Nick Faldo will continue his efforts to unearth Asian champions of the future with his Faldo Asia Series set to continue in 2007.
The 2007 Series will feature 11 tournaments at nine venues across Asia, culminating in the Faldo Series Asia grand final at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China from December 12-14.
The Series, for youngsters aged from 11-21, is supported by Mission Hills, The R&A and UBS and sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Asia Pacific Golf Confederation.
Faldo, a six-time Major champion, was quoted as saying on his website:
“Looking ahead, I am excited to be announcing a bigger schedule for 2007 in only our second season. Thanks to the support from the host organisations and some first-class venues, plus the commitment from Mission Hills, The R&A and UBS, I believe we can provide even more grass-roots opportunities across Asia this year and, at the same time, continue to help develop the region’s next generation of champions.â€
The 2007 Series will see new events in Indonesia and Thailand while China will host three tournaments, including a debut for Yunnan province at the Faldo-designed Lakeview Golf Club in Kunming.
The tour will also visit Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. Up to six young golfers will qualify to take part in the Faldo Series Asia grand final, which the man himself will host at Mission Hills.
This year’s winner can look forward to a host of rewards, including the right to play in the Europe grand final, a starting place in the Volvo Masters of Asia, a scholarship to stage one of the Asian Tour qualifying school, plus a round of golf with Faldo. Last year’s event was won by 18-year-old Thai Nakarin Ratanakul.