(PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla.) PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem today announced that the ninth staging of The Presidents Cup will be contested November 14-20, 2011, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Melbourne becomes the first city outside of the United States to host the prestigious match-play competition more than once, as the 1998 event was held at Royal Melbourne Golf Club. The host course for the 2011 Presidents Cup is expected to be named by the end of 2007. We are thrilled to be bringing The Presidents Cup back to Melbourne in 2011, said Finchem. Every player, fan and TOUR staff member who either attended or watched the 1998 Presidents Cup still vividly remembers the incredibly warm welcome extended to the participants and the first-class atmosphere Melbourne created. Melbourne s government and citizens staged a superb competition then, and we are confident they will only exceed expectations when we return in four years. I know the world s best golfers will look forward to another trip down under for this thrilling competition. The Presidents Cup, a team match-play competition featuring 24 of the world s top golfers 12 from the United States and 12 from around the world, excluding Europe is held every two years, and since 1996 has alternated between United States and international venues. The Presidents Cup was developed to give the world&aposs best non-European players an opportunity to compete in international team match-play competition. The U.S. Team has won four of the six previous Presidents Cups, and the only outright win by the International Team came at the 1998 event in Melbourne. The 2003 Presidents Cup ended in a tie. We are delighted to have secured the return of The Presidents Cup to Melbourne in 2011, said Ben Sellenger, Chief Executive Officer, PGA TOUR of Australasia. The impact of Australian players has been felt on golf tours around the world, and the staging of this prestigious event on the world renowned sand belt in Melbourne is a further reflection of the strength of our country in world golf. After a hugely successful Presidents Cup here in 1998, there is little doubt the excitement and anticipation for this event will build exponentially over the next four years, and the PGA TOUR of Australasia looks forward to fully supporting the return of The Presidents Cup in 2011 and continuing to bring world class golf to the Australian sporting public. The Presidents Cup was last held in Australia in 1998 when Melbourne hosted a highly successful competition, said Hon. Steve Bracks, Premier of Victoria. The decision of the PGA TOUR to return the Presidents Cup to Melbourne in November 2011 is a tribute to that success and further cements Melbourne s reputation as a first-class city when it comes to staging major events. As in 1998 The Presidents Cup in 2011 will represent a wonderful promotion of golf to the Australian public and is another step in building positive momentum for the Australian golf industry, in particular to grow overall participation rates, said Golf Australia CEO, Tony Hallam. The 2007 Presidents Cup, to be held Sept. 27-30 at The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, will mark the seventh playing of event and the third time it has been contested outside the United States. In addition to the 1998 Presidents Cup in Melbourne, the 2003 event was held at the Gary Player-designed Links Course on the Fancourt Hotel and Country Club Estate in George, South Africa. As previously announced, the PGA TOUR has reached a tentative agreement to stage the 2009 Presidents Cup at Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco. This agreement is subject to the approval of the City s Recreation and Park Commission and Board of Supervisors. Discussions between the PGA TOUR and the City are continuing. For more information about The Presidents Cup, please visit www.presidentscup.com
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