WCGC

World Corporate Golf Challenge

NORTHERN IRELAND WORLD CHAMPION FOR THE FIRST TIME

The team of NICSSA - Northern Ireland Civil Services Sports Associated, including Tim Johnston (hcp 5,3) and John McBurney (hcp 1,5), won the 2011 World Final of the World Corporate Golf Challenge, played between the 3rd and the 8th of May at the Simola Golf & Country Estate, in Knysna (Eden District, South Africa).

Northern Ireland totalized 67 points, while the team of Close Up - Unilever, from India, finished second, with 66 points. Third place went to FBC Bank, from Botswana, with 64 points, as many as the Maybank team from Malaysia - but the africans benefited from the fact that they had a lower sum of the handicaps.

All the three first teams received their awards from the Ambassador of the World Corporate Golf Challenge, Tony Jacklin, winner of 28 professional tournaments, includind two Grand Slam events (British Open 1969 and US Open 1970) and four times Captain of the European Team in the Ryder Cup (1983, 1985, 1987 and 1989).

The World Final of the WCGC was to be played on 36 holes - two days of competition -, but on Saturday, May 7th, play was suspended due to rain and the round was cancelled. Therefore, only the scores from the first day counted.

In the event, hosted by the Eden District Municipality, participated a total of 20 countries, from four continents: Europe - Northern Ireland, England, Portugal (defending champion), Spain and Wales; America- Belize, El Salvador, Mexico and Panama; Africa - Botswana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe; and Asia- Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Thailand and United Arab Emirates (Dubai).

INTERVIEW WITH TIM JOHNSTON (Northern Ireland Captain)

1. Can you describe the feeling of beeing World Champion and having won the first WCGC�s title to Northern Ireland?
1. Winning the competition was way beyond my expectations. Coming from a small country like Northern Ireland it is a source of great pride to win such a high profile event, particularly against a field of high quality fellow competitors from all around the world. Meeting and socialising with a golfing legend in Tony Jacklin only added to the experience, and receiving his heartfelt congratulations on our win was a personal highlight. We truly felt like World Champions, and I will dine out on this proud experience for years.

2. Please give us a comment on the event and what it was for you to be there. Did you like the golf course?
2. I can only say that compeititors in the WCGC are treated as I would imagine PGA pros are treated at Tour events. The professionalism of the organisation was beyond anything i have experienced before and made the whole trip a pleasure, regardless of the result. The Simola Golf Course was simply spectacular, with particularly high shot values - good shots are well rewarded, but bad shots can be severely punished. This is only to be expected in such a prestigious event. The greens were immaculate, fast and true, and any putts missed were due to the player, not the surface. In addition, its location is breath-taking, with magnificent views at every turn. A wonderful location for such an event to be played.

3. What about South Africa? Had you been there previously? What did you think of the Eden District and Knysna?
3. This was my second visit to South Africa, previously having visited Sun City. Knysna is a fantastic location, with spectacular scenery and wonderfully friendly people, who seem genuinely concerned to ensure that visitors are made welcome and enjoy their stay. Allied to this, the currency exchange rate makes South Africa a very enticing location for travellers from the UK or the Eurozone. The WCGC will certainly not be my last visit to the Eden District, and hopefully my next visit will not be too long away!

INTERVIEW WITH JOHN McBURNEY (Northern Ireland))

1. Can you describe the feeling of beeing World Champions and having won the first WCGC�s title to Northern Ireland?
1. It was a great honour for me to have the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland in the World Corporate Golf Challenge finals at the Simola Golf and Country Estate in South Africa. Tim and I had little expectation of winning the tournament at the beginning of the week and after the first practice round we had even less. So to be crowned World Corporate Golf Champions at the end of the week and bring the title to Northern Ireland for the first time was beyond our wildest dreams.

2. Please give us a comment on the event and what it was for you to be there. Did you like the golf course?
2. I have played in many golf events but none of them come close to matching the WCGC Finals at Simola for professionalism. It felt like we were playing in a professional tour event, from the way the event was organised to the television cameras following your every move. The golf course was in fantastic condition and one of the best I have ever played with breathtaking views of the the Knysna area everywhere you looked. The course was a difficult but fair test of golf and it was very important to avoid the 96 well positioned bunkers, as Tim found out during the first practice round! The week from start to finish was an experience I will never forget.

3. What about South Africa? Had you been there previously? What did you think of the Eden District and Knysna?
3. This was my first trip to SouthAfrica and hopefully not my last. The Eden District and Knysna is a beautiful part of the world with friendly people, outstanding scenery and many great golf courses. The welcome and hospitality extended to us by the people of the area made our stay in Knysna a very enjoyable one. I will be recommending to family, friends and work colleagues that the Eden District of South Africa is a great destination for a family/golf holiday. I, for one, hope to return in the very near future.

2011 World Final Results

POS.	COUNTRY	COMPANY	PLAYER 1	PLAYER 2	TOTAL DAY 1	FINAL SCORE

1	NORTHERN IRELAND	NICSSA	33	34	67	67
2	INDIA	CLOSE UP - UNILEVER	32	34	66	66
3	BOTSWANA	FBC BANK	30	34	64	64
4	MALAYSIA	MAYBANK	26	38	64	64
5	NIGERIA	O A & CO	28	30	58	58
6	SOUTH AFRICA	SIMOLA GOLF CLUB	37	20	57	57
7	THAILAND	INZENTIVE TECH.	26	31	57	57
8	ZIMBABWE	FBC BANK	24	31	55	55
9	SPAIN	CONVASA	32	23	55	55
10	BELIZE	JDB/ROSE'S	24	27	51	51
11	U.A.E./DUBAI	GMB (DUBAI) LTD.	29	21	50	50
12	ENGLAND	RODGERS OF PLYMOUTH	25	24	49	49
13	KENYA	APOLLO TOURS	20	27	47	47
14	WALES	CHEMCORP	21	26	47	47
15	LIBERIA	O A & CO	27	17	44	44
16	PANAMA	CLINICA CRESPO/TBWA	23	20	43	43
17	EL SALVADOR	WESTAR	20	17	37	37
18	PORTUGAL	PORTUGAL GOLF SHOW	18	17	35	35
19	HONG KONG	BLADE - INSIGHT	12	19	31	31
20	MEXICO	IGNACIO ARAGON				DISQUALIFIED