Turkish Airlines Amateur Series comes to Sri Lanka

From left: Executive – Reservations Turkish Airlines Ramila Silva, Executive Nishadi Kulatilleke, Accounting Manager Turkish Airlines Ahmet Kaplan, Sales and Marketing Manager Turkish Airlines Shermika Kuweju, General Manager Turkish Airlines Ozgur Suucak, Executive Marketing Turkish Airlines Shamaali Mediwake and Executive - Reservations Turkish Airlines Pathum Jayawardana

By Madushka Balasuriya

One Sri Lankan Amateur golfer will win the opportunity of a lifetime this weekend when the Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup Amateur Series makes its way to Sri Lanka for the first time in its short yet illustrious history. 

The tournament, which is in its sixth year, is the largest corporate golf tournament in the world with 100 qualifying events in 61 countries and sees over 7,500 amateur players compete globally for one of just 100 Grand Final spots on offer.

The Sri Lankan leg will be held at the Royal Colombo Golf Course (RCGC) this Sunday, 4 September, where an estimated 100 of Sri Lanka’s finest amateur golfers will compete for a coveted place in the Grand Final. 

The tournament, which will be played in a stableford format, will have only one eligible winner from each qualifier progressing, while each qualifying event will have other prizes on offer as well as the best gross prize and nearest the pin competitions with separate prizes for men and ladies. The main qualifying tournaments however will have men and women compete together.

The tournament will begin with a shotgun start at 8.30 a.m. on Sunday and will conclude by 3.00 p.m. with a prize presentation. Entry will be free for visitors and several Turkish themed food items will be on offer throughout the day courtesy Turkish Airlines. 

The Grand Final, meanwhile, will be held in Belek, Turkey in October 2016, with the 100 qualifiers being treated to return Business Class flights with Turkish Airlines. The very same business class which was named the second in the world for business class catering, and offers the services of a personal chef on board. 

Once in Turkey, accommodation will be provided on an all-inclusive basis at the 5-star Titanic Deluxe Belek resort in Antalya, which is billed as ‘one of the most spectacular properties on the Turkish Riviera’ and features the Ocean Pool - the biggest in the Antalya region.

The Grand Final tournament will take place over two days starting 31 October, with the 36-hole event taking place at the luxurious Titanic Golf Club. Set against the stunning backdrop of the snow-covered Taurus Mountains, the 27-hole course is played in three separate nines, working its way through a dense pine forest and the Beşgöz River, all the while entertaining stunning costal views of the glistening Mediterranean Sea.

While the sum of the cash prize is yet to be disclosed, the finalists will arguably be vying for something even more valuable: a spot in the pro-am of the 2016 Turkish Airlines Open on 2 November, where winners will have the chance to compete alongside some of the game’s leading professional players. 

The $ 7 million event signals the start of the 2016 ‘Final Race to Dubai Series’ on the European Tour, with past finalists having had the privilege of playing in the company of, amongst others, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, Martin Kaymer and Victor Dubuisson.But losing finalists won’t go home empty-handed, with all 100 Grand Finalists being gifted season tickets to attend the Turkish Airlines Open at the Carya Golf Club in Belek from 3-6 November, where they will be entertained in VIP hospitality and watch some of golf’s top pros compete in one of the European Tour’s most lucrative events.