This week Fiji will host its first ever world-class golf tournament with the Fiji International set to attract thousands to Natadola Bay.
To be played at the stunning Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course, the four-round golf tournament will tee off from Thursday 14th to Sunday 17th August 2014.
Part of an world-class golf circuit, the Fiji International will be the region’s first ever international golf tournament bringing 120 Professional golfers plus their families and support crews to Fiji.
Among them will be Fiji’s own Vijay Singh who for the very first time will return to Fiji to compete in front of his friends and family.
“It’s been a little while since I’ve been back but this is a great opportunity and I hope that I can contribute to its success and give a little back to Fiji,” said Singh who has won 58 international titles since turning Professional in 1982, including three Majors.
“I wish this was five or six years ago when I was playing a lot better, but I’m beginning to play well again and hope I can go out there and show Fiji how good I can play.”
With prizemoney of US$1 million on offer to the competitors Singh will be joined at Natadola Bay by some of the region’s best golfers all keen to play the Natadola course which, since the launch of the tournament, has attracted strong international attention.
As part of the Fiji International, tournament organisers and the Fiji Government are working towards lifting Fiji’s global profile as an international golf holiday destination, further boosting tourism, jobs and the wider economy.
Over the last six months the Fiji International has been part of an international marketing campaign led by the PGA.
And the campaign is set to continue throughout the week of the tournament with the four day golf event to be shown on TV in more than 30 countries reaching over 400 million homes around the world.
In no uncertain terms the Fiji International is Fiji’s biggest ever sporting event.
Being run by the PGA of Australia a team has been working around the clock for the last six months to make the tournament a reality.
This week organisers will be joined by more than 200 volunteers who will come from all over Fiji, Australia and New Zealand to help make the tournament a success.
“It will give us a fantastic avenue to promote our beautiful nation and show the world what we have to offer,” said Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama who expects the tournament to deliver a multi-million dollar boost for the Fijian economy.
Brian Thorburn, Chief Executive Officer of the PGA of Australia added on behalf of tournament organisers, “This is a major international sporting event. Working alongside the Fijian Government as well as event sponsors and supporters, we’re committed to ensuring it’s a huge success for the people of Fiji.”
With a valuable perspective on world golf Vijay Singh agrees with the potential of the Fiji International.
“I hope that after the Fiji International people will see how good of a golf course it is and decide to go there not only for a holiday but for a golfing holiday,” said the former World No. 1 and World Golf Hall of Fame inductee.
“Natadola was the start of a program to build quality golf courses for tourism purposes. Don’t just go to Fiji for sunshine… go there to play golf.”