BlackStar Golf News

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The world’s number one tyre and rubber company is organising all manner of exciting activities for adults and children alike, to coincide with its sponsorship of the Bridgestone Challenge golf event at Heythrop Park, Oxfordshire, from August 25 to 28.

A number of opportunities to experience DriveGuard – which won the Auto Express 2016 product of the year – will be made available away from the course, in what the company hopes will be the first of its kind where all four tyres are fully deflated beforehand.

Bridgestone DriveGuard has been described as a ‘game changing product’ as it not only allows motorists to drive for 50 miles at speeds up to 50mph following a puncture, but is also the first tyre of its kind which is not restricted to a factory fitment on specific brands or car models.

In addition, DriveGuard offers best in class performance with no compromise on wet or rolling resistance as supported by the excellent EU tyre Label values (A for Wet Performance and C for Rolling Resistance).

The company is hoping to entice thousands of spectators to its Bridgestone Challenge event near Chipping Norton and is pulling out all the stops to create a spectacle to remember, both on and off the course.

The Challenge Tour is one step down from the full professional European Tour and gives some of the most talented amateur players a platform to progress onto the professional circuit, following in the footsteps of the likes of Luke Donald, Justin Rose and 2016 Open winner Henrik Stenson.

The decision to create the Bridgestone Challenge at Heythrop Park represents a significant change from more commonplace sports partnerships in the tyre industry, with Bridgestone keen to create a stage for emerging players to realise their dreams and play the game on the highest stage.

Not only this, but Bridgestone wants to create an event for all the family, where children can enjoy a series of activities outside the golf course, within the stunning Heythrop Park grounds.

Bridgestone’s north region consumer sales and marketing director Farrell Dolan said: “We would love to see a great number of people at our Bridgestone Challenge event.

“Not only does this represent a unique platform for emerging golfers to make a big name for themselves, but it will also be a huge celebration of what we are as a business.

“Driving demonstrations, live music and various fun and games for children are also being put in place in the hope of leaving a lasting impression with families from across Oxfordshire and beyond.

“Heythrop Park is a stunning location and we are thrilled to be staging an event here, in such a beautiful part of the world.”

Alain de Soultrait, Challenge Tour Director, said: “We are delighted to be able to partner with Bridgestone and are excited to be bringing the Challenge Tour back to England, aided by the support of England Golf.

“The Challenge Tour offers the best way for talented young golfers to develop their professional game and a large number of our recent success stories have been English players.

“Not only this, but Bridgestone is looking to create an all-encompassing event on the perimeters of the course to make the event even more memorable.

“The commitment Bridgestone are showing to encourage the growth of the game in England will hopefully lead to similar success stories in future years, and there is no better place for talented youngsters to come and be inspired than the Bridgestone Challenge in August.”

Not since 1904 has golf been part of the Olympics, but this year in Rio golf returns on to the Olympic schedule. Marcus Fraser, with Scott Hend, will be representing Australia this week at the purpose built Olympic Golf Course. The event starts on Thursday and is a 72 Hole tournament, ending on Sunday afternoon.

Ollie Farr produced a stunning best of the day round of 66 in the Swedish Challenge,but eventually lost out in a 3 way play-off with England's Ben Stow and the tournament winner Joel Stalter.

The European Cahllenge Tour moves to Scandanavia for the next 2 weeks taking in Sweden and Finland, Rhys Enoch, Brian Casey, Oliver Farr are all competing this week at the Swedish Challenge, which is hosted by former Race To Dubai winner Robert Karlsson.

Just one week after competing in the 145th Open Championship at Royal Troon, Marcus Fraser who is the current leader of the Asian Order Of Merit tees off on Thursday at 8.00am with Victor Dubuisson from France and America's John Hahn in the first round of the 98th US PGA Championship at Baltusrol GC in New Jersey. 

World number 1 and fellow Australian Jason Day will be attempting to defend the title he won last year when winning his first major championship at Whistling Straits.

Follow Marcus Fraser's progress via twitter @blackstarsports and also on www.europeantour.com 

This week the PGA European Challenge Tour moves back to France for the La Vaudreil Challenge at the Golf PGA France du Vaudreuil.

Chris Selfridge and Rhys Enoch both hoping to build on their 13th place finish last week at the Fred Olsen Challenge De Espana in France, where they are joined by Jimmy Mullen and Ollie Farr.

Follow their progress @blackstarsports or via the live scoring at www.europeantour.com

Marcus Fraser tees off at 06.46 in Round 1of the Open Championship this week at Royal Troon, follow his progress on twitter @blackstarsports

Marucs Fraser has secured a place in to the Open Championship at Royal Troon, following the the withdrawl of Tiger Woods on friday evening, Fraser who was 1st reserve was guaranteed a place in the field.

Draw announced for Qualifying Round for Bridgestone Challenge 2016

Redditch_Qualifier_Draw_Sheet.pdf

Marcus Faser, Michael Hoey and Stuart Manley are all in action at the BMW International Open. Marcus Fraser returns to action in Cologne after a 3 week break, then heads to the US for the Bridgestone Invitational the following week.

The Challenge Tour comes to Britain for the first time this year for the SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge, where Ollie Farr, Chris Selfridge, Jimmy Mullen and Brian Casey are all in the field.

Follow all the progress through the live scoring at www.europeantour.com

Following his 5th place finish last week Ollie Farr joins Jimmy Mullen and Chris Selfridge  at the Najeti Open in St Omer, France this week on the PGA European Challenge Tour.

The golf season is really now well and truly under way, this week 8 out 10 BlackStar golfers are playing.

Stuart Manley and Micheal Hoey are again playing on the main tour, this week it is the Lyoness Open in Austria, where Chris Wood who recently won the BMW PGA Championship returns to defend his title, that he won last year in such dramatic fashion.

BlackStar are represented on the Challenge Tour by 6 players, Chris Selfridge, Ollie Farr, Brian Casey, Rhys Enoch, Ben Robinson and Devon's Jimmy Mullen.

Follow the progress of BlackStar's players on Twitter and via live scoring on www.europeantour.com

Michael Hoey and Stuart Manley both play this week in the Nordea Masters in Sweden, while BlackStar Golf have Rhys Enoch, Jimmy Mullen, and Ben Robinson, who makes his Professional debut on the Challenge Tour playing in Switzerland.

Next week BlackStar Golf have 2 players at the PGA Championship at Wentworth, 2 players at the Challenge Tour event in the Czech Republic and 2 players at the PGA EuroPro Tour event at Burhill Valley.

Marcus Fraser and Northern Ireland's Michael Hoey are both playing in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, the event is one of the biggest events on the European Tour, where  Byeong Hun An from Korea returns to defend his title he won in such dramatic fashion last year.

Chris Selfridge and Oliver Farr both go to the Czech Republic to play in the D+D Real Czech Challenge.

Jimmy Mullen and Rhys Enoch, both who finished in the top 10 in the EuroPro's opening event at Frilford Heath last week are both playing at Burhill Golf Club in the IFX International.

Michael Hoey and 2016 Asian Order Of Merit leader and world ranked number 66, Marcus Fraser are both playing in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open supported by the Rory Foundation at the K Club this week. 

The Irish Open has always been one of the biggest events on the European Tour and this year will be no exception, as the field includes Rory McIIroy, and 2016 Masters Champion Danny Willett.

Michael Hoey will be making his 16th consecutive appearance in the Irish Open, while Fraser returns to action after a mid season break following his 2nd place finish at the Panasonic Open in Japan.

Follow the players progress on www.europeantour.com or on @blackstarsports on twitter from Thursday onwards.

Jimmy Mullen and Oliver Farr both finished on 11 under par and finished tied 12th in the Turkish Airlines Challenge on the European Challenge Tour.

Michael Hoey and Stuart Manley both are playing in the Trophee Hassan 11 in Rabat, Morocco this week at the stunning Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

Michael Hoey, who represents Galgorm Golf Club won the event in 2012, posting a brilliant 19 under par in the last 3 rounds after an opening round of 74.

Chris Selfridge got his 2016 campaign on the European Challenge Tour underway with a 4th place finish at the Challenge De Madrid. Chris shot rounds of 66,70,70,70 to finish on 4 under par. The event was won by Scotland's Duncan Stewart on 8 under par.

With this been only the third event of the year on the Challenge Tour Chris moves up to 20th position on the Race To Oman rankings, the top 15 players at the end of the season automatically qualify for the 2017 Race To Dubai.

Oliver Farr finished T23 on level par, Rhys Enoch T46 and Ireland's Brian Casey T58. This week the Challenge Tour moves on to Turkey at the Turkish Airlines Challenge, where Oliver Farr will be looking to win the title he won in 2015, which helped him finish 10th on the final ranking list. Ollie is joined by Brian Casey, Rhys Enoch and 2016 Walker Cup player Jimmy Mullen.