heavy rain on the second day necessitated that many of the clubs were visited by road with the remainder on higher ground being rescheduled for Sunday morning. The logistics and planning for the trip and liaison with the sponsor was delivered on behalf of the PGA by Comuniq8 Limited

 

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