Picturesque Natadola Bay will welcome superstar golfers from the European Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia for the 2016 Fiji International.
In a huge coup for Pacific golf, the Fiji International is now a co-sanctioned stop on the European Tour and will play host to some of the world’s best golfers from 6-9 October.
But the PGA of Australia’s agreement with the European Tour doesn’t mean any local talent miss out. In fact, more nationalities are likely to be represented in 2016 than in the first two years of the event.
A minimum of 59 players will come from both the PGA Tour of Australasia and the European Tour. There will be eight additional invitations, as well as a minimum of six places available from qualifying events in Fiji for Fijian nationals.
The talent of these prodigious golfers will be broadcast into almost 400 million homes around the world, with 20 hours of coverage in the Asian, North American and Australian markets.
Partnership with one of the world’s highest profile tours is the culmination of a successful three years for the Fiji International, which started when the PGA of Australia saw an opportunity to put Fiji on the golfing map.
The success is in part due to Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course’s breathtaking backdrop of coral reefs and Pacific Ocean views, which are visible from 15 of the 18 holes. However, the Fijian Government, Fiji Tourism and Fiji’s number one player, Vijay Singh, all played crucial roles in building the event’s stature.
“One of the key aims of the Fiji International was to showcase Fiji to the world as not only a beautiful island paradise, but also a golfing mecca,” said Brian Thorburn, CEO of the PGA of Australia.
“With the PGA Tour of Australasia joining forces with the European Tour, we will see the exposure of Fiji significantly increased whilst also securing a deeper pool of talent to compete for the title.”
The island nation’s unrivalled physical beauty and family-friendly atmosphere has elevated the Fiji International to ‘working holiday’ status for tour players, where stars such as 2015 champion Matt Kuchar and inaugural (2014) winner Steven Jeffress have jumped at the chance to include their families in the festivities.
But it’s not just for the tour stars – golf fans are escaping to the Coral Coast with their family, or a group of fellow golfers. Coming from Australia and New Zealand they are kicking off summer early and joining the PGA Tour of Australasia at this year’s Fiji International.
Planning a trip around watching this tournament can give a Fiji holiday unique value, says Jeffress.
“If you want to mix a family holiday and golf tournament, I can’t think of a better place in the world to do it,” says Jeffress.
“There’s plenty to do for the whole family and it’s a pleasure to walk around Natadola Bay and watch high-quality golf.”
“I’m looking forward to staying at the InterContinental again, so close to the course.”
Several hospitality package options exist that allow VIP tournament experience.