Macao, 23 June 2014: Former world number one Ernie Els has confirmed his return to the US$900,000 Venetian Macao Open at the Macao Golf and Country Club from October 23-26, 2014.

The South African is known as ‘The Big Easy’ due to his physical stature and fluid golf swing, a swing which has won him a phenomenal 70 professional career victories to date, including two on the Asian Tour (2005 BMW Asian Open in China and 2005 Qatar Masters).  He is hoping to add another victory in October after making his debut at the Venetian Macao Open last year where he tied for third place at 12-under-par 272, four shots behind the champion Scott Hend of Australia.

Els, who is an Asian Tour Honorary Member and International Ambassador, turned professional in 1989 and his stellar career includes four Major Championship wins (US Open in 1994 and 1997, and The Open Championship in 2002 and 2012), two World Golf Championship events and seven World Matchplay titles.  He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011.

He is relishing the opportunity to compete at Macao’s most iconic sporting event again, this time while sporting the logo of his new sponsor, The Venetian Macao;

“I am really excited to be coming back to Macao.  I had a great time last year and the tournament was extremely well organised. The city is amazing with world class hospitality and entertainment.  I had my 44^th birthday there last year which was fantastic fun, in fact I enjoyed it so much that I’ve recently become a global ambassador for The Venetian Macao and will be working with them on a number of golf initiatives over the forthcoming months.

“I have always enjoyed playing in this part of the world and especially to play at the Venetian Macao Open which is one of the most prestigious events on the Asian Tour. I know that Lee (Westwood) and Colin (Montgomerie) have won here in the past and I hope to emulate them and lift the trophy this year!” said Els.

The Venetian Macao Open is jointly organised by Macao Sport Development Board of Macao SAR Government (MSDB) and Golf Association of Macao.  It is sanctioned by both the Asian Tour and the Golf Association of Macao, and promoted by IMG.  The VenetianMacao is the title sponsor of the event for a third successive year.

José Tavares, President of MSDB, was delighted to hear of Els’ participation at this year’s Venetian Macao Open again:

“We are honoured to welcome Mr. Ernie Els to Macao again this coming October. He is without doubt one of the world’s greatest golfers and having a player of his profile at our event is a true reflection of how the Venetian Macao Open continues to grow in stature.  The ‘Big Easy’ will definitely be a big draw for golf fans from Macao and further afield.”

Charles Lo, President of the Golf Association of Macao, added, “We are very happy that Ernie Els will be playing in Macao again this year.  He is a living legend in the world of golf and a lot of golfers look up to him. I hope our players can make good use of this opportunity to learn from a true champion.”   

Gunther Hatt, Executive Vice President of Operations for Sands China Ltd. believes the participation of Els at the Venetian Macao Open will help generate increased profile and interest for the tournament and the city of Macao itself:

“The tournament is a popular stop on the Asian Tour schedule. Both players and golf fans love coming to Macao. Ernie’s presence will definitely attract a crowd to watch him play and it will be an opportunity for all to experience Macao’s wonderful hospitality and entertainment. Having a world class golfer such as Els in Macao further enhances Macao’s reputation as a top destination in Asia for sport, leisure and business travel. And we’re very excited to be sponsoring Ernie this year as he wears The Venetian Macao logo.”

Asian Tour Chairman Kyi Hla Han said: “We look forward to Ernie’s participation in the Venetian Macao Open again this year. As our Honorary Member and International Ambassador, it’s great to have him back to support one of our most prestigious tournaments in the region. His achievements in golf are truly an inspiration to many players. We believe his support will further develop the game in Asia.”

Grant Slack, IMG Senior Vice President added:

“The Macao Open is now recognised as the city’s premier annual sporting event and IMG has been involved with the tournament since 2011. Every year the tournament continues to grow with greater prize money and a stronger field.  This is a tournament the players want to play and the participation of Ernie Els is a great reflection of the Venetian Macao Open in terms of competition quality and reputation.”

Entry to the Venetian Macao Open is free so golf fans from around the region can enjoy live, world class golf by Els and many leading Asian Tour players, in one of the best loved destinations for leisure and entertainment travel in Asia.

Since its inauguration in 1998, the tournament has been graced by the presence of some of the best golfers the world has ever seen, including Lee Westwood, Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo, Padraig Harrington, Fred Couples, Ian Woosnam and Mark O’Meara. This year’s event boasts a total prize fund of US$900,000, an increase of 12.5% compared to last year.

Sponsors joining The Venetian Macao in support of the tournament include Rolex, Air Macao, Blue Girl, Lamborghini, Hytera and Hong Kong Descente, which carries both the Le Coq Sportif Golf Collection and Munsingwear.

For more details on the Venetian Macao Open, please visit www.thevenetianmacauopen.com