JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC – BRIGHT FUTURE

 In the game of golf, there are few brands that can match Johnnie Walker’s association with the sport and the style and excellence of its flagship tournament – the Johnnie Walker Classic. It is a tournament that in fourteen years has gained the reputation of being one of the best in the world, continually attracting outstanding players, huge galleries and worldwide television coverage.

The name of Johnnie Walker Classic

The Johnnie Walker Classic, jointly owned and proudly presented by DIAGEO and IMG. DIAGEO, is the world’s leading premium drinks business, and the proud owner of the Johnnie Walker brand - the internationally-recognised deluxe Scotch whisky with annual sales of approximately 11.7 million nine-litre cases. IMG is also the world’s premier sports and lifestyle management and marketing firm with more than 2,200 international staff at 70 offices in 30 countries.

Johnnie Walker has a long-standing association with golf so far. Golf and Scotch whisky are arguably two of Scotland’s greatest gifts to the world, which may explain why Johnnie Walker sponsors Asia Pacific’s premier golf event. The joint history of Johnnie Walker and the game comes together perfectly in the Johnnie Walker Classic.

Goals

“This world-class tournament is an opportunity for us to build relationships on many levels, with our consumers, with our trade, and with the players themselves. Most of all the tournament is a platform to promote the philosophy that lies at the heart of the Johnnie Walker brand, Keep Walking. This philosophy is about inspiring personal progress, inspiring people to take the next step on their journey towards their goals. Professional golfers are inspiring examples of this message as they have overcome challenges to excel at the highest level of the sport. We hope that the tournament inspires others to follow their own dreams,” Johnnie Walker Global Brand Director Ben Anderson says.

Outstanding points

 The Johnnie Walker Classic was the first and only event to be tri-sanctioned by the European, Australasian and Asian PGA Tours. Uniquely, the location for the tournament changes every year as the event moves from one exotic location to another. It has been held in Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Philippines and even Taiwan. The tournament attracts crowds of up to 60,000 people and hosts over 300 local and international media, and is watched across the world with a global TV audience reach of 200 million households with up to 700 hours of live broadcast.

 The tournament attracts one of the best fields of players assembled in Asia every year, drawing from the best players in Europe, Asia and Australia. They compete for one of the biggest prizes in Golf in Asia, with a total purse in 2005 of £1.25 million, an increase of 25 per cent last year, and a winner’s cheque of £208,333. The popular event has been won by some of the best international golfers: England’s Nick Faldo, the winner of six major championships, winning the inaugural event in 1990 and again in 1993; American Tiger Woods, world number one for a record 264 consecutive weeks, won in Phuket in 1998 and in Bangkok in 2000, European Ryder Cup star, Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain won the 2004 event in Bangkok…

New chance for China

 The Chinese capital of Beijing has been named as the host city for the 2005 Johnnie Walker Classic. This will be the first time the Johnnie Walker Classic has taken place in mainland China, and marks an important milestone for the 14-year-old tournament and the development of golf in China.

Commenting on the decision, Mr. Ben Anderson said: “We are thrilled to bring our prestigious event to the great nation of China. We hope that by bringing the Johnnie Walker Classic to China that we can help to build appeal and prestige for golf and recognition of Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky.”

 The 2005 Johnnie Walker Classic will be played at the Jack Nicklaus designed Pine Valley Golf Resort and Country Club in Beijing from 21-24 April, and will again attract some of the world’s best players. The Johnnie Walker Classic, which is one of the richest events in Asia, will be the biggest and richest tournament held in Beijing.

 Mr. Hu Jian Guo, Vice Chairman of the China Golf Association, which has officially sanctioned the tournament, echoed Mr. Anderson’s enthusiasm for staging the event in China: “We are very proud to host this event in China next year. The Johnnie Walker Classic will give Chinese professional golfers the chance to compete alongside some of the best golfers in the world, and will showcase our strength in attracting and hosting world-class events leading up to the Beijing Olympics in 2008”.

Prospect

 The future for the tournament is even brighter, according to Ben Anderson. “We are very proud of this tournament and are committed to its long term success as Asia’s premier golf event and we will continue to grow the tournament to be one of the most prestigious events on the European Tour. We will continue to tour the event around Asia so that as many countries and people as possible can experience this superb tournament,” he said.

• SCF